diff --git a/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/sdk/FeatureProviderStateManager.java b/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/sdk/FeatureProviderStateManager.java
index 5fd70221b..f05525361 100644
--- a/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/sdk/FeatureProviderStateManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/sdk/FeatureProviderStateManager.java
@@ -8,11 +8,13 @@
 @Slf4j
 class FeatureProviderStateManager implements EventProviderListener {
     private final FeatureProvider delegate;
+    private final boolean delegateManagesState;
     private final AtomicBoolean isInitialized = new AtomicBoolean();
     private final AtomicReference<ProviderState> state = new AtomicReference<>(ProviderState.NOT_READY);
 
     public FeatureProviderStateManager(FeatureProvider delegate) {
         this.delegate = delegate;
+        this.delegateManagesState = delegate instanceof StateManagingProvider;
         if (delegate instanceof EventProvider) {
             ((EventProvider) delegate).setEventProviderListener(this);
         }
@@ -24,17 +26,23 @@ public void initialize(EvaluationContext evaluationContext) throws Exception {
         }
         try {
             delegate.initialize(evaluationContext);
-            setState(ProviderState.READY);
+            if (!delegateManagesState) {
+                setState(ProviderState.READY);
+            }
         } catch (OpenFeatureError openFeatureError) {
-            if (ErrorCode.PROVIDER_FATAL.equals(openFeatureError.getErrorCode())) {
-                setState(ProviderState.FATAL);
-            } else {
-                setState(ProviderState.ERROR);
+            if (!delegateManagesState) {
+                if (ErrorCode.PROVIDER_FATAL.equals(openFeatureError.getErrorCode())) {
+                    setState(ProviderState.FATAL);
+                } else {
+                    setState(ProviderState.ERROR);
+                }
             }
             isInitialized.set(false);
             throw openFeatureError;
         } catch (Exception e) {
-            setState(ProviderState.ERROR);
+            if (!delegateManagesState) {
+                setState(ProviderState.ERROR);
+            }
             isInitialized.set(false);
             throw e;
         }
@@ -42,12 +50,17 @@ public void initialize(EvaluationContext evaluationContext) throws Exception {
 
     public void shutdown() {
         delegate.shutdown();
-        setState(ProviderState.NOT_READY);
+        if (!delegateManagesState) {
+            setState(ProviderState.NOT_READY);
+        }
         isInitialized.set(false);
     }
 
     @Override
     public void onEmit(ProviderEvent event, ProviderEventDetails details) {
+        if (delegateManagesState) {
+            return;
+        }
         if (ProviderEvent.PROVIDER_ERROR.equals(event)) {
             if (details != null && details.getErrorCode() == ErrorCode.PROVIDER_FATAL) {
                 setState(ProviderState.FATAL);
@@ -75,6 +88,9 @@ private void setState(ProviderState state) {
     }
 
     public ProviderState getState() {
+        if (delegateManagesState) {
+            return delegate.getState();
+        }
         return state.get();
     }
 
@@ -82,6 +98,13 @@ FeatureProvider getProvider() {
         return delegate;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns true if the delegate provider manages its own state.
+     */
+    boolean delegateManagesState() {
+        return delegateManagesState;
+    }
+
     public boolean hasSameProvider(FeatureProvider featureProvider) {
         return this.delegate.equals(featureProvider);
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/sdk/ProviderRepository.java b/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/sdk/ProviderRepository.java
index 3a0d325df..5d45c31f0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/sdk/ProviderRepository.java
+++ b/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/sdk/ProviderRepository.java
@@ -215,7 +215,10 @@ private void initializeProvider(
         try {
             if (ProviderState.NOT_READY.equals(newManager.getState())) {
                 newManager.initialize(openFeatureAPI.getEvaluationContext());
-                afterInit.accept(newManager.getProvider());
+                // State-managing providers emit their own events; skip SDK-side emission.
+                if (!newManager.delegateManagesState()) {
+                    afterInit.accept(newManager.getProvider());
+                }
             }
             shutDownOld(oldManager, afterShutdown);
         } catch (OpenFeatureError e) {
@@ -223,13 +226,19 @@ private void initializeProvider(
                     "Exception when initializing feature provider {}",
                     newManager.getProvider().getClass().getName(),
                     e);
-            afterError.accept(newManager.getProvider(), e);
+            // State-managing providers emit their own events; skip SDK-side emission.
+            if (!newManager.delegateManagesState()) {
+                afterError.accept(newManager.getProvider(), e);
+            }
         } catch (Exception e) {
             log.error(
                     "Exception when initializing feature provider {}",
                     newManager.getProvider().getClass().getName(),
                     e);
-            afterError.accept(newManager.getProvider(), new GeneralError(e));
+            // State-managing providers emit their own events; skip SDK-side emission.
+            if (!newManager.delegateManagesState()) {
+                afterError.accept(newManager.getProvider(), new GeneralError(e));
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/sdk/StateManagingProvider.java b/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/sdk/StateManagingProvider.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fe5c8459f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/sdk/StateManagingProvider.java
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+package dev.openfeature.sdk;
+
+/**
+ * A provider that manages its own state. The SDK reads state from the provider
+ * rather than maintaining shadow state. Implementations MUST ensure that
+ * {@link #getState()} is safe for concurrent access and that state transitions
+ * and associated event emissions are atomic from the perspective of external observers.
+ *
+ * <p>Legacy providers that do not implement this interface continue to have their state
+ * managed by the SDK (deprecated behavior, to be removed in the next major version).</p>
+ *
+ * @see FeatureProvider
+ * @see EventProvider
+ */
+public interface StateManagingProvider extends FeatureProvider {
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the current state of this provider. Must reflect {@link ProviderState#NOT_READY}
+     * before {@link #initialize(EvaluationContext)} is called and after {@link #shutdown()} completes.
+     * Must reflect {@link ProviderState#READY} if {@link #initialize(EvaluationContext)} returns normally.
+     *
+     * <p>This method must be safe for concurrent access.</p>
+     *
+     * @return the current provider state
+     */
+    @Override
+    ProviderState getState();
+}