diff --git a/colcon_core/feature_flags.py b/colcon_core/feature_flags.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a93bab7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/colcon_core/feature_flags.py
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+# Copyright 2024 Open Source Robotics Foundation, Inc.
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0
+
+import os
+import re
+
+from colcon_core.environment_variable import EnvironmentVariable
+
+
+"""Environment variable to enable feature flags"""
+FEATURE_FLAGS_ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE = EnvironmentVariable(
+    'COLCON_FEATURE_FLAGS',
+    'Enable pre-production features and behaviors')
+
+
+def get_feature_flags():
+    """
+    Retrieve all enabled feature flags.
+
+    :returns: List of enabled flags
+    :rtype: list
+    """
+    return [
+        flag for flag in (
+            os.environ.get(FEATURE_FLAGS_ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE.name) or ''
+        ).split(os.pathsep) if flag
+    ]
+
+
+def is_feature_flag_set(flag):
+    """
+    Determine if a specific feature flag is enabled.
+
+    Feature flags are case-sensitive and separated by the os-specific path
+    separator character.
+
+    :param str flag: Name of the flag to search for
+
+    :returns: True if the flag is set
+    :rtype: bool
+    """
+    return bool(flag and re.search(
+        fr'(?:^|{os.pathsep}){flag}(?:{os.pathsep}|$)',
+        os.environ.get(FEATURE_FLAGS_ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE.name) or '',
+    ))
diff --git a/test/spell_check.words b/test/spell_check.words
index 83548464..772114a9 100644
--- a/test/spell_check.words
+++ b/test/spell_check.words
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+addfinalizer
 addopts
 apache
 argparse
@@ -35,8 +36,10 @@ docstring
 executables
 exitstatus
 fdopen
+ffoo
 filterwarnings
 foobar
+fooo
 fromhex
 functools
 getcategory
@@ -139,5 +142,6 @@ unittest
 unittests
 unlinking
 unrenamed
+usefixtures
 wildcards
 workaround
diff --git a/test/test_feature_flags.py b/test/test_feature_flags.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e6aae60f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_feature_flags.py
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+# Copyright 2024 Open Source Robotics Foundation, Inc.
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0
+
+import os
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from colcon_core.feature_flags import FEATURE_FLAGS_ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE
+from colcon_core.feature_flags import get_feature_flags
+from colcon_core.feature_flags import is_feature_flag_set
+import pytest
+
+
+_FLAGS_TO_TEST = (
+    ('foo',),
+    ('foo', 'foo'),
+    ('foo', ''),
+    ('', 'foo'),
+    ('', 'foo', ''),
+    ('foo', 'bar'),
+    ('bar', 'foo'),
+    ('bar', 'foo', 'baz'),
+)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def feature_flags_value(request):
+    env = dict(os.environ)
+    if request.param is not None:
+        env[FEATURE_FLAGS_ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE.name] = os.pathsep.join(
+            request.param)
+    else:
+        env.pop(FEATURE_FLAGS_ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE.name, None)
+
+    mock_env = patch('colcon_core.feature_flags.os.environ', env)
+    request.addfinalizer(mock_env.stop)
+    mock_env.start()
+    return request.param
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    'feature_flags_value',
+    _FLAGS_TO_TEST,
+    indirect=('feature_flags_value',))
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures('feature_flags_value')
+def test_flag_is_set():
+    assert is_feature_flag_set('foo')
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    'feature_flags_value',
+    (None, *_FLAGS_TO_TEST),
+    indirect=('feature_flags_value',))
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures('feature_flags_value')
+def test_flag_not_set():
+    assert not is_feature_flag_set('')
+    assert not is_feature_flag_set('fo')
+    assert not is_feature_flag_set('oo')
+    assert not is_feature_flag_set('fooo')
+    assert not is_feature_flag_set('ffoo')
+    assert not is_feature_flag_set('qux')
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    'feature_flags_value',
+    (None, *_FLAGS_TO_TEST),
+    indirect=('feature_flags_value',))
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures('feature_flags_value')
+def test_get_flags(feature_flags_value):
+    assert [
+        flag for flag in (feature_flags_value or ()) if flag
+    ] == get_feature_flags()