diff --git a/firmware/2lib/2kernel.c b/firmware/2lib/2kernel.c
index 02ea544..4b6badb 100644
--- a/firmware/2lib/2kernel.c
+++ b/firmware/2lib/2kernel.c
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@
 	struct vb2_shared_data *sd = vb2_get_sd(ctx);
 	struct vb2_workbuf wb;
 	struct vb2_packed_key *packed_key;
-	uint32_t secdata_flags;
+	uint32_t flags;
 	vb2_error_t rv;
 
 	vb2_workbuf_from_ctx(ctx, &wb);
@@ -143,12 +143,14 @@
 		return rv;
 	}
 
-	/* Enable phone recovery while disabling the UI; disable diagnostics. */
-	secdata_flags = vb2_secdata_kernel_get(ctx, VB2_SECDATA_KERNEL_FLAGS);
-	secdata_flags &= ~VB2_SECDATA_KERNEL_FLAG_PHONE_RECOVERY_DISABLED;
-	secdata_flags |= VB2_SECDATA_KERNEL_FLAG_PHONE_RECOVERY_UI_DISABLED;
-	secdata_flags |= VB2_SECDATA_KERNEL_FLAG_DIAGNOSTIC_UI_DISABLED;
-	vb2_secdata_kernel_set(ctx, VB2_SECDATA_KERNEL_FLAGS, secdata_flags);
+	/* Initialize experimental feature flags while in normal RW path. */
+        if (!(ctx->flags & VB2_CONTEXT_RECOVERY_MODE)) {
+		flags = vb2_secdata_kernel_get(ctx, VB2_SECDATA_KERNEL_FLAGS);
+		flags &= ~VB2_SECDATA_KERNEL_FLAG_PHONE_RECOVERY_DISABLED;
+		flags |= VB2_SECDATA_KERNEL_FLAG_PHONE_RECOVERY_UI_DISABLED;
+		flags |= VB2_SECDATA_KERNEL_FLAG_DIAGNOSTIC_UI_DISABLED;
+		vb2_secdata_kernel_set(ctx, VB2_SECDATA_KERNEL_FLAGS, flags);
+	}
 
 	/* Read kernel version from secdata. */
 	sd->kernel_version_secdata =
diff --git a/tests/vb2_kernel_tests.c b/tests/vb2_kernel_tests.c
index c2741b4..67b6b48 100644
--- a/tests/vb2_kernel_tests.c
+++ b/tests/vb2_kernel_tests.c
@@ -213,6 +213,11 @@
 		"  key data");
 	TEST_EQ(sd->kernel_version_secdata, 0x20002,
 		"  secdata_kernel version");
+
+	/* Test flags for experimental features in non-recovery path */
+	reset_common_data(FOR_PHASE1);
+	ctx->flags &= ~VB2_CONTEXT_RECOVERY_MODE;
+	TEST_SUCC(vb2api_kernel_phase1(ctx), "phase1 non-rec good");
 	/* Make sure phone recovery functionality is enabled, but UI disabled */
 	TEST_EQ(vb2api_phone_recovery_enabled(ctx), 1,
 		"  phone recovery enabled");
@@ -222,6 +227,27 @@
 	TEST_EQ(vb2api_diagnostic_ui_enabled(ctx), 0,
 		"  diagnostic ui disabled");
 
+	/*
+	 * Test flags are unchanged for experimental features in recovery path
+	 */
+
+	/* Set 8 bits to 0 */
+	reset_common_data(FOR_PHASE1);
+	ctx->flags |= VB2_CONTEXT_RECOVERY_MODE;
+	vb2_secdata_kernel_set(ctx, VB2_SECDATA_KERNEL_FLAGS, 0);
+	TEST_SUCC(vb2api_kernel_phase1(ctx), "phase1 rec good");
+	TEST_EQ(vb2_secdata_kernel_get(ctx, VB2_SECDATA_KERNEL_FLAGS), 0,
+		"VB2_SECDATA_KERNEL_FLAGS remains unchanged in recovery path");
+
+	/* Set 8 bits to 1 */
+	reset_common_data(FOR_PHASE1);
+	ctx->flags |= VB2_CONTEXT_RECOVERY_MODE;
+	vb2_secdata_kernel_set(ctx, VB2_SECDATA_KERNEL_FLAGS, UINT8_MAX);
+	TEST_SUCC(vb2api_kernel_phase1(ctx), "phase1 rec good");
+	TEST_EQ(vb2_secdata_kernel_get(ctx, VB2_SECDATA_KERNEL_FLAGS),
+	        UINT8_MAX,
+		"VB2_SECDATA_KERNEL_FLAGS remains unchanged in recovery path");
+
 	/* Bad secdata_fwmp causes failure in normal mode only */
 	reset_common_data(FOR_PHASE1);
 	mock_secdata_fwmp_check_retval = VB2_ERROR_SECDATA_FWMP_CRC;