diff --git a/packages/sdk/browser/__tests__/BrowserClient.test.ts b/packages/sdk/browser/__tests__/BrowserClient.test.ts
index af9b61c25..e2263f199 100644
--- a/packages/sdk/browser/__tests__/BrowserClient.test.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk/browser/__tests__/BrowserClient.test.ts
@@ -231,6 +231,102 @@ describe('given a mock platform for a BrowserClient', () => {
     expect(client.getContext()).toEqual({ kind: 'user', key: 'bob' });
   });
 
+  it('parses bootstrap data only once when using start()', async () => {
+    const bootstrapModule = await import('../src/bootstrap');
+    const readFlagsFromBootstrapSpy = jest.spyOn(bootstrapModule, 'readFlagsFromBootstrap');
+
+    const client = makeClient(
+      'client-side-id',
+      { kind: 'user', key: 'bob' },
+      AutoEnvAttributes.Disabled,
+      {
+        streaming: false,
+        logger,
+        diagnosticOptOut: true,
+      },
+      platform,
+    );
+
+    await client.start({
+      identifyOptions: {
+        bootstrap: goodBootstrapDataWithReasons,
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(readFlagsFromBootstrapSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(readFlagsFromBootstrapSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.anything(),
+      goodBootstrapDataWithReasons,
+    );
+
+    readFlagsFromBootstrapSpy.mockRestore();
+  });
+
+  it('uses the latest bootstrap data when identify is called with new bootstrap data', async () => {
+    const initialBootstrapData = {
+      'string-flag': 'is bob',
+      'my-boolean-flag': false,
+      $flagsState: {
+        'string-flag': {
+          variation: 1,
+          version: 3,
+        },
+        'my-boolean-flag': {
+          variation: 1,
+          version: 11,
+        },
+      },
+      $valid: true,
+    };
+
+    const newBootstrapData = {
+      'string-flag': 'is alice',
+      'my-boolean-flag': true,
+      $flagsState: {
+        'string-flag': {
+          variation: 1,
+          version: 4,
+        },
+        'my-boolean-flag': {
+          variation: 0,
+          version: 12,
+        },
+      },
+      $valid: true,
+    };
+
+    const client = makeClient(
+      'client-side-id',
+      { kind: 'user', key: 'bob' },
+      AutoEnvAttributes.Disabled,
+      {
+        streaming: false,
+        logger,
+        diagnosticOptOut: true,
+      },
+      platform,
+    );
+
+    await client.start({
+      identifyOptions: {
+        bootstrap: initialBootstrapData,
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(client.stringVariation('string-flag', 'default')).toBe('is bob');
+    expect(client.boolVariation('my-boolean-flag', false)).toBe(false);
+
+    await client.identify(
+      { kind: 'user', key: 'alice' },
+      {
+        bootstrap: newBootstrapData,
+      },
+    );
+
+    expect(client.stringVariation('string-flag', 'default')).toBe('is alice');
+    expect(client.boolVariation('my-boolean-flag', false)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   it('can shed intermediate identify calls', async () => {
     const client = makeClient(
       'client-side-id',
diff --git a/packages/sdk/browser/src/BrowserClient.ts b/packages/sdk/browser/src/BrowserClient.ts
index 496e75e24..c16aecae9 100644
--- a/packages/sdk/browser/src/BrowserClient.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk/browser/src/BrowserClient.ts
@@ -276,8 +276,11 @@ class BrowserClientImpl extends LDClientImpl {
 
     if (identifyOptions?.bootstrap) {
       try {
-        const bootstrapData = readFlagsFromBootstrap(this.logger, identifyOptions.bootstrap);
-        this.presetFlags(bootstrapData);
+        identifyOptions.bootstrapParsed = readFlagsFromBootstrap(
+          this.logger,
+          identifyOptions.bootstrap,
+        );
+        this.presetFlags(identifyOptions.bootstrapParsed);
       } catch (error) {
         this.logger.error('Failed to bootstrap data', error);
       }
diff --git a/packages/sdk/browser/src/BrowserDataManager.ts b/packages/sdk/browser/src/BrowserDataManager.ts
index ca3a8db41..2588aa0b7 100644
--- a/packages/sdk/browser/src/BrowserDataManager.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk/browser/src/BrowserDataManager.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
   Context,
   DataSourceErrorKind,
   DataSourcePaths,
+  DataSourceState,
   FlagManager,
   httpErrorMessage,
   internal,
@@ -93,7 +94,7 @@ export default class BrowserDataManager extends BaseDataManager {
     this._secureModeHash = browserIdentifyOptions?.hash;
 
     if (browserIdentifyOptions?.bootstrap) {
-      this._finishIdentifyFromBootstrap(context, browserIdentifyOptions.bootstrap, identifyResolve);
+      this._finishIdentifyFromBootstrap(context, browserIdentifyOptions, identifyResolve);
     } else {
       if (await this.flagManager.loadCached(context)) {
         this._debugLog('Identify - Flags loaded from cache. Continuing to initialize via a poll.');
@@ -160,7 +161,7 @@ export default class BrowserDataManager extends BaseDataManager {
     identifyReject: (err: Error) => void,
   ) {
     try {
-      this.dataSourceStatusManager.requestStateUpdate('INITIALIZING');
+      this.dataSourceStatusManager.requestStateUpdate(DataSourceState.Initializing);
 
       const payload = await this._requestPayload(context);
 
@@ -186,10 +187,14 @@ export default class BrowserDataManager extends BaseDataManager {
 
   private _finishIdentifyFromBootstrap(
     context: Context,
-    bootstrap: unknown,
+    browserIdentifyOptions: BrowserIdentifyOptions,
     identifyResolve: () => void,
   ) {
-    this.flagManager.setBootstrap(context, readFlagsFromBootstrap(this.logger, bootstrap));
+    let { bootstrapParsed } = browserIdentifyOptions;
+    if (!bootstrapParsed) {
+      bootstrapParsed = readFlagsFromBootstrap(this.logger, browserIdentifyOptions.bootstrap);
+    }
+    this.flagManager.setBootstrap(context, bootstrapParsed);
     this._debugLog('Identify - Initialization completed from bootstrap');
     identifyResolve();
   }
diff --git a/packages/sdk/browser/src/BrowserIdentifyOptions.ts b/packages/sdk/browser/src/BrowserIdentifyOptions.ts
index 224143487..13dabe168 100644
--- a/packages/sdk/browser/src/BrowserIdentifyOptions.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk/browser/src/BrowserIdentifyOptions.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { LDIdentifyOptions } from '@launchdarkly/js-client-sdk-common';
+import { ItemDescriptor, LDIdentifyOptions } from '@launchdarkly/js-client-sdk-common';
 
 /**
  * @property sheddable - If true, the identify operation will be sheddable. This means that if multiple identify operations are done, without
@@ -28,4 +28,12 @@ export interface BrowserIdentifyOptions extends Omit<LDIdentifyOptions, 'waitFor
    * For more information, see the [SDK Reference Guide](https://docs.launchdarkly.com/sdk/features/bootstrapping#javascript).
    */
   bootstrap?: unknown;
+
+  /**
+   * Parsed bootstrap data that could be stored to ensure that the bootstrap data is only parsed once during the intialization
+   * process.
+   *
+   * @hidden
+   */
+  bootstrapParsed?: { [key: string]: ItemDescriptor };
 }