diff --git a/Sources/OpenFeature/FeatureProvider.swift b/Sources/OpenFeature/FeatureProvider.swift
index 4191441..81ea221 100644
--- a/Sources/OpenFeature/FeatureProvider.swift
+++ b/Sources/OpenFeature/FeatureProvider.swift
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@ public protocol FeatureProvider {
     var metadata: Metadata { get }
 
     // Called by OpenFeatureAPI whenever the new Provider is registered
-    func initialize(initialContext: EvaluationContext) async
+    func initialize(initialContext: EvaluationContext?) async
 
     // Called by OpenFeatureAPI whenever a new EvaluationContext is set by the application
-    func onContextSet(oldContext: EvaluationContext, newContext: EvaluationContext) async
+    func onContextSet(oldContext: EvaluationContext?, newContext: EvaluationContext) async
 
     func getBooleanEvaluation(key: String, defaultValue: Bool) throws -> ProviderEvaluation<
         Bool
diff --git a/Sources/OpenFeature/NoOpProvider.swift b/Sources/OpenFeature/NoOpProvider.swift
index 8e9fe58..3431e2d 100644
--- a/Sources/OpenFeature/NoOpProvider.swift
+++ b/Sources/OpenFeature/NoOpProvider.swift
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@ class NoOpProvider: FeatureProvider {
     var metadata: Metadata = NoOpMetadata(name: "No-op provider")
     var hooks: [AnyHook] = []
 
-    func onContextSet(oldContext: EvaluationContext, newContext: EvaluationContext) {
+    func onContextSet(oldContext: EvaluationContext?, newContext: EvaluationContext) {
         // no-op
     }
 
-    func initialize(initialContext: EvaluationContext) {
+    func initialize(initialContext: EvaluationContext?) {
         // no-op
     }
 
diff --git a/Sources/OpenFeature/OpenFeatureAPI.swift b/Sources/OpenFeature/OpenFeatureAPI.swift
index 103fc2b..9be13c2 100644
--- a/Sources/OpenFeature/OpenFeatureAPI.swift
+++ b/Sources/OpenFeature/OpenFeatureAPI.swift
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import Foundation
 /// Configuration here will be shared across all ``Client``s.
 public class OpenFeatureAPI {
     private var _provider: FeatureProvider?
-    private var _context: EvaluationContext = MutableContext()
+    private var _context: EvaluationContext?
     private(set) var hooks: [AnyHook] = []
 
     /// The ``OpenFeatureAPI`` singleton
diff --git a/Sources/OpenFeature/exceptions/OpenFeatureError.swift b/Sources/OpenFeature/exceptions/OpenFeatureError.swift
index a4ea9bf..c595f3a 100644
--- a/Sources/OpenFeature/exceptions/OpenFeatureError.swift
+++ b/Sources/OpenFeature/exceptions/OpenFeatureError.swift
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ public enum OpenFeatureError: Error, Equatable {
     case targetingKeyMissingError
     case typeMismatchError
     case valueNotConvertableError
+    case providerNotReadyError
 
     public func errorCode() -> ErrorCode {
         switch self {
@@ -25,6 +26,8 @@ public enum OpenFeatureError: Error, Equatable {
             return .typeMismatch
         case .valueNotConvertableError:
             return .general
+        case .providerNotReadyError:
+            return .providerNotReady
         }
     }
 }
@@ -46,6 +49,8 @@ extension OpenFeatureError: CustomStringConvertible {
             return "Type mismatch"
         case .valueNotConvertableError:
             return "Could not convert value"
+        case .providerNotReadyError:
+            return "The value was resolved before the provider was ready"
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/Tests/OpenFeatureTests/Helpers/AlwaysBrokenProvider.swift b/Tests/OpenFeatureTests/Helpers/AlwaysBrokenProvider.swift
index c68f862..871d7d2 100644
--- a/Tests/OpenFeatureTests/Helpers/AlwaysBrokenProvider.swift
+++ b/Tests/OpenFeatureTests/Helpers/AlwaysBrokenProvider.swift
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@ class AlwaysBrokenProvider: FeatureProvider {
     var metadata: Metadata = AlwaysBrokenMetadata()
     var hooks: [AnyHook] = []
 
-    func onContextSet(oldContext: OpenFeature.EvaluationContext, newContext: OpenFeature.EvaluationContext) {
+    func onContextSet(oldContext: OpenFeature.EvaluationContext?, newContext: OpenFeature.EvaluationContext) {
         // no-op
     }
 
-    func initialize(initialContext: OpenFeature.EvaluationContext) {
+    func initialize(initialContext: OpenFeature.EvaluationContext?) {
         // no-op
     }
 
diff --git a/Tests/OpenFeatureTests/Helpers/DoSomethingProvider.swift b/Tests/OpenFeatureTests/Helpers/DoSomethingProvider.swift
index 72d1a3c..b67dca7 100644
--- a/Tests/OpenFeatureTests/Helpers/DoSomethingProvider.swift
+++ b/Tests/OpenFeatureTests/Helpers/DoSomethingProvider.swift
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@ import OpenFeature
 class DoSomethingProvider: FeatureProvider {
     public static let name = "Something"
 
-    func onContextSet(oldContext: OpenFeature.EvaluationContext, newContext: OpenFeature.EvaluationContext) {
+    func onContextSet(oldContext: OpenFeature.EvaluationContext?, newContext: OpenFeature.EvaluationContext) {
         // no-op
     }
 
-    func initialize(initialContext: OpenFeature.EvaluationContext) {
+    func initialize(initialContext: OpenFeature.EvaluationContext?) {
         // no-op
     }