diff --git a/.changes/unreleased/Features-20240818-005131.yaml b/.changes/unreleased/Features-20240818-005131.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..17260206
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/unreleased/Features-20240818-005131.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+kind: Features
+body: Add Behavior Flag framework
+time: 2024-08-18T00:51:31.753656-04:00
+custom:
+  Author: mikealfare
+  Issue: "281"
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index caf34209..0f2a03f7 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ repos:
         -   --max-line-length=99
         -   --select=E,F,W
         -   --ignore=E203,E501,E704,E741,W503,W504
-        -   --per-file-ignores=*/__init__.py:F401
+        -   --per-file-ignores=*/__init__.py:F401,*/conftest.py:F401
 
 -   repo: https://github.com/pre-commit/mirrors-mypy
     rev: v1.9.0
diff --git a/dbt/adapters/base/impl.py b/dbt/adapters/base/impl.py
index e0627c47..541c9846 100644
--- a/dbt/adapters/base/impl.py
+++ b/dbt/adapters/base/impl.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 )
 
 import pytz
+from dbt_common.behavior_flags import Behavior, BehaviorFlag
 from dbt_common.clients.jinja import CallableMacroGenerator
 from dbt_common.contracts.constraints import (
     ColumnLevelConstraint,
@@ -261,7 +262,7 @@ class BaseAdapter(metaclass=AdapterMeta):
 
     MAX_SCHEMA_METADATA_RELATIONS = 100
 
-    # This static member variable can be overriden in concrete adapter
+    # This static member variable can be overridden in concrete adapter
     # implementations to indicate adapter support for optional capabilities.
     _capabilities = CapabilityDict({})
 
@@ -271,6 +272,7 @@ def __init__(self, config, mp_context: SpawnContext) -> None:
         self.connections = self.ConnectionManager(config, mp_context)
         self._macro_resolver: Optional[MacroResolverProtocol] = None
         self._macro_context_generator: Optional[MacroContextGeneratorCallable] = None
+        self.behavior = []  # this will be updated to include global behavior flags once they exist
 
     ###
     # Methods to set / access a macro resolver
@@ -291,6 +293,27 @@ def set_macro_context_generator(
     ) -> None:
         self._macro_context_generator = macro_context_generator
 
+    @property
+    def behavior(self) -> Behavior:
+        return self._behavior
+
+    @behavior.setter
+    def behavior(self, flags: List[BehaviorFlag]) -> None:
+        flags.extend(self._behavior_flags)
+        try:
+            # we don't always get project flags, for example during `dbt debug`
+            self._behavior = Behavior(flags, self.config.flags)
+        except AttributeError:
+            # in that case, don't load any behavior to avoid unexpected defaults
+            self._behavior = Behavior([], {})
+
+    @property
+    def _behavior_flags(self) -> List[BehaviorFlag]:
+        """
+        This method should be overwritten by adapter maintainers to provide platform-specific flags
+        """
+        return []
+
     ###
     # Methods that pass through to the connection manager
     ###
diff --git a/tests/unit/conftest.py b/tests/unit/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..346634df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+from tests.unit.fixtures import adapter, behavior_flags, config, flags
diff --git a/tests/unit/fixtures/__init__.py b/tests/unit/fixtures/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..78135a2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/fixtures/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+from tests.unit.fixtures.adapter import adapter, behavior_flags, config, flags
diff --git a/tests/unit/fixtures/adapter.py b/tests/unit/fixtures/adapter.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b59b0423
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/fixtures/adapter.py
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+from multiprocessing import get_context
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+from typing import Any, Dict, List
+
+import agate
+from dbt_common.behavior_flags import BehaviorFlag
+import pytest
+
+from dbt.adapters.base.column import Column
+from dbt.adapters.base.impl import BaseAdapter
+from dbt.adapters.base.relation import BaseRelation
+from dbt.adapters.contracts.connection import AdapterRequiredConfig, QueryComment
+
+from tests.unit.fixtures.connection_manager import ConnectionManagerStub
+from tests.unit.fixtures.credentials import CredentialsStub
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def adapter(config, behavior_flags) -> BaseAdapter:
+
+    class BaseAdapterStub(BaseAdapter):
+        """
+        A stub for an adapter that uses the cache as the database
+        """
+
+        ConnectionManager = ConnectionManagerStub
+
+        @property
+        def _behavior_flags(self) -> List[BehaviorFlag]:
+            return behavior_flags
+
+        ###
+        # Abstract methods for database-specific values, attributes, and types
+        ###
+        @classmethod
+        def date_function(cls) -> str:
+            return "date_function"
+
+        @classmethod
+        def is_cancelable(cls) -> bool:
+            return False
+
+        def list_schemas(self, database: str) -> List[str]:
+            return list(self.cache.schemas)
+
+        ###
+        # Abstract methods about relations
+        ###
+        def drop_relation(self, relation: BaseRelation) -> None:
+            self.cache_dropped(relation)
+
+        def truncate_relation(self, relation: BaseRelation) -> None:
+            self.cache_dropped(relation)
+
+        def rename_relation(self, from_relation: BaseRelation, to_relation: BaseRelation) -> None:
+            self.cache_renamed(from_relation, to_relation)
+
+        def get_columns_in_relation(self, relation: BaseRelation) -> List[Column]:
+            # there's no database, so these need to be added as kwargs in the existing_relations fixture
+            return relation.columns
+
+        def expand_column_types(self, goal: BaseRelation, current: BaseRelation) -> None:
+            # there's no database, so these need to be added as kwargs in the existing_relations fixture
+            object.__setattr__(current, "columns", goal.columns)
+
+        def list_relations_without_caching(
+            self, schema_relation: BaseRelation
+        ) -> List[BaseRelation]:
+            # there's no database, so use the cache as the database
+            return self.cache.get_relations(schema_relation.database, schema_relation.schema)
+
+        ###
+        # ODBC FUNCTIONS -- these should not need to change for every adapter,
+        #                   although some adapters may override them
+        ###
+        def create_schema(self, relation: BaseRelation):
+            # there's no database, this happens implicitly by adding a relation to the cache
+            pass
+
+        def drop_schema(self, relation: BaseRelation):
+            for each_relation in self.cache.get_relations(relation.database, relation.schema):
+                self.cache_dropped(each_relation)
+
+        @classmethod
+        def quote(cls, identifier: str) -> str:
+            quote_char = ""
+            return f"{quote_char}{identifier}{quote_char}"
+
+        ###
+        # Conversions: These must be implemented by concrete implementations, for
+        # converting agate types into their sql equivalents.
+        ###
+        @classmethod
+        def convert_text_type(cls, agate_table: agate.Table, col_idx: int) -> str:
+            return "str"
+
+        @classmethod
+        def convert_number_type(cls, agate_table: agate.Table, col_idx: int) -> str:
+            return "float"
+
+        @classmethod
+        def convert_boolean_type(cls, agate_table: agate.Table, col_idx: int) -> str:
+            return "bool"
+
+        @classmethod
+        def convert_datetime_type(cls, agate_table: agate.Table, col_idx: int) -> str:
+            return "datetime"
+
+        @classmethod
+        def convert_date_type(cls, *args, **kwargs):
+            return "date"
+
+        @classmethod
+        def convert_time_type(cls, *args, **kwargs):
+            return "time"
+
+    return BaseAdapterStub(config, get_context("spawn"))
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def config(flags) -> AdapterRequiredConfig:
+    raw_config = {
+        "credentials": CredentialsStub("test_database", "test_schema"),
+        "profile_name": "test_profile",
+        "target_name": "test_target",
+        "threads": 4,
+        "project_name": "test_project",
+        "query_comment": QueryComment(),
+        "cli_vars": {},
+        "target_path": "path/to/nowhere",
+        "log_cache_events": False,
+        "flags": flags,
+    }
+    return SimpleNamespace(**raw_config)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def flags() -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    # this is the flags collection in dbt_project.yaml
+    return {}
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def behavior_flags() -> List[BehaviorFlag]:
+    # this is the collection of behavior flags for a specific adapter
+    return []
diff --git a/tests/unit/fixtures/connection_manager.py b/tests/unit/fixtures/connection_manager.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8b353fbe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/fixtures/connection_manager.py
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+from typing import ContextManager, List, Optional, Tuple
+
+import agate
+
+from dbt.adapters.base.connections import BaseConnectionManager
+from dbt.adapters.contracts.connection import AdapterResponse, Connection, ConnectionState
+
+
+class ConnectionManagerStub(BaseConnectionManager):
+    """
+    A stub for a connection manager that does not connect to a database
+    """
+
+    raised_exceptions: List[Exception]
+
+    @contextmanager
+    def exception_handler(self, sql: str) -> ContextManager:  # type: ignore
+        # catch all exceptions and put them on this class for inspection in tests
+        try:
+            yield
+        except Exception as exc:
+            self.raised_exceptions.append(exc)
+        finally:
+            pass
+
+    def cancel_open(self) -> Optional[List[str]]:
+        names = []
+        for connection in self.thread_connections.values():
+            if connection.state == ConnectionState.OPEN:
+                connection.state = ConnectionState.CLOSED
+                if name := connection.name:
+                    names.append(name)
+        return names
+
+    @classmethod
+    def open(cls, connection: Connection) -> Connection:
+        # there's no database, so just change the state
+        connection.state = ConnectionState.OPEN
+        return connection
+
+    def begin(self) -> None:
+        # there's no database, so there are no transactions
+        pass
+
+    def commit(self) -> None:
+        # there's no database, so there are no transactions
+        pass
+
+    def execute(
+        self,
+        sql: str,
+        auto_begin: bool = False,
+        fetch: bool = False,
+        limit: Optional[int] = None,
+    ) -> Tuple[AdapterResponse, agate.Table]:
+        # there's no database, so just return the sql
+        return AdapterResponse(_message="", code=sql), agate.Table([])
diff --git a/tests/unit/fixtures/credentials.py b/tests/unit/fixtures/credentials.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..88817f6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/fixtures/credentials.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+from dbt.adapters.contracts.connection import Credentials
+
+
+class CredentialsStub(Credentials):
+    """
+    A stub for a database credentials that does not connect to a database
+    """
+
+    def type(self) -> str:
+        return "test"
+
+    def _connection_keys(self):
+        return {"database": self.database, "schema": self.schema}
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_behavior_flags.py b/tests/unit/test_behavior_flags.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0ae1a021
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_behavior_flags.py
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+from typing import Any, Dict, List
+
+from dbt_common.behavior_flags import BehaviorFlag
+from dbt_common.exceptions import DbtBaseException
+import pytest
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def flags() -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    return {
+        "unregistered_flag": True,
+        "default_false_user_false_flag": False,
+        "default_false_user_true_flag": True,
+        "default_true_user_false_flag": False,
+        "default_true_user_true_flag": True,
+    }
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def behavior_flags() -> List[BehaviorFlag]:
+    return [
+        {"name": "default_false_user_false_flag", "default": False},
+        {"name": "default_false_user_true_flag", "default": False},
+        {"name": "default_false_user_skip_flag", "default": False},
+        {"name": "default_true_user_false_flag", "default": True},
+        {"name": "default_true_user_true_flag", "default": True},
+        {"name": "default_true_user_skip_flag", "default": True},
+    ]
+
+
+def test_register_behavior_flags(adapter):
+    # make sure that users cannot add arbitrary flags to this collection
+    with pytest.raises(DbtBaseException):
+        assert adapter.behavior.unregistered_flag
+
+    # check the values of the valid behavior flags
+    assert not adapter.behavior.default_false_user_false_flag
+    assert adapter.behavior.default_false_user_true_flag
+    assert not adapter.behavior.default_false_user_skip_flag
+    assert not adapter.behavior.default_true_user_false_flag
+    assert adapter.behavior.default_true_user_true_flag
+    assert adapter.behavior.default_true_user_skip_flag