diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/sample/react/TestAppReactNativeHost.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/com/sample/react/TestAppReactNativeHost.kt
index 10d2523f1..b944bbbe4 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/com/sample/react/TestAppReactNativeHost.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/sample/react/TestAppReactNativeHost.kt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package com.sample.react
 
 import android.app.Activity
 import android.app.Application
+import android.content.Context
 import com.facebook.react.PackageList
 import com.facebook.react.ReactInstanceManager
 import com.facebook.react.ReactNativeHost
@@ -9,7 +10,13 @@ import com.facebook.react.ReactPackage
 import com.facebook.react.bridge.ReactMarker
 import com.facebook.react.bridge.ReactMarkerConstants
 import com.facebook.react.common.LifecycleState
+import com.facebook.react.devsupport.DevInternalSettings
+import com.facebook.react.devsupport.DevServerHelper
+import com.facebook.react.devsupport.InspectorPackagerConnection.BundleStatus
+import com.facebook.react.devsupport.InspectorPackagerConnection.BundleStatusProvider
 import com.facebook.soloader.SoLoader
+import com.sample.BuildConfig
+import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch
 import javax.inject.Inject
 import javax.inject.Singleton
 
@@ -39,12 +46,16 @@ class TestAppReactNativeHost @Inject constructor(
     application: Application,
     private val reactBundleNameProvider: ReactBundleNameProvider
 ) : ReactNativeHost(application) {
-    var source: BundleSource = reactBundleNameProvider.bundleName
-        ?.let { BundleSource.Disk } ?: BundleSource.Server
+    var source: BundleSource =
+        if (reactBundleNameProvider.bundleName == null || isPackagerRunning(application)) {
+            BundleSource.Server
+        } else {
+            BundleSource.Disk
+        }
 
     fun reload(activity: Activity, newSource: BundleSource) {
-        assert(hasInstance()) {
-            "init() must be called the first time ReactInstanceManager is created"
+        if (BuildConfig.DEBUG && !hasInstance()) {
+            error("init() must be called the first time ReactInstanceManager is created")
         }
 
         val action = source.moveTo(newSource)
@@ -66,7 +77,9 @@ class TestAppReactNativeHost @Inject constructor(
     }
 
     fun init() {
-        assert(!hasInstance()) { "init() can only be called once on startup" }
+        if (BuildConfig.DEBUG && hasInstance()) {
+            error("init() can only be called once on startup")
+        }
 
         SoLoader.init(application, false)
         reactInstanceManager.createReactContextInBackground()
@@ -98,4 +111,19 @@ class TestAppReactNativeHost @Inject constructor(
     override fun getUseDeveloperSupport() = source == BundleSource.Server
 
     override fun getPackages(): List<ReactPackage> = PackageList(application).packages
+
+    private fun isPackagerRunning(context: Context): Boolean {
+        val latch = CountDownLatch(1)
+        var packagerIsRunning = false
+        DevServerHelper(
+            DevInternalSettings.withoutNativeDeltaClient(context) {},
+            context.packageName,
+            BundleStatusProvider { BundleStatus() }
+        ).isPackagerRunning {
+            packagerIsRunning = it
+            latch.countDown()
+        }
+        latch.await()
+        return packagerIsRunning
+    }
 }