diff --git a/core/java/android/window/flags/windowing_frontend.aconfig b/core/java/android/window/flags/windowing_frontend.aconfig
index 31a3ebd..7f65c52 100644
--- a/core/java/android/window/flags/windowing_frontend.aconfig
+++ b/core/java/android/window/flags/windowing_frontend.aconfig
@@ -44,11 +44,18 @@
   bug: "294925498"
 }
 
-
 flag {
     name: "wallpaper_offset_async"
     namespace: "windowing_frontend"
     description: "Do not synchronise the wallpaper offset"
     bug: "293248754"
     is_fixed_read_only: true
+}
+
+flag {
+    name: "predictive_back_system_animations"
+    namespace: "systemui"
+    description: "Predictive back for system animations"
+    bug: "309545085"
+    is_fixed_read_only: true
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/back/BackAnimationController.java b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/back/BackAnimationController.java
index 5843635..cf858dc 100644
--- a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/back/BackAnimationController.java
+++ b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/back/BackAnimationController.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package com.android.wm.shell.back;
 
 import static com.android.internal.jank.InteractionJankMonitor.CUJ_PREDICTIVE_BACK_HOME;
+import static com.android.window.flags.Flags.predictiveBackSystemAnimations;
 import static com.android.wm.shell.common.ExecutorUtils.executeRemoteCallWithTaskPermission;
 import static com.android.wm.shell.protolog.ShellProtoLogGroup.WM_SHELL_BACK_PREVIEW;
 import static com.android.wm.shell.sysui.ShellSharedConstants.KEY_EXTRA_SHELL_BACK_ANIMATION;
@@ -221,6 +222,7 @@
 
     private void onInit() {
         setupAnimationDeveloperSettingsObserver(mContentResolver, mBgHandler);
+        updateEnableAnimationFromFlags();
         createAdapter();
         mShellController.addExternalInterface(KEY_EXTRA_SHELL_BACK_ANIMATION,
                 this::createExternalInterface, this);
@@ -229,28 +231,39 @@
     private void setupAnimationDeveloperSettingsObserver(
             @NonNull ContentResolver contentResolver,
             @NonNull @ShellBackgroundThread final Handler backgroundHandler) {
+        if (predictiveBackSystemAnimations()) {
+            ProtoLog.d(WM_SHELL_BACK_PREVIEW, "Back animation aconfig flag is enabled, therefore "
+                    + "developer settings flag is ignored and no content observer registered");
+            return;
+        }
         ContentObserver settingsObserver = new ContentObserver(backgroundHandler) {
             @Override
             public void onChange(boolean selfChange, Uri uri) {
-                updateEnableAnimationFromSetting();
+                updateEnableAnimationFromFlags();
             }
         };
         contentResolver.registerContentObserver(
                 Global.getUriFor(Global.ENABLE_BACK_ANIMATION),
                 false, settingsObserver, UserHandle.USER_SYSTEM
         );
-        updateEnableAnimationFromSetting();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Updates {@link BackAnimationController#mEnableAnimations} based on the current values of the
+     * aconfig flag and the developer settings flag
+     */
     @ShellBackgroundThread
-    private void updateEnableAnimationFromSetting() {
-        int settingValue = Global.getInt(mContext.getContentResolver(),
-                Global.ENABLE_BACK_ANIMATION, SETTING_VALUE_OFF);
-        boolean isEnabled = settingValue == SETTING_VALUE_ON;
+    private void updateEnableAnimationFromFlags() {
+        boolean isEnabled = predictiveBackSystemAnimations() || isDeveloperSettingEnabled();
         mEnableAnimations.set(isEnabled);
         ProtoLog.d(WM_SHELL_BACK_PREVIEW, "Back animation enabled=%s", isEnabled);
     }
 
+    private boolean isDeveloperSettingEnabled() {
+        return Global.getInt(mContext.getContentResolver(),
+                Global.ENABLE_BACK_ANIMATION, SETTING_VALUE_OFF) == SETTING_VALUE_ON;
+    }
+
     public BackAnimation getBackAnimationImpl() {
         return mBackAnimation;
     }
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/flags/Flags.kt b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/flags/Flags.kt
index 5a763b1..b753ff7 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/flags/Flags.kt
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/flags/Flags.kt
@@ -437,11 +437,6 @@
     // 1200 - predictive back
     @Keep
     @JvmField
-    val WM_ENABLE_PREDICTIVE_BACK =
-        sysPropBooleanFlag("persist.wm.debug.predictive_back", default = true)
-
-    @Keep
-    @JvmField
     val WM_ENABLE_PREDICTIVE_BACK_ANIM =
         sysPropBooleanFlag("persist.wm.debug.predictive_back_anim", default = true)