diff --git a/src/main/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/model/SelectedVariant.java b/src/main/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/model/SelectedVariant.java
index 4a41830..37da559 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/model/SelectedVariant.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/model/SelectedVariant.java
@@ -4,13 +4,14 @@
 
 /**
  * Represents the result of a feature flag evaluation.
- * <p>
- * Contains the selected variant key and its value. Both may be null if the
- * fallback was returned (e.g., flag not found, evaluation error).
- * </p>
- * <p>
- * This class is immutable and thread-safe.
- * </p>
+ *
+ * <p>Contains the selected variant key and its value. Both may be null if the
+ * fallback was returned (e.g., flag not found, evaluation error). The
+ * {@link Source} on the variant explains where it came from: {@link Source.Local}
+ * / {@link Source.Remote} on a real evaluation, {@link Source.Fallback} (with a
+ * specific {@link Source.Fallback.Reason}) when the SDK fell back.</p>
+ *
+ * <p>This class is immutable and thread-safe.</p>
  *
  * @param <T> the type of the variant value
  */
@@ -20,81 +21,107 @@ public final class SelectedVariant<T> {
     private final UUID experimentId;
     private final Boolean isExperimentActive;
     private final Boolean isQaTester;
+    private final Source source;
 
     /**
-     * Creates a SelectedVariant with only a value (key is null).
-     * This is typically used for fallback responses.
+     * Creates a SelectedVariant with only a value (key is null) and a default
+     * fallback source. Used by callers constructing a fallback to pass into
+     * {@code getVariant} — the SDK stamps a specific source/reason before
+     * returning.
      *
      * @param variantValue the fallback value
      */
     public SelectedVariant(T variantValue) {
-        this(null, variantValue, null, null, null);
+        this(null, variantValue, null, null, null, Source.fallback(Source.Fallback.Reason.FLAG_NOT_FOUND));
     }
 
     /**
      * Creates a new SelectedVariant with experimentation metadata.
+     * Defaults source to {@link Source#local()} — used by the local provider
+     * when constructing a matched variant. Use the overload below to pass an
+     * explicit source.
      *
-     * @param variantKey the key of the selected variant (may be null for fallback)
-     * @param variantValue the value of the selected variant (may be null for fallback)
-     * @param experimentId the experiment ID (may be null)
-     * @param isExperimentActive whether the experiment is active (may be null)
-     * @param isQaTester whether the user is a QA tester (may be null)
+     * @param variantKey the variant key (null if this is a fallback)
+     * @param variantValue the variant value
+     * @param experimentId the experiment ID, or null
+     * @param isExperimentActive whether the experiment is active, or null
+     * @param isQaTester whether the user is a QA tester, or null
      */
     public SelectedVariant(String variantKey, T variantValue, UUID experimentId, Boolean isExperimentActive, Boolean isQaTester) {
+        this(variantKey, variantValue, experimentId, isExperimentActive, isQaTester, Source.local());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Creates a new SelectedVariant with experimentation metadata and an explicit source.
+     *
+     * @param variantKey the variant key (null if this is a fallback)
+     * @param variantValue the variant value
+     * @param experimentId the experiment ID, or null
+     * @param isExperimentActive whether the experiment is active, or null
+     * @param isQaTester whether the user is a QA tester, or null
+     * @param source where this variant came from; never null
+     */
+    public SelectedVariant(String variantKey, T variantValue, UUID experimentId, Boolean isExperimentActive, Boolean isQaTester, Source source) {
         this.variantKey = variantKey;
         this.variantValue = variantValue;
         this.experimentId = experimentId;
         this.isExperimentActive = isExperimentActive;
         this.isQaTester = isQaTester;
+        this.source = source;
+    }
+
+    /** @return where this variant came from; never null. */
+    public Source getSource() {
+        return source;
     }
 
     /**
-     * @return the variant key, or null if this is a fallback
+     * Returns a copy of this variant tagged with the given source.
+     * Used by providers so they don't mutate the caller's fallback object
+     * when returning it on a no-match path.
      */
+    public SelectedVariant<T> withSource(Source source) {
+        return new SelectedVariant<T>(variantKey, variantValue, experimentId, isExperimentActive, isQaTester, source);
+    }
+
+    /** @return the variant key, or null if this is a fallback */
     public String getVariantKey() {
         return variantKey;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * @return the variant value
-     */
+    /** @return the variant value */
     public T getVariantValue() {
         return variantValue;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * @return the experiment ID, or null if not set
-     */
+    /** @return the experiment ID, or null if not set */
     public UUID getExperimentId() {
         return experimentId;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * @return whether the experiment is active, or null if not set
-     */
+    /** @return whether the experiment is active, or null if not set */
     public Boolean getIsExperimentActive() {
         return isExperimentActive;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * @return whether the user is a QA tester, or null if not set
-     */
+    /** @return whether the user is a QA tester, or null if not set */
     public Boolean getIsQaTester() {
         return isQaTester;
     }
 
     /**
-     * @return true if this represents a successfully selected variant (not a fallback)
+     * @return true if this represents a successfully selected variant (not a fallback).
+     * <p>Determined by the {@link Source} rather than by {@code variantKey != null}:
+     * a fallback is whatever the SDK stamped as {@link Source.Fallback}, regardless
+     * of whether the caller's fallback object happened to carry a key.</p>
      */
     public boolean isSuccess() {
-        return variantKey != null;
+        return !(source instanceof Source.Fallback);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * @return true if this represents a fallback value
-     */
+    /** @return true if this represents a fallback value */
     public boolean isFallback() {
-        return variantKey == null;
+        return source instanceof Source.Fallback;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -105,6 +132,7 @@ public String toString() {
                 ", experimentId=" + experimentId +
                 ", isExperimentActive=" + isExperimentActive +
                 ", isQaTester=" + isQaTester +
+                ", source=" + source +
                 '}';
     }
 
@@ -119,6 +147,7 @@ public boolean equals(Object o) {
         if (variantValue != null ? !variantValue.equals(that.variantValue) : that.variantValue != null) return false;
         if (experimentId != null ? !experimentId.equals(that.experimentId) : that.experimentId != null) return false;
         if (isExperimentActive != null ? !isExperimentActive.equals(that.isExperimentActive) : that.isExperimentActive != null) return false;
-        return isQaTester != null ? isQaTester.equals(that.isQaTester) : that.isQaTester == null;
+        if (isQaTester != null ? !isQaTester.equals(that.isQaTester) : that.isQaTester != null) return false;
+        return source != null ? source.equals(that.source) : that.source == null;
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/model/Source.java b/src/main/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/model/Source.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de7fde6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/model/Source.java
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+package com.mixpanel.mixpanelapi.featureflags.model;
+
+/**
+ * Where a {@link SelectedVariant} came from.
+ *
+ * <p>The flags providers tag every variant they return so callers — especially
+ * the OpenFeature wrapper — can distinguish a real evaluation from each of the
+ * distinct fallback paths. Discriminated union (abstract class + nested static
+ * finals) rather than a string so the per-case data (the {@link Fallback.Reason}
+ * tag) lives on the variant it describes; that way invalid states like
+ * "successful evaluation with a fallback reason" are unrepresentable.</p>
+ *
+ * <p>Java 8 source level, so no {@code sealed} keyword — the package-private
+ * constructor is what makes this closed. Construct via {@link #local()},
+ * {@link #remote()}, or {@link #fallback(Fallback.Reason)}.</p>
+ */
+public abstract class Source {
+    Source() {}
+
+    /** Singleton {@link Local} — every call returns the same instance. */
+    public static Local local() {
+        return Local.INSTANCE;
+    }
+
+    /** Singleton {@link Remote} — every call returns the same instance. */
+    public static Remote remote() {
+        return Remote.INSTANCE;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns a {@link Fallback} tagged with the given reason.
+     *
+     * <p>The SDK uses this to explain why a fallback was returned (flag missing,
+     * required context absent, no rollout matched, network error, not ready) so
+     * the OpenFeature wrapper can map to the correct user-facing error code
+     * instead of collapsing every fallback to FLAG_NOT_FOUND.</p>
+     */
+    public static Fallback fallback(Fallback.Reason reason) {
+        return new Fallback(reason);
+    }
+
+    /** Variant produced by local rule evaluation against cached flag definitions. */
+    public static final class Local extends Source {
+        // Held inside the subclass so the outer class's <clinit> does not reference it,
+        // sidestepping the "subclass referenced from superclass initializer" deadlock pattern.
+        static final Local INSTANCE = new Local();
+
+        Local() {}
+
+        @Override public String toString() { return "Local"; }
+    }
+
+    /** Variant returned by a remote /flags evaluation call. */
+    public static final class Remote extends Source {
+        static final Remote INSTANCE = new Remote();
+
+        Remote() {}
+
+        @Override public String toString() { return "Remote"; }
+    }
+
+    /** Developer-supplied fallback returned because the SDK had no value to serve. */
+    public static final class Fallback extends Source {
+        /**
+         * Why the SDK returned the developer fallback. Matches the set of reasons
+         * used by the other Mixpanel SDKs (mixpanel-php in particular).
+         */
+        public enum Reason {
+            /** Flag key is not in the local definitions or the remote response. */
+            FLAG_NOT_FOUND,
+            /** A property the flag's rollout is keyed on was absent from the evaluation context. */
+            MISSING_CONTEXT_KEY,
+            /** Flag exists, but no rollout in its ruleset matched the supplied context. */
+            NO_ROLLOUT_MATCH,
+            /** Remote evaluation failed (network error, HTTP error, parse error). */
+            BACKEND_ERROR,
+        }
+
+        /** Reason the SDK returned this fallback. */
+        public final Reason reason;
+
+        Fallback(Reason reason) {
+            this.reason = reason;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean equals(Object o) {
+            if (this == o) return true;
+            if (!(o instanceof Fallback)) return false;
+            return reason == ((Fallback) o).reason;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public int hashCode() {
+            return reason.hashCode();
+        }
+
+        @Override public String toString() { return "Fallback(" + reason + ")"; }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/provider/LocalFlagsProvider.java b/src/main/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/provider/LocalFlagsProvider.java
index 50357b0..c1b0483 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/provider/LocalFlagsProvider.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/provider/LocalFlagsProvider.java
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ public <T> SelectedVariant<T> getVariant(String flagKey, SelectedVariant<T> fall
 
             if (flag == null) {
                 logger.log(Level.WARNING, "Flag not found: " + flagKey);
-                return fallback;
+                return fallback.withSource(Source.fallback(Source.Fallback.Reason.FLAG_NOT_FOUND));
             }
 
             // Extract context value
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ public <T> SelectedVariant<T> getVariant(String flagKey, SelectedVariant<T> fall
             Object contextValueObj = context.get(contextProperty);
             if (contextValueObj == null) {
                 logger.log(Level.WARNING, "Variant assignment key property '" + contextProperty + "' not found for flag: " + flagKey);
-                return fallback;
+                return fallback.withSource(Source.fallback(Source.Fallback.Reason.MISSING_CONTEXT_KEY));
             }
             String contextValue = contextValueObj.toString();
 
@@ -403,11 +403,11 @@ public <T> SelectedVariant<T> getVariant(String flagKey, SelectedVariant<T> fall
             }
 
             // No rollout matched
-            return fallback;
+            return fallback.withSource(Source.fallback(Source.Fallback.Reason.NO_ROLLOUT_MATCH));
 
         } catch (Exception e) {
             logger.log(Level.WARNING, "Error evaluating flag: " + flagKey, e);
-            return fallback;
+            return fallback.withSource(Source.fallback(Source.Fallback.Reason.BACKEND_ERROR));
         }
     }
 
@@ -418,12 +418,13 @@ public <T> SelectedVariant<T> getVariant(String flagKey, SelectedVariant<T> fall
     private <T> SelectedVariant<T> buildResult(Variant variant, ExperimentationFlag flag, boolean isQaTester,
                                                 String flagKey, Map<String, Object> context,
                                                 long startTime, boolean reportExposure) {
-        SelectedVariant<T> result = new SelectedVariant<>(
+        SelectedVariant<T> result = new SelectedVariant<T>(
             variant.getKey(),
             (T) variant.getValue(),
             flag.getExperimentId(),
             flag.getIsExperimentActive(),
-            isQaTester
+            isQaTester,
+            Source.local()
         );
         if (reportExposure) {
             trackLocalExposure(context, flagKey, variant.getKey(), System.currentTimeMillis() - startTime,
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/provider/RemoteFlagsProvider.java b/src/main/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/provider/RemoteFlagsProvider.java
index 4d8fd90..b4dde69 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/provider/RemoteFlagsProvider.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/mixpanel/mixpanelapi/featureflags/provider/RemoteFlagsProvider.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import com.mixpanel.mixpanelapi.featureflags.EventSender;
 import com.mixpanel.mixpanelapi.featureflags.config.RemoteFlagsConfig;
 import com.mixpanel.mixpanelapi.featureflags.model.SelectedVariant;
+import com.mixpanel.mixpanelapi.featureflags.model.Source;
 
 import org.json.JSONObject;
 
@@ -63,9 +64,13 @@ public <T> SelectedVariant<T> getVariant(String flagKey, SelectedVariant<T> fall
             JSONObject root = new JSONObject(response);
             JSONObject flags = root.optJSONObject("flags");
 
+            // The /flags endpoint only returns variants the user is enrolled in,
+            // so a missing key could mean the flag doesn't exist OR the user
+            // isn't in any rollout. The remote SDK can't tell them apart without
+            // server-side help — surface as FLAG_NOT_FOUND for now.
             if (flags == null || !flags.has(flagKey)) {
                 logger.log(Level.WARNING, "Flag not found in response: " + flagKey);
-                return fallback;
+                return fallback.withSource(Source.fallback(Source.Fallback.Reason.FLAG_NOT_FOUND));
             }
 
             JSONObject flagData = flags.getJSONObject(flagKey);
@@ -73,7 +78,7 @@ public <T> SelectedVariant<T> getVariant(String flagKey, SelectedVariant<T> fall
             Object variantValue = flagData.opt("variant_value");
 
             if (variantKey == null) {
-                return fallback;
+                return fallback.withSource(Source.fallback(Source.Fallback.Reason.FLAG_NOT_FOUND));
             }
 
             // Parse experiment metadata
@@ -104,12 +109,12 @@ public <T> SelectedVariant<T> getVariant(String flagKey, SelectedVariant<T> fall
             }
 
             @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-            SelectedVariant<T> result = new SelectedVariant<>(variantKey, (T) variantValue, experimentId, isExperimentActive, isQaTester);
+            SelectedVariant<T> result = new SelectedVariant<T>(variantKey, (T) variantValue, experimentId, isExperimentActive, isQaTester, Source.remote());
             return result;
 
         } catch (Exception e) {
             logger.log(Level.WARNING, "Error evaluating flag remotely: " + flagKey, e);
-            return fallback;
+            return fallback.withSource(Source.fallback(Source.Fallback.Reason.BACKEND_ERROR));
         }
     }