diff --git a/bugsnag/feature_flags.py b/bugsnag/feature_flags.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0afb7fde
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bugsnag/feature_flags.py
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+from typing import Dict, Union
+
+
+class FeatureFlag:
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        name: Union[str, bytes],
+        variant: Union[None, str, bytes] = None
+    ):
+        self._name = name
+        self._variant = self._coerce_variant(variant)
+
+    @property
+    def name(self) -> Union[str, bytes]:
+        return self._name
+
+    @property
+    def variant(self) -> Union[None, str, bytes]:
+        return self._variant
+
+    # for JSON encoding the feature flag
+    def to_dict(self) -> Dict[str, Union[str, bytes]]:
+        if self._variant is None:
+            return {'name': self._name}
+
+        return {'name': self._name, 'variant': self._variant}
+
+    # a FeatureFlag is valid if it has a non-empty string name and a variant
+    # that's None or a string
+    # FeatureFlags that are not valid will be ignored
+    def is_valid(self) -> bool:
+        return (
+            isinstance(self._name, (str, bytes)) and
+            len(self._name) > 0 and
+            (self._variant is None or isinstance(self._variant, (str, bytes)))
+        )
+
+    def _coerce_variant(
+        self,
+        variant: Union[None, str, bytes]
+    ) -> Union[None, str, bytes]:
+        if variant is None or isinstance(variant, (str, bytes)):
+            return variant
+
+        try:
+            return str(variant)
+        except Exception:
+            return None
diff --git a/tests/test_feature_flags.py b/tests/test_feature_flags.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..028b91be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_feature_flags.py
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+from bugsnag.feature_flags import FeatureFlag
+
+
+class Unstringable:
+    def __str__(self):
+        raise Exception('no')
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        raise Exception('nope')
+
+
+def test_feature_flag_has_name_and_variant():
+    flag = FeatureFlag('abc', 'xyz')
+
+    assert flag.name == 'abc'
+    assert flag.variant == 'xyz'
+
+
+def test_feature_flag_variant_is_optional():
+    assert FeatureFlag('a').variant is None
+    assert FeatureFlag('a', None).variant is None
+
+
+def test_feature_flag_variant_is_coerced_to_string():
+    assert FeatureFlag('a', 123).variant == '123'
+    assert FeatureFlag('a', [1, 2, 3]).variant == '[1, 2, 3]'
+
+
+def test_feature_flag_name_and_variant_can_be_bytes():
+    flag = FeatureFlag(b'abc', b'xyz')
+
+    assert flag.name == b'abc'
+    assert flag.variant == b'xyz'
+
+
+def test_feature_flag_variant_is_unset_if_not_coercable():
+    assert FeatureFlag('a', Unstringable()).variant is None
+
+
+def test_feature_flag_can_be_converted_to_dict():
+    flag = FeatureFlag('abc', 'xyz')
+
+    assert flag.to_dict() == {'name': 'abc', 'variant': 'xyz'}
+
+
+def test_feature_flag_dict_does_not_have_variant_when_variant_is_not_given():
+    flag = FeatureFlag('xyz')
+
+    assert flag.to_dict() == {'name': 'xyz'}
+
+
+def test_feature_flag_dict_does_not_have_variant_when_variant_is_none():
+    flag = FeatureFlag('abc', variant=None)
+
+    assert flag.to_dict() == {'name': 'abc'}
+
+
+def test_a_feature_flag_with_name_and_variant_is_valid():
+    assert FeatureFlag('abc', 'xyz').is_valid() is True
+    assert FeatureFlag('abc', b'xyz').is_valid() is True
+    assert FeatureFlag(b'abc', b'xyz').is_valid() is True
+    assert FeatureFlag(b'abc', 'xyz').is_valid() is True
+
+
+def test_a_feature_flag_with_only_name_is_valid():
+    flag = FeatureFlag('b')
+
+    assert flag.is_valid() is True
+
+
+def test_a_feature_flag_with_empty_name_is_not_valid():
+    flag = FeatureFlag('')
+
+    assert flag.is_valid() is False
+
+
+def test_a_feature_flag_with_none_name_is_not_valid():
+    flag = FeatureFlag(None)
+
+    assert flag.is_valid() is False