diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManager.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManager.java
index d685867afbbf77..95026e8385f86b 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManager.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManager.java
@@ -795,6 +795,9 @@ public void showDevOptionsDialog() {
   }
 
   private void clearReactRoot(ReactRoot reactRoot) {
+    if (ReactFeatureFlags.enableStartSurfaceRaceConditionFix) {
+      reactRoot.getState().compareAndSet(ReactRoot.STATE_STARTED, ReactRoot.STATE_STOPPED);
+    }
     reactRoot.getRootViewGroup().removeAllViews();
     reactRoot.getRootViewGroup().setId(View.NO_ID);
   }
@@ -810,17 +813,28 @@ private void clearReactRoot(ReactRoot reactRoot) {
   @ThreadConfined(UI)
   public void attachRootView(ReactRoot reactRoot) {
     UiThreadUtil.assertOnUiThread();
-    mAttachedReactRoots.add(reactRoot);
 
-    // Reset reactRoot content as it's going to be populated by the application content from JS.
-    clearReactRoot(reactRoot);
+    // Calling clearReactRoot is necessary to initialize the Id on reactRoot
+    // This is necessary independently if the RN Bridge has been initialized or not.
+    // Ideally reactRoot should be initialized with id == NO_ID
+    if (ReactFeatureFlags.enableStartSurfaceRaceConditionFix) {
+      if (mAttachedReactRoots.add(reactRoot)) {
+        clearReactRoot(reactRoot);
+      }
+    } else {
+      mAttachedReactRoots.add(reactRoot);
+      clearReactRoot(reactRoot);
+    }
 
     // If react context is being created in the background, JS application will be started
     // automatically when creation completes, as reactRoot reactRoot is part of the attached
     // reactRoot reactRoot list.
     ReactContext currentContext = getCurrentReactContext();
     if (mCreateReactContextThread == null && currentContext != null) {
-      attachRootViewToInstance(reactRoot);
+      if (!ReactFeatureFlags.enableStartSurfaceRaceConditionFix
+          || reactRoot.getState().compareAndSet(ReactRoot.STATE_STOPPED, ReactRoot.STATE_STARTED)) {
+        attachRootViewToInstance(reactRoot);
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -1087,7 +1101,12 @@ private void setupReactContext(final ReactApplicationContext reactContext) {
 
       ReactMarker.logMarker(ATTACH_MEASURED_ROOT_VIEWS_START);
       for (ReactRoot reactRoot : mAttachedReactRoots) {
-        attachRootViewToInstance(reactRoot);
+        if (!ReactFeatureFlags.enableStartSurfaceRaceConditionFix
+            || reactRoot
+                .getState()
+                .compareAndSet(ReactRoot.STATE_STOPPED, ReactRoot.STATE_STARTED)) {
+          attachRootViewToInstance(reactRoot);
+        }
       }
       ReactMarker.logMarker(ATTACH_MEASURED_ROOT_VIEWS_END);
     }
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactRootView.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactRootView.java
index d15ad24067a87d..bac18eed25ef04 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactRootView.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactRootView.java
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 import com.facebook.react.uimanager.common.UIManagerType;
 import com.facebook.react.uimanager.events.EventDispatcher;
 import com.facebook.systrace.Systrace;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 
 /**
  * Default root view for catalyst apps. Provides the ability to listen for size changes so that a UI
@@ -98,6 +99,7 @@ public interface ReactRootViewEventListener {
   private int mLastOffsetX = Integer.MIN_VALUE;
   private int mLastOffsetY = Integer.MIN_VALUE;
   private @UIManagerType int mUIManagerType = DEFAULT;
+  private final AtomicInteger mState = new AtomicInteger(STATE_STOPPED);
 
   public ReactRootView(Context context) {
     super(context);
@@ -413,6 +415,10 @@ public String getSurfaceID() {
     return appProperties != null ? appProperties.getString("surfaceID") : null;
   }
 
+  public AtomicInteger getState() {
+    return mState;
+  }
+
   public static Point getViewportOffset(View v) {
     int[] locationInWindow = new int[2];
     v.getLocationInWindow(locationInWindow);
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/config/ReactFeatureFlags.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/config/ReactFeatureFlags.java
index 7d1729782db3f8..260d366e29019a 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/config/ReactFeatureFlags.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/config/ReactFeatureFlags.java
@@ -91,4 +91,10 @@ public class ReactFeatureFlags {
 
   /** Disable UI update operations in non-Fabric renderer after catalyst instance was destroyed */
   public static boolean disableNonFabricViewOperationsOnCatalystDestroy = false;
+
+  /**
+   * Fixes race-condition in the initialization of RN surface. TODO T78832286: remove this flag once
+   * we verify the fix is correct in production
+   */
+  public static boolean enableStartSurfaceRaceConditionFix = false;
 }
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/ReactRoot.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/ReactRoot.java
index 2fba8c52164c75..9ce17ea680954a 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/ReactRoot.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/ReactRoot.java
@@ -11,10 +11,16 @@
 import android.view.ViewGroup;
 import androidx.annotation.Nullable;
 import com.facebook.react.uimanager.common.UIManagerType;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 
 /** Interface for the root native view of a React native application */
 public interface ReactRoot {
 
+  /** This constant represents that ReactRoot hasn't started yet or it has been destroyed. */
+  int STATE_STOPPED = 0;
+  /** This constant represents that ReactRoot has started. */
+  int STATE_STARTED = 1;
+
   /** Return cached launch properties for app */
   @Nullable
   Bundle getAppProperties();
@@ -58,4 +64,12 @@ public interface ReactRoot {
   @Deprecated
   @Nullable
   String getSurfaceID();
+
+  /**
+   * This API is likely to change once the fix of T78832286 is confirmed TODO: T78832286 revisit
+   * this API
+   *
+   * @return an {@link AtomicInteger} that represents the state of the ReactRoot object. WARNING:
+   */
+  AtomicInteger getState();
 }