diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Header.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Header.tsx
index 4f615830f..15202dcf6 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Header.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Header.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { useFeatureFlags } from "src/hooks/useFeatureFlags";
 import { assetPath } from "src/utils/assetPath";
 
 import { useTranslations } from "next-intl";
-import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import {
   GovBanner,
   NavMenuButton,
@@ -14,8 +14,9 @@ import {
 } from "@trussworks/react-uswds";
 
 type PrimaryLinks = {
-  i18nKey: string;
+  linkText: string;
   href: string;
+  flag?: string;
 }[];
 
 type Props = {
@@ -23,38 +24,67 @@ type Props = {
   locale?: string;
 };
 
+const toNavLinkItems = (linkDetails: { linkText: string; href: string }[]) => {
+  return linkDetails.map((link) => (
+    <a href={link.href} key={link.href}>
+      {link.linkText}
+    </a>
+  ));
+};
+
 const Header = ({ logoPath, locale }: Props) => {
   const t = useTranslations("Header");
   const [isMobileNavExpanded, setIsMobileNavExpanded] = useState(false);
+  const {
+    featureFlagsManager: { featureFlags },
+  } = useFeatureFlags();
+
   const handleMobileNavToggle = () => {
     setIsMobileNavExpanded(!isMobileNavExpanded);
   };
 
-  const primaryLinksRef = useRef<PrimaryLinks>([]);
-  const { featureFlagsManager } = useFeatureFlags();
+  const primaryNavLinkConfigs: PrimaryLinks = [
+    { linkText: t("nav_link_home"), href: "/" },
+    { linkText: t("nav_link_process"), href: "/process" },
+    { linkText: t("nav_link_research"), href: "/research" },
+    { linkText: t("nav_link_subscribe"), href: "/subscribe" },
+  ];
 
-  useEffect(() => {
-    primaryLinksRef.current = [
-      { i18nKey: t("nav_link_home"), href: "/" },
-      { i18nKey: t("nav_link_process"), href: "/process" },
-      { i18nKey: t("nav_link_research"), href: "/research" },
-      { i18nKey: t("nav_link_subscribe"), href: "/subscribe" },
-    ];
-    const searchNavLink = {
-      i18nKey: t("nav_link_search"),
+  const featureFlaggedNavLinkConfigs: PrimaryLinks = [
+    {
+      linkText: t("nav_link_search"),
       href: "/search?status=forecasted,posted",
-    };
-    if (featureFlagsManager.isFeatureEnabled("showSearchV0")) {
-      primaryLinksRef.current.splice(1, 0, searchNavLink);
-    }
-  }, [featureFlagsManager, t]);
+      flag: "showSearchV0",
+    },
+  ];
 
-  const navItems = primaryLinksRef.current.map((link) => (
-    <a href={link.href} key={link.href}>
-      {link.i18nKey}
-    </a>
-  ));
-  const language = locale && locale.match("/^es/") ? "spanish" : "english";
+  const primaryLinksRef = useRef<PrimaryLinks>(primaryNavLinkConfigs);
+
+  // note that this will not update when feature flags are updated without a refresh
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const navLinksFromFlags = featureFlaggedNavLinkConfigs.reduce(
+      (acc, link) => {
+        const { flag = "" } = link;
+        console.log("####", featureFlags[flag]);
+        if (
+          featureFlags[flag] &&
+          !primaryLinksRef.current.some(
+            (existingLink) => existingLink.href === link.href,
+          )
+        ) {
+          acc.splice(1, 0, link);
+        }
+        return acc;
+      },
+      primaryNavLinkConfigs,
+    );
+    primaryLinksRef.current = navLinksFromFlags;
+  }, [featureFlags]);
+
+  const language = useMemo(
+    () => (locale && locale.match("/^es/") ? "spanish" : "english"),
+    [locale],
+  );
 
   return (
     <>
@@ -85,7 +115,7 @@ const Header = ({ logoPath, locale }: Props) => {
             />
           </div>
           <PrimaryNav
-            items={navItems}
+            items={toNavLinkItems(primaryLinksRef.current)}
             mobileExpanded={isMobileNavExpanded}
             onToggleMobileNav={handleMobileNavToggle}
           ></PrimaryNav>
diff --git a/frontend/tests/components/Header.test.tsx b/frontend/tests/components/Header.test.tsx
index 1f8fb07f5..3b0178921 100644
--- a/frontend/tests/components/Header.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/tests/components/Header.test.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import userEvent from "@testing-library/user-event";
-import { render, screen } from "tests/react-utils";
+import { render, screen, waitFor } from "tests/react-utils";
 
 import Header from "src/components/Header";
 
@@ -17,7 +17,27 @@ const props = {
   ],
 };
 
+let searchFeatureFlag = false;
+
+const getSearchFeatureFlag = () => {
+  console.log("$$$", searchFeatureFlag);
+  return searchFeatureFlag;
+};
+
+jest.mock("src/hooks/useFeatureFlags", () => ({
+  useFeatureFlags: () => ({
+    featureFlagsManager: {
+      featureFlags: {
+        showSearchV0: getSearchFeatureFlag(),
+      },
+    },
+  }),
+}));
+
 describe("Header", () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    searchFeatureFlag = false;
+  });
   it("toggles the mobile nav menu", async () => {
     render(<Header {...props} />);
     const menuButton = screen.getByTestId("navMenuButton");
@@ -50,4 +70,28 @@ describe("Header", () => {
 
     expect(govBanner).toHaveAttribute("aria-expanded", "true");
   });
+
+  it("displays expected nav links without feature flags", () => {
+    render(<Header />);
+
+    const expectedNavLinks = ["Home", "Process", "Research", "Subscribe"];
+    expectedNavLinks.forEach((linkText) => {
+      const link = screen.getByText(linkText);
+      expect(link).toBeInTheDocument();
+    });
+    // ensure search is not included by default
+    try {
+      screen.getByText("Search");
+    } catch (_e) {
+      expect(false).toBeFalsy;
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("displays expected nav links without feature flags", async () => {
+    searchFeatureFlag = true;
+
+    render(<Header />);
+
+    waitFor(() => expect(screen.getByText("Search")).toBeInTheDocument());
+  });
 });