diff --git a/pkg/services/featuremgmt/static_provider_test.go b/pkg/services/featuremgmt/static_provider_test.go
index 2ec9e9f6e4a..c3245f7dd97 100644
--- a/pkg/services/featuremgmt/static_provider_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/featuremgmt/static_provider_test.go
@@ -230,10 +230,7 @@ func makeFlags(tt struct {
 	}
 
 	config := map[string]memprovider.InMemoryFlag{
-		tt.name: {
-			Key:      tt.name,
-			Variants: map[string]any{"": tt.configValue},
-		},
+		tt.name: setting.NewInMemoryFlag(tt.name, tt.configValue),
 	}
 
 	return config, []FeatureFlag{orig}
diff --git a/pkg/setting/setting_feature_toggles.go b/pkg/setting/setting_feature_toggles.go
index 6525b6f5856..872159d950f 100644
--- a/pkg/setting/setting_feature_toggles.go
+++ b/pkg/setting/setting_feature_toggles.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 // DefaultVariantName a placeholder name for config-based Feature Flags
-const DefaultVariantName = ""
+const DefaultVariantName = "default"
 
 // Deprecated: should use `featuremgmt.FeatureToggles`
 func (cfg *Cfg) readFeatureToggles(iniFile *ini.File) error {
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func ReadFeatureTogglesFromInitFile(featureTogglesSection *ini.Section) (map[str
 	// parse the comma separated list in `enable`.
 	featuresTogglesStr := valueAsString(featureTogglesSection, "enable", "")
 	for _, feature := range util.SplitString(featuresTogglesStr) {
-		featureToggles[feature] = memprovider.InMemoryFlag{Key: feature, Variants: map[string]any{DefaultVariantName: true}}
+		featureToggles[feature] = memprovider.InMemoryFlag{Key: feature, DefaultVariant: DefaultVariantName, Variants: map[string]any{DefaultVariantName: true}}
 	}
 
 	// read all other settings under [feature_toggles]. If a toggle is
@@ -66,19 +66,23 @@ func ParseFlag(name, value string) (memprovider.InMemoryFlag, error) {
 	var structure map[string]any
 
 	if integer, err := strconv.Atoi(value); err == nil {
-		return memprovider.InMemoryFlag{Key: name, Variants: map[string]any{DefaultVariantName: integer}}, nil
+		return NewInMemoryFlag(name, integer), nil
 	}
 	if float, err := strconv.ParseFloat(value, 64); err == nil {
-		return memprovider.InMemoryFlag{Key: name, Variants: map[string]any{DefaultVariantName: float}}, nil
+		return NewInMemoryFlag(name, float), nil
 	}
 	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(value), &structure); err == nil {
-		return memprovider.InMemoryFlag{Key: name, Variants: map[string]any{DefaultVariantName: structure}}, nil
+		return NewInMemoryFlag(name, structure), nil
 	}
 	if boolean, err := strconv.ParseBool(value); err == nil {
-		return memprovider.InMemoryFlag{Key: name, Variants: map[string]any{DefaultVariantName: boolean}}, nil
+		return NewInMemoryFlag(name, boolean), nil
 	}
 
-	return memprovider.InMemoryFlag{Key: name, Variants: map[string]any{DefaultVariantName: value}}, nil
+	return NewInMemoryFlag(name, value), nil
+}
+
+func NewInMemoryFlag(name string, value any) memprovider.InMemoryFlag {
+	return memprovider.InMemoryFlag{Key: name, DefaultVariant: DefaultVariantName, Variants: map[string]any{DefaultVariantName: value}}
 }
 
 func AsStringMap(m map[string]memprovider.InMemoryFlag) map[string]string {
@@ -90,7 +94,7 @@ func AsStringMap(m map[string]memprovider.InMemoryFlag) map[string]string {
 }
 
 func serializeFlagValue(flag memprovider.InMemoryFlag) string {
-	value, _ := flag.Variants[DefaultVariantName]
+	value, _ := flag.Variants[flag.DefaultVariant]
 
 	switch castedValue := value.(type) {
 	case bool:
diff --git a/pkg/setting/setting_feature_toggles_test.go b/pkg/setting/setting_feature_toggles_test.go
index 6e1cb78aa84..a80b3d41151 100644
--- a/pkg/setting/setting_feature_toggles_test.go
+++ b/pkg/setting/setting_feature_toggles_test.go
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ func TestFeatureToggles(t *testing.T) {
 				"enable": "feature1,feature2",
 			},
 			expectedToggles: map[string]memprovider.InMemoryFlag{
-				"feature1": {Key: "feature1", Variants: map[string]any{"": true}},
-				"feature2": {Key: "feature2", Variants: map[string]any{"": true}},
+				"feature1": NewInMemoryFlag("feature1", true),
+				"feature2": NewInMemoryFlag("feature2", true),
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -33,9 +33,9 @@ func TestFeatureToggles(t *testing.T) {
 				"feature3": "true",
 			},
 			expectedToggles: map[string]memprovider.InMemoryFlag{
-				"feature1": {Key: "feature1", Variants: map[string]any{"": true}},
-				"feature2": {Key: "feature2", Variants: map[string]any{"": true}},
-				"feature3": {Key: "feature3", Variants: map[string]any{"": true}},
+				"feature1": NewInMemoryFlag("feature1", true),
+				"feature2": NewInMemoryFlag("feature2", true),
+				"feature3": NewInMemoryFlag("feature3", true),
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ func TestFeatureToggles(t *testing.T) {
 				"feature2": "false",
 			},
 			expectedToggles: map[string]memprovider.InMemoryFlag{
-				"feature1": {Key: "feature1", Variants: map[string]any{"": true}},
-				"feature2": {Key: "feature2", Variants: map[string]any{"": false}},
+				"feature1": NewInMemoryFlag("feature1", true),
+				"feature2": NewInMemoryFlag("feature2", false),
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -57,12 +57,12 @@ func TestFeatureToggles(t *testing.T) {
 				"feature5": "t", "feature6": "T",
 			},
 			expectedToggles: map[string]memprovider.InMemoryFlag{
-				"feature1": {Key: "feature1", Variants: map[string]any{"": 1}},
-				"feature2": {Key: "feature2", Variants: map[string]any{"": 1.0}},
-				"feature3": {Key: "feature3", Variants: map[string]any{"": map[string]any{"foo": "bar"}}},
-				"feature4": {Key: "feature4", Variants: map[string]any{"": "bar"}},
-				"feature5": {Key: "feature5", Variants: map[string]any{"": true}},
-				"feature6": {Key: "feature6", Variants: map[string]any{"": true}},
+				"feature1": NewInMemoryFlag("feature1", 1),
+				"feature2": NewInMemoryFlag("feature2", 1.0),
+				"feature3": NewInMemoryFlag("feature3", map[string]any{"foo": "bar"}),
+				"feature4": NewInMemoryFlag("feature4", "bar"),
+				"feature5": NewInMemoryFlag("feature5", true),
+				"feature6": NewInMemoryFlag("feature6", true),
 			},
 		},
 	}
@@ -88,14 +88,14 @@ func TestFeatureToggles(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestFlagValueSerialization(t *testing.T) {
 	testCases := []memprovider.InMemoryFlag{
-		{Key: "int", Variants: map[string]any{"": 1}},
-		{Key: "1.0f", Variants: map[string]any{"": 1.0}},
-		{Key: "1.01f", Variants: map[string]any{"": 1.01}},
-		{Key: "1.10f", Variants: map[string]any{"": 1.10}},
-		{Key: "struct", Variants: map[string]any{"": map[string]any{"foo": "bar"}}},
-		{Key: "string", Variants: map[string]any{"": "bar"}},
-		{Key: "true", Variants: map[string]any{"": true}},
-		{Key: "false", Variants: map[string]any{"": false}},
+		NewInMemoryFlag("int", 1),
+		NewInMemoryFlag("1.0f", 1.0),
+		NewInMemoryFlag("1.01f", 1.01),
+		NewInMemoryFlag("1.10f", 1.10),
+		NewInMemoryFlag("struct", map[string]any{"foo": "bar"}),
+		NewInMemoryFlag("string", "bar"),
+		NewInMemoryFlag("true", true),
+		NewInMemoryFlag("false", false),
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range testCases {