diff --git a/fdbbackup/backup.actor.cpp b/fdbbackup/backup.actor.cpp
index 61a734ecb6..9d27e29c9f 100644
--- a/fdbbackup/backup.actor.cpp
+++ b/fdbbackup/backup.actor.cpp
@@ -3762,35 +3762,6 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
 			}
 		}
 
-		IKnobCollection::setGlobalKnobCollection(IKnobCollection::Type::CLIENT, Randomize::False, IsSimulated::False);
-		auto& g_knobs = IKnobCollection::getMutableGlobalKnobCollection();
-		for (const auto& [knobName, knobValueString] : knobs) {
-			try {
-				auto knobValue = g_knobs.parseKnobValue(knobName, knobValueString);
-				g_knobs.setKnob(knobName, knobValue);
-			} catch (Error& e) {
-				if (e.code() == error_code_invalid_option_value) {
-					fprintf(stderr,
-					        "WARNING: Invalid value '%s' for knob option '%s'\n",
-					        knobValueString.c_str(),
-					        knobName.c_str());
-					TraceEvent(SevWarnAlways, "InvalidKnobValue")
-					    .detail("Knob", printable(knobName))
-					    .detail("Value", printable(knobValueString));
-				} else {
-					fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: Failed to set knob option '%s': %s\n", knobName.c_str(), e.what());
-					TraceEvent(SevError, "FailedToSetKnob")
-					    .detail("Knob", printable(knobName))
-					    .detail("Value", printable(knobValueString))
-					    .error(e);
-					throw;
-				}
-			}
-		}
-
-		// Reinitialize knobs in order to update knobs that are dependent on explicitly set knobs
-		g_knobs.initialize(Randomize::False, IsSimulated::False);
-
 		if (trace) {
 			if (!traceLogGroup.empty())
 				setNetworkOption(FDBNetworkOptions::TRACE_LOG_GROUP, StringRef(traceLogGroup));
@@ -3831,6 +3802,34 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
 			return FDB_EXIT_ERROR;
 		}
 
+		auto& g_knobs = IKnobCollection::getMutableGlobalKnobCollection();
+		for (const auto& [knobName, knobValueString] : knobs) {
+			try {
+				auto knobValue = g_knobs.parseKnobValue(knobName, knobValueString);
+				g_knobs.setKnob(knobName, knobValue);
+			} catch (Error& e) {
+				if (e.code() == error_code_invalid_option_value) {
+					fprintf(stderr,
+					        "WARNING: Invalid value '%s' for knob option '%s'\n",
+					        knobValueString.c_str(),
+					        knobName.c_str());
+					TraceEvent(SevWarnAlways, "InvalidKnobValue")
+					    .detail("Knob", printable(knobName))
+					    .detail("Value", printable(knobValueString));
+				} else {
+					fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: Failed to set knob option '%s': %s\n", knobName.c_str(), e.what());
+					TraceEvent(SevError, "FailedToSetKnob")
+					    .detail("Knob", printable(knobName))
+					    .detail("Value", printable(knobValueString))
+					    .error(e);
+					throw;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		// Reinitialize knobs in order to update knobs that are dependent on explicitly set knobs
+		g_knobs.initialize(Randomize::False, IsSimulated::False);
+
 		TraceEvent("ProgramStart")
 		    .setMaxEventLength(12000)
 		    .detail("SourceVersion", getSourceVersion())
diff --git a/fdbcli/fdbcli.actor.cpp b/fdbcli/fdbcli.actor.cpp
index 31ac1a4418..b5388de08c 100644
--- a/fdbcli/fdbcli.actor.cpp
+++ b/fdbcli/fdbcli.actor.cpp
@@ -1402,7 +1402,9 @@ struct CLIOptions {
 			exit_code = FDB_EXIT_ERROR;
 			return;
 		}
+	}
 
+	void setupKnobs() {
 		auto& g_knobs = IKnobCollection::getMutableGlobalKnobCollection();
 		for (const auto& [knobName, knobValueString] : knobs) {
 			try {
@@ -2432,8 +2434,6 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 
 	registerCrashHandler();
 
-	IKnobCollection::setGlobalKnobCollection(IKnobCollection::Type::CLIENT, Randomize::False, IsSimulated::False);
-
 #ifdef __unixish__
 	struct sigaction act;
 
@@ -2534,6 +2534,10 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 	try {
 		API->selectApiVersion(opt.api_version);
 		API->setupNetwork();
+		opt.setupKnobs();
+		if (opt.exit_code != -1) {
+			return opt.exit_code;
+		}
 		Future<int> cliFuture = runCli(opt);
 		Future<Void> timeoutFuture = opt.exit_timeout ? timeExit(opt.exit_timeout) : Never();
 		auto f = stopNetworkAfter(success(cliFuture) || timeoutFuture);
@@ -2548,4 +2552,4 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: %s (%d)\n", e.what(), e.code());
 		return 1;
 	}
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/fdbclient/IKnobCollection.cpp b/fdbclient/IKnobCollection.cpp
index a1821696bf..8748280784 100644
--- a/fdbclient/IKnobCollection.cpp
+++ b/fdbclient/IKnobCollection.cpp
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ std::unique_ptr<IKnobCollection>& IKnobCollection::globalKnobCollection() {
 
 void IKnobCollection::setGlobalKnobCollection(Type type, Randomize randomize, IsSimulated isSimulated) {
 	globalKnobCollection() = create(type, randomize, isSimulated);
+	ASSERT(FLOW_KNOBS == &bootstrapGlobalFlowKnobs);
 	FLOW_KNOBS = &globalKnobCollection()->getFlowKnobs();
 }
 
diff --git a/fdbclient/NativeAPI.actor.cpp b/fdbclient/NativeAPI.actor.cpp
index 6160da5d5f..d0696df817 100644
--- a/fdbclient/NativeAPI.actor.cpp
+++ b/fdbclient/NativeAPI.actor.cpp
@@ -1992,7 +1992,11 @@ void setNetworkOption(FDBNetworkOptions::Option option, Optional<StringRef> valu
 
 		try {
 			auto knobValue = IKnobCollection::parseKnobValue(knobName, knobValueString, IKnobCollection::Type::CLIENT);
-			IKnobCollection::getMutableGlobalKnobCollection().setKnob(knobName, knobValue);
+			if (g_network) {
+				IKnobCollection::getMutableGlobalKnobCollection().setKnob(knobName, knobValue);
+			} else {
+				networkOptions.knobs[knobName] = knobValue;
+			}
 		} catch (Error& e) {
 			TraceEvent(SevWarnAlways, "UnrecognizedKnob").detail("Knob", knobName.c_str());
 			fprintf(stderr, "FoundationDB client ignoring unrecognized knob option '%s'\n", knobName.c_str());
@@ -2138,6 +2142,13 @@ ACTOR Future<Void> monitorNetworkBusyness() {
 	}
 }
 
+static void setupGlobalKnobs() {
+	IKnobCollection::setGlobalKnobCollection(IKnobCollection::Type::CLIENT, Randomize::False, IsSimulated::False);
+	for (const auto& [knobName, knobValue] : networkOptions.knobs) {
+		IKnobCollection::getMutableGlobalKnobCollection().setKnob(knobName, knobValue);
+	}
+}
+
 // Setup g_network and start monitoring for network busyness
 void setupNetwork(uint64_t transportId, UseMetrics useMetrics) {
 	if (g_network)
@@ -2146,6 +2157,7 @@ void setupNetwork(uint64_t transportId, UseMetrics useMetrics) {
 	if (!networkOptions.logClientInfo.present())
 		networkOptions.logClientInfo = true;
 
+	setupGlobalKnobs();
 	TLS::DisableOpenSSLAtExitHandler();
 	g_network = newNet2(tlsConfig, false, useMetrics || networkOptions.traceDirectory.present());
 	g_network->addStopCallback(Net2FileSystem::stop);
diff --git a/fdbclient/NativeAPI.actor.h b/fdbclient/NativeAPI.actor.h
index af5b2b7419..3cb2af417f 100644
--- a/fdbclient/NativeAPI.actor.h
+++ b/fdbclient/NativeAPI.actor.h
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ struct NetworkOptions {
 	Optional<bool> logClientInfo;
 	Reference<ReferencedObject<Standalone<VectorRef<ClientVersionRef>>>> supportedVersions;
 	bool runLoopProfilingEnabled;
+	std::map<std::string, KnobValue> knobs;
 
 	NetworkOptions();
 };