diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataResolversController.java b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataResolversController.java
index 47458273d..bfdf164a6 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataResolversController.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/controller/MetadataResolversController.java
@@ -120,8 +120,10 @@ public ResponseEntity<?> create(@RequestBody MetadataResolver newResolver) throw
 
         //TODO: currently, the update call might explode, but the save works.. in which case, the UI never gets
         // n valid response. This operation is not atomic. Should we return an error here?
-        org.opensaml.saml.metadata.resolver.MetadataResolver openSamlRepresentation = metadataResolverConverterService.convertToOpenSamlRepresentation(persistedResolver);
-        OpenSamlChainingMetadataResolverUtil.updateChainingMetadataResolver((OpenSamlChainingMetadataResolver) chainingMetadataResolver, openSamlRepresentation);
+        if (persistedResolver.getDoInitialization()) {
+            org.opensaml.saml.metadata.resolver.MetadataResolver openSamlRepresentation = metadataResolverConverterService.convertToOpenSamlRepresentation(persistedResolver);
+            OpenSamlChainingMetadataResolverUtil.updateChainingMetadataResolver((OpenSamlChainingMetadataResolver) chainingMetadataResolver, openSamlRepresentation);
+        }
 
         return ResponseEntity.created(getResourceUriFor(persistedResolver)).body(persistedResolver);
     }
@@ -148,8 +150,10 @@ public ResponseEntity<?> update(@PathVariable String resourceId, @RequestBody Me
 
         MetadataResolver persistedResolver = resolverRepository.save(updatedResolver);
 
-        org.opensaml.saml.metadata.resolver.MetadataResolver openSamlRepresentation = metadataResolverConverterService.convertToOpenSamlRepresentation(persistedResolver);
-        OpenSamlChainingMetadataResolverUtil.updateChainingMetadataResolver((OpenSamlChainingMetadataResolver) chainingMetadataResolver, openSamlRepresentation);
+        if (persistedResolver.getDoInitialization()) {
+            org.opensaml.saml.metadata.resolver.MetadataResolver openSamlRepresentation = metadataResolverConverterService.convertToOpenSamlRepresentation(persistedResolver);
+            OpenSamlChainingMetadataResolverUtil.updateChainingMetadataResolver((OpenSamlChainingMetadataResolver) chainingMetadataResolver, openSamlRepresentation);
+        }
 
         return ResponseEntity.ok(persistedResolver);
     }
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/domain/resolvers/FilesystemMetadataResolver.java b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/domain/resolvers/FilesystemMetadataResolver.java
index 1370f0881..b96a74c14 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/domain/resolvers/FilesystemMetadataResolver.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/domain/resolvers/FilesystemMetadataResolver.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 public class FilesystemMetadataResolver extends MetadataResolver {
     public FilesystemMetadataResolver() {
         type = "FilesystemMetadataResolver";
+        this.setDoInitialization(false);
     }
 
     private String metadataFile;
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/domain/resolvers/MetadataResolver.java b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/domain/resolvers/MetadataResolver.java
index 599503f75..8f2fbfd60 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/domain/resolvers/MetadataResolver.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/domain/resolvers/MetadataResolver.java
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ public class MetadataResolver extends AbstractAuditable {
 
     private Boolean satisfyAnyPredicates = false;
 
+    private Boolean doInitialization = true;
+
     @OneToMany(cascade = CascadeType.ALL)
     @OrderColumn
     private List<MetadataFilter> metadataFilters = new ArrayList<>();
diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/domain/resolvers/opensaml/OpenSamlFilesystemMetadataResolver.java b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/domain/resolvers/opensaml/OpenSamlFilesystemMetadataResolver.java
index f375bc940..8da204c3e 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/domain/resolvers/opensaml/OpenSamlFilesystemMetadataResolver.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/edu/internet2/tier/shibboleth/admin/ui/domain/resolvers/opensaml/OpenSamlFilesystemMetadataResolver.java
@@ -51,12 +51,13 @@ public DateTime getLastRefresh() {
 
     @Override
     protected void initMetadataResolver() throws ComponentInitializationException {
-        //TODO determine whether we should actually be doing anything here
-        /*super.initMetadataResolver();
+        if (this.sourceResolver.getDoInitialization()) {
+            super.initMetadataResolver();
 
-        delegate.addIndexedDescriptorsFromBackingStore(this.getBackingStore(),
-                                                       this.sourceResolver.getResourceId(),
-                                                       indexWriter);*/
+            delegate.addIndexedDescriptorsFromBackingStore(this.getBackingStore(),
+                    this.sourceResolver.getResourceId(),
+                    indexWriter);
+        }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/backend/src/main/resources/file-system-metadata-provider.schema.json b/backend/src/main/resources/file-system-metadata-provider.schema.json
index f44761f86..463c8d411 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/resources/file-system-metadata-provider.schema.json
+++ b/backend/src/main/resources/file-system-metadata-provider.schema.json
@@ -55,6 +55,12 @@
             "type": "boolean",
             "default": false
         },
+        "doInitialization": {
+            "title": "label.do-resolver-initialization",
+            "description": "tooltip.do-resolver-initialization",
+            "type": "boolean",
+            "default": false
+        },
         "reloadableMetadataResolverAttributes": {
             "type": "object",
             "properties": {
diff --git a/backend/src/main/resources/i18n/messages.properties b/backend/src/main/resources/i18n/messages.properties
index d666ef6c9..4216d84f2 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/resources/i18n/messages.properties
+++ b/backend/src/main/resources/i18n/messages.properties
@@ -337,6 +337,8 @@ label.attribute-eduPersonUniqueId=eduPersonUniqueId
 label.attribute-employeeNumber=employeeNumber
 label.force-authn=Force AuthN
 
+label.do-resolver-initialization=Initialize
+
 message.must-be-unique=Must be unique.
 message.name-must-be-unique=Name must be unique.
 message.uri-valid-format=URI must be valid format.
@@ -458,3 +460,5 @@ tooltip.expiration-warning-threshold=For each attempted metadata refresh (whethe
 tooltip.filter-name=Filter Name
 tooltip.enable-filter=Enable Filter?
 tooltip.enable-service=Enable Service?
+
+tooltip.do-resolver-initialization=Initialize this resolver? In the case of Filesystem resolvers, this will cause the system to read the file and index the resolver.
diff --git a/backend/src/main/resources/i18n/messages_en.properties b/backend/src/main/resources/i18n/messages_en.properties
index 8470d5b82..294b86c43 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/resources/i18n/messages_en.properties
+++ b/backend/src/main/resources/i18n/messages_en.properties
@@ -338,6 +338,8 @@ label.attribute-eduPersonUniqueId=eduPersonUniqueId
 label.attribute-employeeNumber=employeeNumber
 label.force-authn=Force AuthN
 
+label.do-resolver-initialization=Initialize
+
 message.must-be-unique=Must be unique.
 message.name-must-be-unique=Name must be unique.
 message.uri-valid-format=URI must be valid format.
@@ -459,3 +461,5 @@ tooltip.expiration-warning-threshold=For each attempted metadata refresh (whethe
 tooltip.filter-name=Filter Name
 tooltip.enable-filter=Enable Filter?
 tooltip.enable-service=Enable Service?
+
+tooltip.do-resolver-initialization=Initialize this resolver? In the case of Filesystem resolvers, this will cause the system to read the file and index the resolver.