diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManager.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManager.java
index 3792fe60c96..9980ff8c1c6 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManager.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManager.java
@@ -156,12 +156,14 @@ public class ReactInstanceManager {
   /* accessed from any thread */
   private final JavaScriptExecutorFactory mJavaScriptExecutorFactory;
 
+  // See {@code ReactInstanceManagerBuilder} for description of all flags here.
   private @Nullable List<String> mViewManagerNames = null;
   private final @Nullable JSBundleLoader mBundleLoader;
   private final @Nullable String mJSMainModulePath; /* path to JS bundle root on Metro */
   private final List<ReactPackage> mPackages;
   private final DevSupportManager mDevSupportManager;
   private final boolean mUseDeveloperSupport;
+  private final boolean mRequireActivity;
   private @Nullable ComponentNameResolverManager mComponentNameResolverManager;
   private @Nullable RuntimeSchedulerManager mRuntimeSchedulerManager;
   private final @Nullable NotThreadSafeBridgeIdleDebugListener mBridgeIdleDebugListener;
@@ -216,6 +218,7 @@ public class ReactInstanceManager {
       @Nullable String jsMainModulePath,
       List<ReactPackage> packages,
       boolean useDeveloperSupport,
+      boolean requireActivity,
       @Nullable NotThreadSafeBridgeIdleDebugListener bridgeIdleDebugListener,
       LifecycleState initialLifecycleState,
       @Nullable UIImplementationProvider mUIImplementationProvider,
@@ -233,6 +236,7 @@ public class ReactInstanceManager {
 
     DisplayMetricsHolder.initDisplayMetricsIfNotInitialized(applicationContext);
 
+    // See {@code ReactInstanceManagerBuilder} for description of all flags here.
     mApplicationContext = applicationContext;
     mCurrentActivity = currentActivity;
     mDefaultBackButtonImpl = defaultHardwareBackBtnHandler;
@@ -241,6 +245,7 @@ public class ReactInstanceManager {
     mJSMainModulePath = jsMainModulePath;
     mPackages = new ArrayList<>();
     mUseDeveloperSupport = useDeveloperSupport;
+    mRequireActivity = requireActivity;
     Systrace.beginSection(
         Systrace.TRACE_TAG_REACT_JAVA_BRIDGE, "ReactInstanceManager.initDevSupportManager");
     mDevSupportManager =
@@ -558,16 +563,20 @@ public class ReactInstanceManager {
    * @param activity the activity being paused
    */
   @ThreadConfined(UI)
-  public void onHostPause(Activity activity) {
-    Assertions.assertNotNull(mCurrentActivity);
-    Assertions.assertCondition(
-        activity == mCurrentActivity,
-        "Pausing an activity that is not the current activity, this is incorrect! "
-            + "Current activity: "
-            + mCurrentActivity.getClass().getSimpleName()
-            + " "
-            + "Paused activity: "
-            + activity.getClass().getSimpleName());
+  public void onHostPause(@Nullable Activity activity) {
+    if (mRequireActivity) {
+      Assertions.assertCondition(mCurrentActivity != null);
+    }
+    if (mCurrentActivity != null) {
+      Assertions.assertCondition(
+          activity == mCurrentActivity,
+          "Pausing an activity that is not the current activity, this is incorrect! "
+              + "Current activity: "
+              + mCurrentActivity.getClass().getSimpleName()
+              + " "
+              + "Paused activity: "
+              + activity.getClass().getSimpleName());
+    }
     onHostPause();
   }
 
@@ -583,7 +592,8 @@ public class ReactInstanceManager {
    *     this instance of {@link ReactInstanceManager}.
    */
   @ThreadConfined(UI)
-  public void onHostResume(Activity activity, DefaultHardwareBackBtnHandler defaultBackButtonImpl) {
+  public void onHostResume(
+      @Nullable Activity activity, DefaultHardwareBackBtnHandler defaultBackButtonImpl) {
     UiThreadUtil.assertOnUiThread();
 
     mDefaultBackButtonImpl = defaultBackButtonImpl;
@@ -592,7 +602,7 @@ public class ReactInstanceManager {
 
   /** Use this method when the activity resumes. */
   @ThreadConfined(UI)
-  public void onHostResume(Activity activity) {
+  public void onHostResume(@Nullable Activity activity) {
     UiThreadUtil.assertOnUiThread();
 
     mCurrentActivity = activity;
@@ -631,8 +641,8 @@ public class ReactInstanceManager {
           // activity is attached to window, we can enable dev support immediately
           mDevSupportManager.setDevSupportEnabled(true);
         }
-      } else {
-        // there is no activity, we can enable dev support
+      } else if (!mRequireActivity) {
+        // there is no activity, but we can enable dev support
         mDevSupportManager.setDevSupportEnabled(true);
       }
     }
@@ -666,7 +676,9 @@ public class ReactInstanceManager {
    * @param activity the activity being destroyed
    */
   @ThreadConfined(UI)
-  public void onHostDestroy(Activity activity) {
+  public void onHostDestroy(@Nullable Activity activity) {
+    // In some cases, Activity may (correctly) be null.
+    // See mRequireActivity flag.
     if (activity == mCurrentActivity) {
       onHostDestroy();
     }
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManagerBuilder.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManagerBuilder.java
index c06f71b9a59..36f700e4976 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManagerBuilder.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManagerBuilder.java
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ public class ReactInstanceManagerBuilder {
   private @Nullable NotThreadSafeBridgeIdleDebugListener mBridgeIdleDebugListener;
   private @Nullable Application mApplication;
   private boolean mUseDeveloperSupport;
+  private boolean mRequireActivity;
   private @Nullable LifecycleState mInitialLifecycleState;
   private @Nullable UIImplementationProvider mUIImplementationProvider;
   private @Nullable NativeModuleCallExceptionHandler mNativeModuleCallExceptionHandler;
@@ -171,6 +172,16 @@ public class ReactInstanceManagerBuilder {
     return this;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * When {@code false}, indicates that correct usage of React Native will NOT involve an Activity.
+   * For the vast majority of Android apps in the ecosystem, this will not need to change. Unless
+   * you really know what you're doing, you should probably not change this!
+   */
+  public ReactInstanceManagerBuilder setRequireActivity(boolean requireActivity) {
+    mRequireActivity = requireActivity;
+    return this;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Sets the initial lifecycle state of the host. For example, if the host is already resumed at
    * creation time, we wouldn't expect an onResume call until we get an onPause call.
@@ -283,6 +294,7 @@ public class ReactInstanceManagerBuilder {
         mJSMainModulePath,
         mPackages,
         mUseDeveloperSupport,
+        mRequireActivity,
         mBridgeIdleDebugListener,
         Assertions.assertNotNull(mInitialLifecycleState, "Initial lifecycle state was not set"),
         mUIImplementationProvider,
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactNativeHost.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactNativeHost.java
index d4c457ff87d..dc313d33bc0 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactNativeHost.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactNativeHost.java
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ public abstract class ReactNativeHost {
             .setApplication(mApplication)
             .setJSMainModulePath(getJSMainModuleName())
             .setUseDeveloperSupport(getUseDeveloperSupport())
+            .setRequireActivity(getShouldRequireActivity())
             .setRedBoxHandler(getRedBoxHandler())
             .setJavaScriptExecutorFactory(getJavaScriptExecutorFactory())
             .setUIImplementationProvider(getUIImplementationProvider())
@@ -124,6 +125,11 @@ public abstract class ReactNativeHost {
     return null;
   }
 
+  /** Returns whether or not to treat it as normal if Activity is null. */
+  public boolean getShouldRequireActivity() {
+    return true;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Returns the name of the main module. Determines the URL used to fetch the JS bundle from Metro.
    * It is only used when dev support is enabled. This is the first file to be executed once the