diff --git a/engine/src/main/java/com/google/android/fhir/sync/Config.kt b/engine/src/main/java/com/google/android/fhir/sync/Config.kt
index 8eaf884162..a5151f9b96 100644
--- a/engine/src/main/java/com/google/android/fhir/sync/Config.kt
+++ b/engine/src/main/java/com/google/android/fhir/sync/Config.kt
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import androidx.work.BackoffPolicy
 import androidx.work.Constraints
 import java.net.URLEncoder
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit
+import java.time.Duration
 
 /**
  * Class that holds what type of resources we need to synchronise and what are the parameters of
@@ -62,6 +63,9 @@ class PeriodicSyncConfiguration(
 
   /** Configuration for synchronization retry */
   val retryConfiguration: RetryConfiguration? = defaultRetryConfiguration,
+
+  /** The initial delay before the first sync is triggered */
+  val initialDelay: Duration = Duration.ZERO,
 )
 
 data class RepeatInterval(
diff --git a/engine/src/main/java/com/google/android/fhir/sync/Sync.kt b/engine/src/main/java/com/google/android/fhir/sync/Sync.kt
index 3048f5f328..1e23164452 100644
--- a/engine/src/main/java/com/google/android/fhir/sync/Sync.kt
+++ b/engine/src/main/java/com/google/android/fhir/sync/Sync.kt
@@ -260,6 +260,7 @@ object Sync {
           periodicSyncConfiguration.repeat.timeUnit,
         )
         .setConstraints(periodicSyncConfiguration.syncConstraints)
+        .setInitialDelay(periodicSyncConfiguration.initialDelay)
 
     periodicSyncConfiguration.retryConfiguration?.let {
       periodicWorkRequestBuilder.setBackoffCriteria(