diff --git a/src/workerd/io/compatibility-date-test.c++ b/src/workerd/io/compatibility-date-test.c++
index 24f4d7b5200..9a599ae4c64 100644
--- a/src/workerd/io/compatibility-date-test.c++
+++ b/src/workerd/io/compatibility-date-test.c++
@@ -156,7 +156,17 @@ KJ_TEST("compatibility flag parsing") {
   expectCompileCompatibilityFlags("2252-04-01", {}, "()",
       {kj::str("This Worker requires compatibility date \"2252-04-01\", but the newest date "
                "supported by this server binary is \"", SUPPORTED_COMPATIBILITY_DATE, "\".")},
-      CompatibilityDateValidation::CODE_VERISON);
+      CompatibilityDateValidation::CODE_VERSION);
+
+  // Test experimental requirement using the durable_object_alarms flag since we know this flag
+  // is obsolete and will never have a date set.
+  expectCompileCompatibilityFlags("2020-01-01", {"durable_object_alarms"_kj}, "(obsolete14 = true)",
+      {"The compatibility flag durable_object_alarms is experimental and may break or be removed "
+       "in a future version of workerd. To use this flag, you must pass --experimental on the "
+       "command line."_kj},
+      CompatibilityDateValidation::CODE_VERSION);
+  expectCompileCompatibilityFlags("2020-01-01", {"durable_object_alarms"_kj}, "(obsolete14 = true)",
+      {}, CompatibilityDateValidation::CODE_VERSION_EXPERIMENTAL);
 
   // Multiple errors.
   expectCompileCompatibilityFlags("abcd",
diff --git a/src/workerd/io/compatibility-date.c++ b/src/workerd/io/compatibility-date.c++
index 567ebce4eaf..58e6c61cf96 100644
--- a/src/workerd/io/compatibility-date.c++
+++ b/src/workerd/io/compatibility-date.c++
@@ -112,7 +112,8 @@ void compileCompatibilityFlags(kj::StringPtr compatDate, capnp::List<capnp::Text
   auto parsedCompatDate = CompatDate::parse(compatDate, errorReporter);
 
   switch (dateValidation) {
-    case CompatibilityDateValidation::CODE_VERISON:
+    case CompatibilityDateValidation::CODE_VERSION_EXPERIMENTAL:
+    case CompatibilityDateValidation::CODE_VERSION:
       if (KJ_ASSERT_NONNULL(CompatDate::parse(SUPPORTED_COMPATIBILITY_DATE)) < parsedCompatDate) {
         errorReporter.addError(kj::str(
             "This Worker requires compatibility date \"", parsedCompatDate, "\", but the newest "
@@ -195,6 +196,13 @@ void compileCompatibilityFlags(kj::StringPtr compatDate, capnp::List<capnp::Text
       // it redundant, because at a future date it won't be redundant, and someone could want to
       // set the flag early to make sure they don't forget later.
     }
+    if (dateValidation == CompatibilityDateValidation::CODE_VERSION &&
+        enableByFlag && !enableByDate && enableDate == nullptr) {
+      errorReporter.addError(kj::str(
+          "The compatibility flag ", enableFlagName, " is experimental and may break or be "
+          "removed in a future version of workerd. To use this flag, you must pass --experimental "
+          "on the command line."));
+    }
 
     dynamicOutput.set(field, enableByFlag || (enableByDate && !disableByFlag));
   }
diff --git a/src/workerd/io/compatibility-date.h b/src/workerd/io/compatibility-date.h
index 997028cc69c..d88c088ae67 100644
--- a/src/workerd/io/compatibility-date.h
+++ b/src/workerd/io/compatibility-date.h
@@ -10,17 +10,21 @@
 namespace workerd {
 
 enum class CompatibilityDateValidation {
-  CODE_VERISON,
+  CODE_VERSION,
   // Allow dates up through the date specified by `supportedCompatibilityDate` in
   // `compatiility-date.capnp`.
 
+  CODE_VERSION_EXPERIMENTAL,
+  // Like CODE_VERSION but permit the use of experimental flags, which is any flag that does not
+  // yet have a default-on date set.
+
   CURRENT_DATE_FOR_CLOUDFLARE,
   // Allow dates up to through the current date.
   //
   // This should ONLY be used by Cloudflare. If Cloudflare fails to deploy a compatibility flag
   // before its default-on date passes, then the flag's default-on date needs to be pushed back.
   //
-  // TODO(someday): We may want to consider eliminating this and using CODE_VERISON even for
+  // TODO(someday): We may want to consider eliminating this and using CODE_VERSION even for
   //   Cloudflare. Once people are testing their code using the open source runtime in wrangler,
   //   they will be forced to set a date no later than `supportedCompatibilityDate` anyway. If
   //   we make sure Cloudflare is updated before the runtime used locally by Wrangler is updated,
diff --git a/src/workerd/server/server-test.c++ b/src/workerd/server/server-test.c++
index 0a0fa816ca9..1217c34b95c 100644
--- a/src/workerd/server/server-test.c++
+++ b/src/workerd/server/server-test.c++
@@ -1290,6 +1290,7 @@ KJ_TEST("Server: Ephemeral Objects") {
     ]
   ))"_kj);
 
+  test.server.allowExperimental();
   test.start();
   auto conn = test.connect("test-addr");
   conn.httpGet200("/",
diff --git a/src/workerd/server/server.c++ b/src/workerd/server/server.c++
index d9284f96185..ed0067d57ea 100644
--- a/src/workerd/server/server.c++
+++ b/src/workerd/server/server.c++
@@ -1243,7 +1243,9 @@ kj::Own<Server::Service> Server::makeWorker(kj::StringPtr name, config::Worker::
   if (conf.hasCompatibilityDate()) {
     compileCompatibilityFlags(conf.getCompatibilityDate(), conf.getCompatibilityFlags(),
                               featureFlags, errorReporter,
-                              CompatibilityDateValidation::CODE_VERISON);
+                              experimental
+                                  ? CompatibilityDateValidation::CODE_VERSION_EXPERIMENTAL
+                                  : CompatibilityDateValidation::CODE_VERSION);
   } else {
     errorReporter.addError(kj::str("Worker must specify compatibiltyDate."));
   }
@@ -1885,6 +1887,12 @@ kj::Promise<void> Server::run(jsg::V8System& v8System, config::Config::Reader co
                 Durable { kj::str(ns.getUniqueKey()) });
             continue;
           case config::Worker::DurableObjectNamespace::EPHEMERAL_LOCAL:
+            if (!experimental) {
+              reportConfigError(kj::str(
+                  "Ephemeral objects (Durable Object namespaces with type 'ehpmeralLocal') are an "
+                  "experimental feature which may change or go away in the future. You must run "
+                  "workerd with `--experimental` to use this feature."));
+            }
             serviceActorConfigs.insert(kj::str(ns.getClassName()), Ephemeral {});
             continue;
         }
@@ -1908,8 +1916,13 @@ kj::Promise<void> Server::run(jsg::V8System& v8System, config::Config::Reader co
       reportConfigError(kj::str(
           "Encountered unknown durableObjectStorage type in service \"", name,
           "\". Was the config compiled with a newer version of the schema?"));
+
     validDurableObjectStorage:
-      ;
+      if (workerConf.hasDurableObjectUniqueKeyModifier()) {
+        // This should be implemented along with parameterized workers. It's not relevant
+        // otherwise, but let's make sure no one sets it accidentally.
+        KJ_UNIMPLEMENTED("durableObjectUniqueKeyModifier is not implemented yet");
+      }
     }
 
     actorConfigs.upsert(kj::str(name), kj::mv(serviceActorConfigs), [&](auto&&...) {
diff --git a/src/workerd/server/server.h b/src/workerd/server/server.h
index a387843f921..0c9fb6fb647 100644
--- a/src/workerd/server/server.h
+++ b/src/workerd/server/server.h
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ class Server: private kj::TaskSet::ErrorHandler {
          kj::EntropySource& entropySource, kj::Function<void(kj::String)> reportConfigError);
   ~Server() noexcept(false);
 
+  void allowExperimental() { experimental = true; }
+  // Permit experimental features to be used. These features may break backwards compatibility
+  // in the future.
+
   void overrideSocket(kj::String name, kj::Own<kj::ConnectionReceiver> port) {
     socketOverrides.upsert(kj::mv(name), kj::mv(port));
   }
@@ -57,6 +61,8 @@ class Server: private kj::TaskSet::ErrorHandler {
   kj::EntropySource& entropySource;
   kj::Function<void(kj::String)> reportConfigError;
 
+  bool experimental = false;
+
   kj::HashMap<kj::String, kj::OneOf<kj::String, kj::Own<kj::ConnectionReceiver>>> socketOverrides;
   kj::HashMap<kj::String, kj::String> directoryOverrides;
   kj::HashMap<kj::String, kj::String> externalOverrides;
diff --git a/src/workerd/server/workerd.c++ b/src/workerd/server/workerd.c++
index 05f301afec7..b4be7622c74 100644
--- a/src/workerd/server/workerd.c++
+++ b/src/workerd/server/workerd.c++
@@ -575,6 +575,9 @@ public:
         .addOption({'w', "watch"}, CLI_METHOD(watch),
                    "Watch configuration files (and server binary) and reload if they change. "
                    "Useful for development, but not recommended in production.")
+        .addOption({"experimental"}, [this]() { server.allowExperimental(); return true; },
+                   "Permit the use of experimental features which may break backwards "
+                   "compatibility in a future release.")
         .callAfterParsing(CLI_METHOD(serve))
         .build();
   }