diff --git a/providers/flagsmith/src/main/java/dev.openfeature.contrib.providers.flagsmith/FlagsmithClientConfigurer.java b/providers/flagsmith/src/main/java/dev.openfeature.contrib.providers.flagsmith/FlagsmithClientConfigurer.java
index fba393820..d1a0c3729 100644
--- a/providers/flagsmith/src/main/java/dev.openfeature.contrib.providers.flagsmith/FlagsmithClientConfigurer.java
+++ b/providers/flagsmith/src/main/java/dev.openfeature.contrib.providers.flagsmith/FlagsmithClientConfigurer.java
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ private static FlagsmithConfig initializeConfig(FlagsmithProviderOptions options
             flagsmithConfig.withLocalEvaluation(options.isLocalEvaluation());
         }
 
-        if (options.getEnvironmentRefreshIntervalSeconds() > -1) {
+        if (options.getEnvironmentRefreshIntervalSeconds() != null) {
             flagsmithConfig.withEnvironmentRefreshIntervalSeconds(options.getEnvironmentRefreshIntervalSeconds());
         }
 
diff --git a/providers/flagsmith/src/main/java/dev.openfeature.contrib.providers.flagsmith/FlagsmithProviderOptions.java b/providers/flagsmith/src/main/java/dev.openfeature.contrib.providers.flagsmith/FlagsmithProviderOptions.java
index 64a4d9af0..1cce2abc2 100644
--- a/providers/flagsmith/src/main/java/dev.openfeature.contrib.providers.flagsmith/FlagsmithProviderOptions.java
+++ b/providers/flagsmith/src/main/java/dev.openfeature.contrib.providers.flagsmith/FlagsmithProviderOptions.java
@@ -118,7 +118,8 @@ public class FlagsmithProviderOptions {
      * Set environment refresh rate with polling manager. Only needed when local evaluation is true.
      * Optional. Default: 60
      */
-    private int environmentRefreshIntervalSeconds = 60;
+    @Builder.Default
+    private Integer environmentRefreshIntervalSeconds = 60;
 
     /**
      * Controls whether Flag Analytics data is sent to the Flagsmith API See
diff --git a/providers/flagsmith/src/test/java/dev.openfeature.contrib.providers.flagsmith/FlagsmithProviderTest.java b/providers/flagsmith/src/test/java/dev.openfeature.contrib.providers.flagsmith/FlagsmithProviderTest.java
index 83e60c0d0..e3a27c988 100644
--- a/providers/flagsmith/src/test/java/dev.openfeature.contrib.providers.flagsmith/FlagsmithProviderTest.java
+++ b/providers/flagsmith/src/test/java/dev.openfeature.contrib.providers.flagsmith/FlagsmithProviderTest.java
@@ -203,6 +203,15 @@ void shouldGetMetadataAndValidateName() {
                         .getName());
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void shouldDefaultEnvironmentRefreshIntervalSecondsTo60() {
+        FlagsmithProviderOptions options = FlagsmithProviderOptions.builder()
+                .apiKey("API_KEY")
+                .localEvaluation(true)
+                .build();
+        assertEquals(Integer.valueOf(60), options.getEnvironmentRefreshIntervalSeconds());
+    }
+
     @ParameterizedTest
     @MethodSource("invalidOptions")
     void shouldThrowAnExceptionWhenOptionsInvalid(FlagsmithProviderOptions options) {