diff --git a/changelogs/current.yaml b/changelogs/current.yaml
index f79775e9d26fd..e18881f8d2f1f 100644
--- a/changelogs/current.yaml
+++ b/changelogs/current.yaml
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@ behavior_changes:
 
 minor_behavior_changes:
 # *Changes that may cause incompatibilities for some users, but should not for most*
+- area: load_balancing
+  change: |
+    Changed the default behavior of ``OrcaWeightManager`` to prefer named metrics over application
+    utilization when computing utilization. This behavior can be reverted by setting the runtime guard
+    ``envoy.reloadable_features.orca_weight_manager_use_named_metrics_first`` to ``false``.
 - area: compressor
   change: |
     Strong ``ETag`` removal when compressing now uses the same weak ``W/`` check as
diff --git a/source/common/runtime/runtime_features.cc b/source/common/runtime/runtime_features.cc
index 4bf81224c95fc..86c9c3a80e006 100644
--- a/source/common/runtime/runtime_features.cc
+++ b/source/common/runtime/runtime_features.cc
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ RUNTIME_GUARD(envoy_reloadable_features_oauth2_encrypt_tokens);
 RUNTIME_GUARD(envoy_reloadable_features_odcds_over_ads_fix);
 RUNTIME_GUARD(envoy_reloadable_features_on_demand_cluster_no_recreate_stream);
 RUNTIME_GUARD(envoy_reloadable_features_on_demand_track_end_stream);
+RUNTIME_GUARD(envoy_reloadable_features_orca_weight_manager_use_named_metrics_first);
 RUNTIME_GUARD(envoy_reloadable_features_original_dst_rely_on_idle_timeout);
 RUNTIME_GUARD(envoy_reloadable_features_prefix_map_matcher_resume_after_subtree_miss);
 RUNTIME_GUARD(envoy_reloadable_features_proxy_protocol_allow_duplicate_tlvs);
diff --git a/source/extensions/load_balancing_policies/common/orca_weight_manager.cc b/source/extensions/load_balancing_policies/common/orca_weight_manager.cc
index 2b0c78e13daf2..6459abd074d8e 100644
--- a/source/extensions/load_balancing_policies/common/orca_weight_manager.cc
+++ b/source/extensions/load_balancing_policies/common/orca_weight_manager.cc
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include "envoy/upstream/upstream.h"
 
 #include "source/common/orca/orca_load_metrics.h"
+#include "source/common/runtime/runtime_features.h"
 
 #include "absl/status/status.h"
 #include "xds/data/orca/v3/orca_load_report.pb.h"
@@ -35,18 +36,41 @@ OrcaLoadReportHandler::OrcaLoadReportHandler(const OrcaWeightManagerConfig& conf
 double OrcaLoadReportHandler::getUtilizationFromOrcaReport(
     const OrcaLoadReportProto& orca_load_report,
     const std::vector<std::string>& metric_names_for_computing_utilization) {
-  // If application_utilization is valid, use it as the utilization metric.
-  double utilization = orca_load_report.application_utilization();
-  if (utilization > 0) {
-    return utilization;
-  }
-  // Otherwise, find the most constrained utilization metric.
-  utilization =
-      Envoy::Orca::getMaxUtilization(metric_names_for_computing_utilization, orca_load_report);
-  if (utilization > 0) {
-    return utilization;
+  if (Runtime::runtimeFeatureEnabled(
+          "envoy.reloadable_features.orca_weight_manager_use_named_metrics_first")) {
+    // By default (with runtime feature enabled) we prefer named metrics over application
+    // utilization, so if named metrics are not ignored if application utilization is
+    // available and set. See https://github.com/envoyproxy/envoy/pull/44196 for discussion.
+
+    // Find the most constrained utilization metric in `metric_names_for_computing_utilization`.
+    double utilization =
+        Envoy::Orca::getMaxUtilization(metric_names_for_computing_utilization, orca_load_report);
+    if (utilization > 0) {
+      return utilization;
+    }
+    // If named metrics are not available, use `application_utilization` as the utilization metric.
+    utilization = orca_load_report.application_utilization();
+    if (utilization > 0) {
+      return utilization;
+    }
+  } else {
+    // With the runtime flag disabled, we use application utilization if it is set over named
+    // metrics. This means that metric_names_for_computing_utilization is ignored if
+    // application_utilization is available and set.
+
+    // If application_utilization is valid, use it as the utilization metric.
+    double utilization = orca_load_report.application_utilization();
+    if (utilization > 0) {
+      return utilization;
+    }
+    // Otherwise, find the most constrained utilization metric.
+    utilization =
+        Envoy::Orca::getMaxUtilization(metric_names_for_computing_utilization, orca_load_report);
+    if (utilization > 0) {
+      return utilization;
+    }
   }
-  // If utilization is <= 0, use cpu_utilization.
+  // If utilization is <= 0, use `cpu_utilization` as the utilization metric.
   return orca_load_report.cpu_utilization();
 }
 
diff --git a/test/extensions/load_balancing_policies/client_side_weighted_round_robin/BUILD b/test/extensions/load_balancing_policies/client_side_weighted_round_robin/BUILD
index bb97d790dd4fc..3fe95cd238e71 100644
--- a/test/extensions/load_balancing_policies/client_side_weighted_round_robin/BUILD
+++ b/test/extensions/load_balancing_policies/client_side_weighted_round_robin/BUILD
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ envoy_extension_cc_test(
         "//source/extensions/load_balancing_policies/common:orca_weight_manager_lib",
         "//test/extensions/load_balancing_policies/common:load_balancer_base_test_lib",
         "//test/mocks/stream_info:stream_info_mocks",
+        "//test/test_common:test_runtime_lib",
         "//test/test_common:utility_lib",
     ],
 )
diff --git a/test/extensions/load_balancing_policies/client_side_weighted_round_robin/client_side_weighted_round_robin_lb_test.cc b/test/extensions/load_balancing_policies/client_side_weighted_round_robin/client_side_weighted_round_robin_lb_test.cc
index 99786a70eebab..4595a1b5be2f1 100644
--- a/test/extensions/load_balancing_policies/client_side_weighted_round_robin/client_side_weighted_round_robin_lb_test.cc
+++ b/test/extensions/load_balancing_policies/client_side_weighted_round_robin/client_side_weighted_round_robin_lb_test.cc
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 #include "test/extensions/load_balancing_policies/common/load_balancer_impl_base_test.h"
 #include "test/mocks/stream_info/mocks.h"
+#include "test/test_common/test_runtime.h"
 
 #include "gmock/gmock.h"
 
@@ -569,7 +570,6 @@ TEST(ClientSideWeightedRoundRobinLoadBalancerTest,
      GetUtilizationFromOrcaReport_ApplicationUtilization) {
   xds::data::orca::v3::OrcaLoadReport orca_load_report;
   orca_load_report.set_application_utilization(0.5);
-  orca_load_report.mutable_named_metrics()->insert({"foo", 0.3});
   orca_load_report.set_cpu_utilization(0.6);
   EXPECT_EQ(ClientSideWeightedRoundRobinLoadBalancerFriend::getUtilizationFromOrcaReport(
                 orca_load_report, {"named_metrics.foo"}),
@@ -585,6 +585,26 @@ TEST(ClientSideWeightedRoundRobinLoadBalancerTest, GetUtilizationFromOrcaReport_
             0.3);
 }
 
+TEST(ClientSideWeightedRoundRobinLoadBalancerTest, GetUtilizationFromOrcaReport_Preference) {
+  xds::data::orca::v3::OrcaLoadReport orca_load_report;
+  orca_load_report.set_application_utilization(0.5);
+  orca_load_report.mutable_named_metrics()->insert({"foo", 0.3});
+  orca_load_report.set_cpu_utilization(0.6);
+
+  // By default (flag enabled), named metrics win.
+  EXPECT_EQ(ClientSideWeightedRoundRobinLoadBalancerFriend::getUtilizationFromOrcaReport(
+                orca_load_report, {"named_metrics.foo"}),
+            0.3);
+
+  // With flag disabled, application utilization wins.
+  TestScopedRuntime scoped_runtime;
+  scoped_runtime.mergeValues(
+      {{"envoy.reloadable_features.orca_weight_manager_use_named_metrics_first", "false"}});
+  EXPECT_EQ(ClientSideWeightedRoundRobinLoadBalancerFriend::getUtilizationFromOrcaReport(
+                orca_load_report, {"named_metrics.foo"}),
+            0.5);
+}
+
 TEST(ClientSideWeightedRoundRobinLoadBalancerTest, GetUtilizationFromOrcaReport_CpuUtilization) {
   xds::data::orca::v3::OrcaLoadReport orca_load_report;
   orca_load_report.mutable_named_metrics()->insert({"bar", 0.3});
diff --git a/test/extensions/load_balancing_policies/common/BUILD b/test/extensions/load_balancing_policies/common/BUILD
index edd44f08f7c80..a31541bb6c863 100644
--- a/test/extensions/load_balancing_policies/common/BUILD
+++ b/test/extensions/load_balancing_policies/common/BUILD
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ envoy_cc_test(
         "//test/mocks/upstream:host_mocks",
         "//test/mocks/upstream:priority_set_mocks",
         "//test/test_common:simulated_time_system_lib",
+        "//test/test_common:test_runtime_lib",
         "@xds//xds/data/orca/v3:pkg_cc_proto",
     ],
 )
diff --git a/test/extensions/load_balancing_policies/common/orca_weight_manager_test.cc b/test/extensions/load_balancing_policies/common/orca_weight_manager_test.cc
index c3d1a877cf8c1..98571389526f8 100644
--- a/test/extensions/load_balancing_policies/common/orca_weight_manager_test.cc
+++ b/test/extensions/load_balancing_policies/common/orca_weight_manager_test.cc
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "test/mocks/upstream/host.h"
 #include "test/mocks/upstream/priority_set.h"
 #include "test/test_common/simulated_time_system.h"
+#include "test/test_common/test_runtime.h"
 
 #include "gmock/gmock.h"
 #include "gtest/gtest.h"
@@ -32,7 +33,6 @@ using ::testing::Return;
 TEST(OrcaLoadReportHandlerTest, GetUtilizationFromOrcaReport_ApplicationUtilization) {
   xds::data::orca::v3::OrcaLoadReport report;
   report.set_application_utilization(0.5);
-  report.mutable_named_metrics()->insert({"foo", 0.3});
   report.set_cpu_utilization(0.6);
   EXPECT_EQ(OrcaLoadReportHandler::getUtilizationFromOrcaReport(report, {"named_metrics.foo"}),
             0.5);
@@ -46,6 +46,53 @@ TEST(OrcaLoadReportHandlerTest, GetUtilizationFromOrcaReport_NamedMetrics) {
             0.3);
 }
 
+TEST(OrcaLoadReportHandlerTest, GetUtilizationFromOrcaReport_Preference) {
+  xds::data::orca::v3::OrcaLoadReport report;
+  report.set_application_utilization(0.5);
+  report.mutable_named_metrics()->insert({"foo", 0.3});
+  report.set_cpu_utilization(0.6);
+
+  // By default (flag enabled), named metrics win.
+  EXPECT_EQ(OrcaLoadReportHandler::getUtilizationFromOrcaReport(report, {"named_metrics.foo"}),
+            0.3);
+
+  // With flag disabled, application utilization wins.
+  TestScopedRuntime scoped_runtime;
+  scoped_runtime.mergeValues(
+      {{"envoy.reloadable_features.orca_weight_manager_use_named_metrics_first", "false"}});
+  EXPECT_EQ(OrcaLoadReportHandler::getUtilizationFromOrcaReport(report, {"named_metrics.foo"}),
+            0.5);
+}
+
+TEST(OrcaLoadReportHandlerTest,
+     GetUtilizationFromOrcaReport_Preference_FlagDisabled_FallbackToNamedMetrics) {
+  xds::data::orca::v3::OrcaLoadReport report;
+  report.mutable_named_metrics()->insert({"foo", 0.3});
+  report.set_cpu_utilization(0.6);
+
+  TestScopedRuntime scoped_runtime;
+  scoped_runtime.mergeValues(
+      {{"envoy.reloadable_features.orca_weight_manager_use_named_metrics_first", "false"}});
+
+  // application_utilization is not set (0), so it falls back to named metrics.
+  EXPECT_EQ(OrcaLoadReportHandler::getUtilizationFromOrcaReport(report, {"named_metrics.foo"}),
+            0.3);
+}
+
+TEST(OrcaLoadReportHandlerTest,
+     GetUtilizationFromOrcaReport_Preference_FlagDisabled_FallbackToCpu) {
+  xds::data::orca::v3::OrcaLoadReport report;
+  report.set_cpu_utilization(0.6);
+
+  TestScopedRuntime scoped_runtime;
+  scoped_runtime.mergeValues(
+      {{"envoy.reloadable_features.orca_weight_manager_use_named_metrics_first", "false"}});
+
+  // application_utilization and named metrics are not set, so it falls back to cpu.
+  EXPECT_EQ(OrcaLoadReportHandler::getUtilizationFromOrcaReport(report, {"named_metrics.foo"}),
+            0.6);
+}
+
 TEST(OrcaLoadReportHandlerTest, GetUtilizationFromOrcaReport_CpuUtilizationFallback) {
   xds::data::orca::v3::OrcaLoadReport report;
   report.mutable_named_metrics()->insert({"bar", 0.3});