diff --git a/docs/roles/_init.md b/docs/roles/_init.md
index edf1f5d3..8118c9ea 100644
--- a/docs/roles/_init.md
+++ b/docs/roles/_init.md
@@ -34,9 +34,17 @@ drupal:
       cron:
         - minute: "*/{{ 10 | random(start=1) }}"
           job: cron
+      feature_branch: false # whether or not this build is a feature branch that should sync assets from another environment
+      # For syncing database and files on a feature branch initial build
+      mysql_sync: # see sync/database_sync for docs
+        databases: []
+      files_sync: # see sync/files_sync for docs
+        cleanup: true
+        directories: []
 mautic:
   image_path: "media/images"
   force_install: false
+# Used for custom build time tools like cachetool
 bin_directory: "/home/{{ deploy_user }}/.bin"
 # Number of dumps/db to look up for cleanup.
 cleanup_history_depth: 50
diff --git a/docs/roles/sync/database_sync/database_sync-mysql.md b/docs/roles/sync/database_sync/database_sync-mysql.md
index d70d770e..c0c2954b 100644
--- a/docs/roles/sync/database_sync/database_sync-mysql.md
+++ b/docs/roles/sync/database_sync/database_sync-mysql.md
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ Sync MySQL databases between environments.
 mysql_sync:
   mysqldump_params: "{{ _mysqldump_params }}" # set in _init but you can override here.
   cleanup: true # if false leaves tmp database dump on deploy server for debugging purposes.
-  archival_method: "bzip2" # oprions are "bzip2" or "gzip".
+  archival_method: "gzip" # oprions are "bzip2" or "gzip".
   databases:
     - source:
         # Name of the database to take a dump from.
diff --git a/roles/_init/README.md b/roles/_init/README.md
index edf1f5d3..8118c9ea 100644
--- a/roles/_init/README.md
+++ b/roles/_init/README.md
@@ -34,9 +34,17 @@ drupal:
       cron:
         - minute: "*/{{ 10 | random(start=1) }}"
           job: cron
+      feature_branch: false # whether or not this build is a feature branch that should sync assets from another environment
+      # For syncing database and files on a feature branch initial build
+      mysql_sync: # see sync/database_sync for docs
+        databases: []
+      files_sync: # see sync/files_sync for docs
+        cleanup: true
+        directories: []
 mautic:
   image_path: "media/images"
   force_install: false
+# Used for custom build time tools like cachetool
 bin_directory: "/home/{{ deploy_user }}/.bin"
 # Number of dumps/db to look up for cleanup.
 cleanup_history_depth: 50
diff --git a/roles/_init/defaults/main.yml b/roles/_init/defaults/main.yml
index 57ee7e44..2fad2e47 100644
--- a/roles/_init/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/_init/defaults/main.yml
@@ -25,9 +25,17 @@ drupal:
       cron:
         - minute: "*/{{ 10 | random(start=1) }}"
           job: cron
+      feature_branch: false # whether or not this build is a feature branch that should sync assets from another environment
+      # For syncing database and files on a feature branch initial build
+      mysql_sync: # see sync/database_sync for docs
+        databases: []
+      files_sync: # see sync/files_sync for docs
+        cleanup: true
+        directories: []
 mautic:
   image_path: "media/images"
   force_install: false
+# Used for custom build time tools like cachetool
 bin_directory: "/home/{{ deploy_user }}/.bin"
 # Number of dumps/db to look up for cleanup.
 cleanup_history_depth: 50
diff --git a/roles/database_apply/database_apply-drupal8/tasks/main.yml b/roles/database_apply/database_apply-drupal8/tasks/main.yml
index c423fad9..7faf684f 100644
--- a/roles/database_apply/database_apply-drupal8/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/database_apply/database_apply-drupal8/tasks/main.yml
@@ -25,6 +25,32 @@
   when: (previous_build_number == 0) or (site.force_install is defined and site.force_install)
   register: _drush_output
 
+- name: Sync database.
+  ansible.builtin.import_role:
+    name: sync/database_sync
+  vars:
+    mysql_sync: "{{ site.mysql_sync }}"
+  with_items: "{{ drupal.sites }}"
+  loop_control:
+    loop_var: site
+  when:
+    - (previous_build_number == 0) or (site.force_install is defined and site.force_install)
+    - site.feature_branch | default(false)
+    - site.mysql_sync | length > 0
+
+- name: Sync files.
+  ansible.builtin.import_role:
+    name: sync/files_sync
+  vars:
+    files_sync: "{{ site.files_sync }}"
+  with_items: "{{ drupal.sites }}"
+  loop_control:
+    loop_var: site
+  when:
+    - (previous_build_number == 0) or (site.force_install is defined and site.force_install)
+    - site.feature_branch | default(false)
+    - site.files_sync | length > 0
+
 - name: Show drush output.
   ansible.builtin.debug:
     msg: "{{ _drush_output }}"
diff --git a/roles/sync/database_sync/database_sync-mysql/README.md b/roles/sync/database_sync/database_sync-mysql/README.md
index d70d770e..c0c2954b 100644
--- a/roles/sync/database_sync/database_sync-mysql/README.md
+++ b/roles/sync/database_sync/database_sync-mysql/README.md
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ Sync MySQL databases between environments.
 mysql_sync:
   mysqldump_params: "{{ _mysqldump_params }}" # set in _init but you can override here.
   cleanup: true # if false leaves tmp database dump on deploy server for debugging purposes.
-  archival_method: "bzip2" # oprions are "bzip2" or "gzip".
+  archival_method: "gzip" # oprions are "bzip2" or "gzip".
   databases:
     - source:
         # Name of the database to take a dump from.