diff --git a/server.ts b/server.ts
index 2fa7b9b947..cfab230ef5 100644
--- a/server.ts
+++ b/server.ts
@@ -273,10 +273,8 @@ function serverSideRender(req, res, sendToUser: boolean = true) {
   }, (err, data) => {
     if (hasNoValue(err) && hasValue(data)) {
       // Replace REST URL with UI URL
-      if (environment.ui.replaceRestUrl && REST_BASE_URL !== environment.rest.baseUrl) {
-        const t0 = Date.now();
-        data = data.replace(new RegExp(REST_BASE_URL, 'g'), environment.rest.baseUrl);
-        console.log(`Replaced all SSR URLs in HTML in ${Date.now() - t0}ms`); // todo: remove this
+        if (environment.universal.replaceRestUrl && REST_BASE_URL !== environment.rest.baseUrl) {
+          data = data.replace(new RegExp(REST_BASE_URL, 'g'), environment.rest.baseUrl);
       }
 
       // save server side rendered page to cache (if any are enabled)
diff --git a/src/config/default-app-config.ts b/src/config/default-app-config.ts
index 1e19815e24..de4f3bd56e 100644
--- a/src/config/default-app-config.ts
+++ b/src/config/default-app-config.ts
@@ -48,9 +48,6 @@ export class DefaultAppConfig implements AppConfig {
 
     // Trust X-FORWARDED-* headers from proxies
     useProxies: true,
-
-    transferState: true,
-    replaceRestUrl: false,
   };
 
   // The REST API server settings
diff --git a/src/config/ui-server-config.interface.ts b/src/config/ui-server-config.interface.ts
index 2e58f9d6de..70e2fa3e26 100644
--- a/src/config/ui-server-config.interface.ts
+++ b/src/config/ui-server-config.interface.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,4 @@ export class UIServerConfig extends ServerConfig {
 
   // Trust X-FORWARDED-* headers from proxies
   useProxies: boolean;
-
-  transferState: boolean;
-  replaceRestUrl: boolean;
 }
diff --git a/src/config/universal-config.interface.ts b/src/config/universal-config.interface.ts
index e3f7f399a9..c789d3f169 100644
--- a/src/config/universal-config.interface.ts
+++ b/src/config/universal-config.interface.ts
@@ -14,10 +14,29 @@ export interface UniversalConfig extends Config {
    */
   inlineCriticalCss?: boolean;
 
+  /**
+   * Enable state transfer from the server-side application to the client-side application.
+   * Defaults to true.
+   *
+   * Note: When using an external application cache layer, it's recommended not to transfer the state to avoid caching it.
+   * Disabling it ensures that dynamic state information is not inadvertently cached, which can improve security and
+   * ensure that users always use the most up-to-date state.
+   */
+  transferState: boolean;
+
+  /**
+   * When a different REST base URL is used for the server-side application, the generated state contains references to
+   * REST resources with the internal URL configured, so it is not transferred to the client application, by default.
+   * Enabling this setting transfers the state to the client application and replaces internal URLs with the public
+   * URLs used by the client application.
+   */
+  replaceRestUrl: boolean;
+
   /**
    * Paths to enable SSR for. Defaults to the home page and paths in the sitemap.
    */
   paths: Array<string>;
+
   /**
    * Whether to enable rendering of search component on SSR
    */
diff --git a/src/environments/environment.production.ts b/src/environments/environment.production.ts
index d69389cfe3..48e8125e24 100644
--- a/src/environments/environment.production.ts
+++ b/src/environments/environment.production.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ export const environment: Partial<BuildConfig> = {
     async: true,
     time: false,
     inlineCriticalCss: false,
+    transferState: true,
+    replaceRestUrl: false,
     paths: [ '/home', '/items/', '/entities/', '/collections/', '/communities/', '/bitstream/', '/bitstreams/', '/handle/', '/reload/' ],
     enableSearchComponent: false,
     enableBrowseComponent: false,
diff --git a/src/environments/environment.test.ts b/src/environments/environment.test.ts
index e01c67480c..30ca741b36 100644
--- a/src/environments/environment.test.ts
+++ b/src/environments/environment.test.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ export const environment: BuildConfig = {
     async: true,
     time: false,
     inlineCriticalCss: false,
+    transferState: true,
+    replaceRestUrl: false,
     paths: [ '/home', '/items/', '/entities/', '/collections/', '/communities/', '/bitstream/', '/bitstreams/', '/handle/', '/reload/' ],
     enableSearchComponent: false,
     enableBrowseComponent: false,
diff --git a/src/environments/environment.ts b/src/environments/environment.ts
index e3258cb4e2..502bae140a 100644
--- a/src/environments/environment.ts
+++ b/src/environments/environment.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ export const environment: Partial<BuildConfig> = {
     async: true,
     time: false,
     inlineCriticalCss: false,
+    transferState: true,
+    replaceRestUrl: false,
     paths: [ '/home', '/items/', '/entities/', '/collections/', '/communities/', '/bitstream/', '/bitstreams/', '/handle/', '/reload/' ],
     enableSearchComponent: false,
     enableBrowseComponent: false,
diff --git a/src/modules/app/browser-init.service.ts b/src/modules/app/browser-init.service.ts
index 30e03cc19d..4b1c6b40d2 100644
--- a/src/modules/app/browser-init.service.ts
+++ b/src/modules/app/browser-init.service.ts
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import { RootDataService } from '../../app/core/data/root-data.service';
 import { firstValueFrom, lastValueFrom, Subscription } from 'rxjs';
 import { ServerCheckGuard } from '../../app/core/server-check/server-check.guard';
 import { HALEndpointService } from '../../app/core/shared/hal-endpoint.service';
+import { BuildConfig } from '../../config/build-config.interface';
 
 /**
  * Performs client-side initialization.
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ export class BrowserInitService extends InitService {
     protected store: Store<AppState>,
     protected correlationIdService: CorrelationIdService,
     protected transferState: TransferState,
-    @Inject(APP_CONFIG) protected appConfig: AppConfig,
+    @Inject(APP_CONFIG) protected appConfig: BuildConfig,
     protected translate: TranslateService,
     protected localeService: LocaleService,
     protected angulartics2DSpace: Angulartics2DSpace,
@@ -90,9 +91,7 @@ export class BrowserInitService extends InitService {
 
   protected init(): () => Promise<boolean> {
     return async () => {
-      if (this.appConfig.ui.transferState) {
-        await this.loadAppState();
-      }
+      await this.loadAppState();
       this.checkAuthenticationToken();
       this.externalAuthCheck();
       this.initCorrelationId();
@@ -124,7 +123,7 @@ export class BrowserInitService extends InitService {
    */
   private async loadAppState(): Promise<boolean> {
     // The app state can be transferred only when SSR and CSR are using the same base url for the REST API
-    if (this.appConfig.ui.transferState && (!this.appConfig.rest.hasSsrBaseUrl || this.appConfig.ui.replaceRestUrl)) {
+    if (this.appConfig.universal.transferState) {
       const state = this.transferState.get<any>(InitService.NGRX_STATE, null);
       this.transferState.remove(InitService.NGRX_STATE);
       this.store.dispatch(new StoreAction(StoreActionTypes.REHYDRATE, state));
diff --git a/src/modules/app/server-init.service.ts b/src/modules/app/server-init.service.ts
index bb32e917ee..e0c55211e3 100644
--- a/src/modules/app/server-init.service.ts
+++ b/src/modules/app/server-init.service.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ import { BreadcrumbsService } from '../../app/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.service';
 import { ThemeService } from '../../app/shared/theme-support/theme.service';
 import { take } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { MenuService } from '../../app/shared/menu/menu.service';
-import { isNotEmpty } from '../../app/shared/empty.util';
+import { isEmpty, isNotEmpty } from '../../app/shared/empty.util';
+import { BuildConfig } from '../../config/build-config.interface';
 
 /**
  * Performs server-side initialization.
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ export class ServerInitService extends InitService {
     protected store: Store<AppState>,
     protected correlationIdService: CorrelationIdService,
     protected transferState: TransferState,
-    @Inject(APP_CONFIG) protected appConfig: AppConfig,
+    @Inject(APP_CONFIG) protected appConfig: BuildConfig,
     protected translate: TranslateService,
     protected localeService: LocaleService,
     protected angulartics2DSpace: Angulartics2DSpace,
@@ -59,9 +60,7 @@ export class ServerInitService extends InitService {
     return async () => {
       this.checkAuthenticationToken();
       this.saveAppConfigForCSR();
-      if (this.appConfig.ui.transferState) {
-        this.saveAppState();
-      }
+      this.saveAppState();
       this.initCorrelationId();
 
       this.checkEnvironment();
@@ -83,14 +82,16 @@ export class ServerInitService extends InitService {
    * @private
    */
   private saveAppState() {
-    this.transferState.onSerialize(InitService.NGRX_STATE, () => {
-      let state;
-      this.store.pipe(take(1)).subscribe((saveState: any) => {
-        state = saveState;
-      });
+    if (this.appConfig.universal.transferState && (isEmpty(this.appConfig.rest.ssrBaseUrl) || this.appConfig.universal.replaceRestUrl)) {
+      this.transferState.onSerialize(InitService.NGRX_STATE, () => {
+        let state;
+        this.store.pipe(take(1)).subscribe((saveState: any) => {
+          state = saveState;
+        });
 
-      return state;
-    });
+        return state;
+      });
+    }
   }
 
   private saveAppConfigForCSR(): void {