behavior flags take the default value when the project file is not lo…

…aded

.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20241024-154518.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+kind: Fixes
+body: Always make behavior flags available for evaluation
+time: 2024-10-24T15:45:18.114936-04:00
+custom:
+  Author: mikealfare
+  Issue: "338"

dbt/adapters/base/impl.py

@@ -300,13 +300,13 @@ def behavior(self) -> Behavior:
     @behavior.setter  # type: ignore
     def behavior(self, flags: List[BehaviorFlag]) -> None:
         flags.extend(self._behavior_flags)
-        try:
-            # we don't always get project flags, for example during `dbt debug`
-            self._behavior = Behavior(flags, self.config.flags)
-        except AttributeError:
-            # in that case, load behavior flags with their default values to avoid compilation errors
-            # this mimics not loading a project file, or not specifying flags in a project file
-            self._behavior = Behavior(flags, {})
+
+        # we don't always get project flags, for example, the project file is not loaded during `dbt debug`
+        # in that case, load the default values for behavior flags to avoid compilation errors
+        # this mimics not loading a project file, or not specifying flags in a project file
+        user_overrides = getattr(self.config, "flags", {})
+
+        self._behavior = Behavior(flags, user_overrides)
 
     @property
     def _behavior_flags(self) -> List[BehaviorFlag]: