diff --git a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/config.ts b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/config.ts
index 598c3f6f8..9621a9c72 100644
--- a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/config.ts
+++ b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/config.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ const ROOT_SETTING = new Setting('codeQL');
 
 // Global configuration
 const TELEMETRY_SETTING = new Setting('telemetry', ROOT_SETTING);
+const AST_VIEWER_SETTING = new Setting('astViewer', ROOT_SETTING);
 const GLOBAL_TELEMETRY_SETTING = new Setting('telemetry');
 
 export const LOG_TELEMETRY = new Setting('logTelemetry', TELEMETRY_SETTING);
@@ -279,3 +280,8 @@ export const CANARY_FEATURES = new Setting('canary', ROOT_SETTING);
 export function isCanary() {
   return !!CANARY_FEATURES.getValue<boolean>();
 }
+
+/**
+ * Avoids caching in the AST viewer if the user is also a canary user.
+ */
+export const NO_CACHE_AST_VIEWER = new Setting('disableCache', AST_VIEWER_SETTING);
diff --git a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/contextual/templateProvider.ts b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/contextual/templateProvider.ts
index b90a4a0cc..41302ddf6 100644
--- a/extensions/ql-vscode/src/contextual/templateProvider.ts
+++ b/extensions/ql-vscode/src/contextual/templateProvider.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import {
 } from './keyType';
 import { FullLocationLink, getLocationsForUriString, TEMPLATE_NAME } from './locationFinder';
 import { qlpackOfDatabase, resolveQueries } from './queryResolver';
+import { isCanary, NO_CACHE_AST_VIEWER } from '../config';
 
 /**
  * Run templated CodeQL queries to find definitions and references in
@@ -141,7 +142,9 @@ export class TemplatePrintAstProvider {
     if (!document) {
       throw new Error('Cannot view the AST. Please select a valid source file inside a CodeQL database.');
     }
-    const queryResults = await this.cache.get(document.uri.toString(), progress, token);
+    const queryResults = this.shouldCache()
+      ? await this.cache.get(document.uri.toString(), progress, token)
+      : await this.getAst(document.uri.toString(), progress, token);
 
     return new AstBuilder(
       queryResults, this.cli,
@@ -150,6 +153,10 @@ export class TemplatePrintAstProvider {
     );
   }
 
+  private shouldCache() {
+    return !(isCanary() && NO_CACHE_AST_VIEWER.getValue<boolean>());
+  }
+
   private async getAst(
     uriString: string,
     progress: ProgressCallback,