diff --git a/services/web/.storybook/preview.js b/services/web/.storybook/preview.js
index 36f92c6dbc..7c3c8a4d19 100644
--- a/services/web/.storybook/preview.js
+++ b/services/web/.storybook/preview.js
@@ -128,3 +128,4 @@ window.user = {
 }
 
 window.project_id = 'storybook-project'
+window.showNewPdfPreview = true
diff --git a/services/web/app/views/project/editor.pug b/services/web/app/views/project/editor.pug
index 48a1e98986..5fa6025bed 100644
--- a/services/web/app/views/project/editor.pug
+++ b/services/web/app/views/project/editor.pug
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ block append meta
 	meta(name="ol-showNewLogsUI" data-type="boolean" content=showNewLogsUI)
 	meta(name="ol-logsUISubvariant" content=logsUISubvariant)
 	meta(name="ol-showSymbolPalette" data-type="boolean" content=showSymbolPalette)
+	meta(name="ol-showNewPdfPreview" data-type="boolean" content=showNewPdfPreview)
 	meta(name="ol-enablePdfCaching" data-type="boolean" content=enablePdfCaching)
 	meta(name="ol-trackPdfDownload" data-type="boolean" content=trackPdfDownload)
 	meta(name="ol-resetServiceWorker" data-type="boolean" content=resetServiceWorker)
diff --git a/services/web/frontend/js/features/pdf-preview/util/compiler.js b/services/web/frontend/js/features/pdf-preview/util/compiler.js
index 2b2a8693c4..a9cded5350 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/js/features/pdf-preview/util/compiler.js
+++ b/services/web/frontend/js/features/pdf-preview/util/compiler.js
@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@ export default class DocumentCompiler {
   // The main "compile" function.
   // Call this directly to run a compile now, otherwise call debouncedAutoCompile.
   async compile(options = {}) {
+    // only compile if the feature flag is enabled
+    if (!window.showNewPdfPreview) {
+      return
+    }
+
     // set "compiling" to true (in the React component's state), and return if it was already true
     let wasCompiling
 
diff --git a/services/web/frontend/js/shared/context/compile-context.js b/services/web/frontend/js/shared/context/compile-context.js
index 4dc09e5d3d..c08a54003b 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/js/shared/context/compile-context.js
+++ b/services/web/frontend/js/shared/context/compile-context.js
@@ -172,7 +172,9 @@ export function CompileProvider({ children }) {
 
   // pass the "uncompiled" value up into the scope for use outside this context provider
   useEffect(() => {
-    setUncompiled(changedAt > 0)
+    if (window.showNewPdfPreview) {
+      setUncompiled(changedAt > 0)
+    }
   }, [setUncompiled, changedAt])
 
   // record changes to the autocompile setting
diff --git a/services/web/test/frontend/features/pdf-preview/components/pdf-js-viewer.test.js b/services/web/test/frontend/features/pdf-preview/components/pdf-js-viewer.test.js
index 03d146a7bb..8a8ce9de3e 100644
--- a/services/web/test/frontend/features/pdf-preview/components/pdf-js-viewer.test.js
+++ b/services/web/test/frontend/features/pdf-preview/components/pdf-js-viewer.test.js
@@ -10,6 +10,14 @@ const example = pathToFileURL(
 ).toString()
 
 describe('<PdfJSViewer/>', function () {
+  beforeEach(function () {
+    window.showNewPdfPreview = true
+  })
+
+  afterEach(function () {
+    window.showNewPdfPreview = undefined
+  })
+
   it('loads all PDF pages', async function () {
     renderWithEditorContext(<PdfJsViewer url={example} />)
 
diff --git a/services/web/test/frontend/features/pdf-preview/components/pdf-preview.test.js b/services/web/test/frontend/features/pdf-preview/components/pdf-preview.test.js
index ae2d17fbf0..0f9235c3a7 100644
--- a/services/web/test/frontend/features/pdf-preview/components/pdf-preview.test.js
+++ b/services/web/test/frontend/features/pdf-preview/components/pdf-preview.test.js
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ describe('<PdfPreview/>', function () {
   var clock
 
   beforeEach(function () {
+    window.showNewPdfPreview = true
     clock = sinon.useFakeTimers({
       shouldAdvanceTime: true,
       now: Date.now(),
@@ -157,6 +158,7 @@ describe('<PdfPreview/>', function () {
   })
 
   afterEach(function () {
+    window.showNewPdfPreview = undefined
     clock.runAll()
     clock.restore()
     fetchMock.reset()