diff --git a/services/web/app/src/Features/Compile/CompileManager.js b/services/web/app/src/Features/Compile/CompileManager.js
index 454dc97d16..0266afc4ed 100644
--- a/services/web/app/src/Features/Compile/CompileManager.js
+++ b/services/web/app/src/Features/Compile/CompileManager.js
@@ -167,26 +167,28 @@ module.exports = CompileManager = {
       if (error != null) {
         return callback(error)
       }
-      return UserGetter.getUser(project.owner_ref, { features: 1 }, function(
-        err,
-        owner
-      ) {
-        if (error != null) {
-          return callback(error)
+      return UserGetter.getUser(
+        project.owner_ref,
+        { alphaProgram: 1, betaProgram: 1, features: 1 },
+        function(err, owner) {
+          if (error != null) {
+            return callback(error)
+          }
+          let ownerFeatures = (owner && owner.features) || {}
+          // put alpha users into their own compile group
+          if (owner && owner.alphaProgram) {
+            ownerFeatures.compileGroup = 'alpha'
+          }
+          return callback(null, {
+            timeout:
+              ownerFeatures.compileTimeout ||
+              Settings.defaultFeatures.compileTimeout,
+            compileGroup:
+              ownerFeatures.compileGroup ||
+              Settings.defaultFeatures.compileGroup
+          })
         }
-        return callback(null, {
-          timeout:
-            __guard__(
-              owner != null ? owner.features : undefined,
-              x => x.compileTimeout
-            ) || Settings.defaultFeatures.compileTimeout,
-          compileGroup:
-            __guard__(
-              owner != null ? owner.features : undefined,
-              x1 => x1.compileGroup
-            ) || Settings.defaultFeatures.compileGroup
-        })
-      })
+      )
     })
   },
 
@@ -271,9 +273,3 @@ module.exports = CompileManager = {
     })
   }
 }
-
-function __guard__(value, transform) {
-  return typeof value !== 'undefined' && value !== null
-    ? transform(value)
-    : undefined
-}
diff --git a/services/web/app/src/models/User.js b/services/web/app/src/models/User.js
index 73766fd352..834eaaacb2 100644
--- a/services/web/app/src/models/User.js
+++ b/services/web/app/src/models/User.js
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ const UserSchema = new Schema({
     mendeley: Boolean, // coerce the refProviders values to Booleans
     zotero: Boolean
   },
+  alphaProgram: { type: Boolean, default: false }, // experimental features
   betaProgram: { type: Boolean, default: false },
   overleaf: {
     id: { type: Number },
diff --git a/services/web/test/unit/src/Compile/CompileManagerTests.js b/services/web/test/unit/src/Compile/CompileManagerTests.js
index afadd137bb..ccf353b99a 100644
--- a/services/web/test/unit/src/Compile/CompileManagerTests.js
+++ b/services/web/test/unit/src/Compile/CompileManagerTests.js
@@ -215,7 +215,11 @@ describe('CompileManager', function() {
 
     it("should look up the owner's features", function() {
       return this.UserGetter.getUser
-        .calledWith(this.project.owner_ref, { features: 1 })
+        .calledWith(this.project.owner_ref, {
+          alphaProgram: 1,
+          betaProgram: 1,
+          features: 1
+        })
         .should.equal(true)
     })