diff --git a/source/blender/compositor/realtime_compositor/COM_context.hh b/source/blender/compositor/realtime_compositor/COM_context.hh
index 612d8b8c89f..eb487d9e008 100644
--- a/source/blender/compositor/realtime_compositor/COM_context.hh
+++ b/source/blender/compositor/realtime_compositor/COM_context.hh
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ class Context {
   /* True if the compositor should write file outputs, false otherwise. */
   virtual bool use_file_output() const = 0;
 
+  /* True if the compositor should compute node previews, false otherwise. */
+  virtual bool should_compute_node_previews() const = 0;
+
   /* True if the compositor should write the composite output, otherwise, the compositor is assumed
    * to not support the composite output and just displays its viewer output. In that case, the
    * composite output will be used as a fallback viewer if no other viewer exists */
diff --git a/source/blender/compositor/realtime_compositor/intern/node_operation.cc b/source/blender/compositor/realtime_compositor/intern/node_operation.cc
index a06efd173c8..7f1e6aefafc 100644
--- a/source/blender/compositor/realtime_compositor/intern/node_operation.cc
+++ b/source/blender/compositor/realtime_compositor/intern/node_operation.cc
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ void NodeOperation::evaluate()
 
 void NodeOperation::compute_preview()
 {
-  if (is_node_preview_needed(node())) {
+  if (context().should_compute_node_previews() && is_node_preview_needed(node())) {
     compute_preview_from_result(context(), node(), *get_preview_result());
   }
 }
diff --git a/source/blender/draw/engines/compositor/compositor_engine.cc b/source/blender/draw/engines/compositor/compositor_engine.cc
index f8f0ae3dadb..e4c1c29d0cb 100644
--- a/source/blender/draw/engines/compositor/compositor_engine.cc
+++ b/source/blender/draw/engines/compositor/compositor_engine.cc
@@ -74,6 +74,11 @@ class Context : public realtime_compositor::Context {
     return false;
   }
 
+  bool should_compute_node_previews() const override
+  {
+    return false;
+  }
+
   /* The viewport compositor doesn't really support the composite output, it only displays the
    * viewer output in the viewport. Settings this to false will make the compositor use the
    * composite output as fallback viewer if no other viewer exists. */
diff --git a/source/blender/render/intern/compositor.cc b/source/blender/render/intern/compositor.cc
index e1ce71c892e..a7f46585711 100644
--- a/source/blender/render/intern/compositor.cc
+++ b/source/blender/render/intern/compositor.cc
@@ -198,6 +198,11 @@ class Context : public realtime_compositor::Context {
     return this->render_context() != nullptr;
   }
 
+  bool should_compute_node_previews() const override
+  {
+    return this->render_context() == nullptr;
+  }
+
   bool use_composite_output() const override
   {
     return true;