diff --git a/include/tree_sitter/runtime.h b/include/tree_sitter/runtime.h
index b483ba7f..e21571e8 100644
--- a/include/tree_sitter/runtime.h
+++ b/include/tree_sitter/runtime.h
@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@ void ts_parser_print_dot_graphs(TSParser *, FILE *);
 void ts_parser_halt_on_error(TSParser *, bool);
 TSTree *ts_parser_parse(TSParser *, const TSTree *, TSInput);
 TSTree *ts_parser_parse_string(TSParser *, const TSTree *, const char *, uint32_t);
+bool ts_parser_enabled(TSParser *);
+void ts_parser_set_enabled(TSParser *, bool);
 
 TSTree *ts_tree_copy(const TSTree *);
 void ts_tree_delete(TSTree *);
diff --git a/src/runtime/parser.c b/src/runtime/parser.c
index 3ec5b969..26a377d7 100644
--- a/src/runtime/parser.c
+++ b/src/runtime/parser.c
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ struct TSParser {
   FILE *dot_graph_file;
   bool halt_on_error;
   unsigned accept_count;
+  volatile bool enabled;
 };
 
 typedef struct {
@@ -705,6 +706,15 @@ static void ts_parser__start(TSParser *self, TSInput input, const Subtree *previ
   self->accept_count = 0;
 }
 
+static void ts_parser__stop(TSParser *self) {
+  ts_stack_clear(self->stack);
+  ts_parser__set_cached_token(self, 0, NULL, NULL);
+  if (self->finished_tree) {
+    ts_subtree_release(&self->tree_pool, self->finished_tree);
+    self->finished_tree = NULL;
+  }
+}
+
 static void ts_parser__accept(TSParser *self, StackVersion version, const Subtree *lookahead) {
   assert(lookahead->symbol == ts_builtin_sym_end);
   ts_stack_push(self->stack, version, lookahead, false, 1);
@@ -1308,6 +1318,7 @@ TSParser *ts_parser_new() {
   self->reusable_node = reusable_node_new();
   self->dot_graph_file = NULL;
   self->halt_on_error = false;
+  self->enabled = true;
   ts_parser__set_cached_token(self, 0, NULL, NULL);
   return self;
 }
@@ -1362,6 +1373,14 @@ void ts_parser_halt_on_error(TSParser *self, bool should_halt_on_error) {
   self->halt_on_error = should_halt_on_error;
 }
 
+bool ts_parser_enabled(TSParser *self) {
+  return self->enabled;
+}
+
+void ts_parser_set_enabled(TSParser *self, bool enabled) {
+  self->enabled = enabled;
+}
+
 TSTree *ts_parser_parse(TSParser *self, const TSTree *old_tree, TSInput input) {
   if (!self->language) return NULL;
   ts_parser__start(self, input, old_tree ? old_tree->root : NULL);
@@ -1372,6 +1391,11 @@ TSTree *ts_parser_parse(TSParser *self, const TSTree *old_tree, TSInput input) {
     for (StackVersion version = 0;
          version_count = ts_stack_version_count(self->stack), version < version_count;
          version++) {
+      if (!self->enabled) {
+        ts_parser__stop(self);
+        return NULL;
+      }
+
       bool allow_node_reuse = version_count == 1;
       while (ts_stack_is_active(self->stack, version)) {
         LOG("process version:%d, version_count:%u, state:%d, row:%u, col:%u",
@@ -1404,10 +1428,13 @@ TSTree *ts_parser_parse(TSParser *self, const TSTree *old_tree, TSInput input) {
   ts_parser__set_cached_token(self, 0, NULL, NULL);
   ts_subtree_balance(self->finished_tree, &self->tree_pool, self->language);
 
+  TSTree *result = ts_tree_new(self->finished_tree, self->language);
   LOG("done");
   LOG_TREE();
+  self->finished_tree = NULL;
 
-  return ts_tree_new(self->finished_tree, self->language);
+  ts_parser__stop(self);
+  return result;
 }
 
 TSTree *ts_parser_parse_string(TSParser *self, const TSTree *old_tree,
diff --git a/test/runtime/parser_test.cc b/test/runtime/parser_test.cc
index 7d0b2d1d..4e787c76 100644
--- a/test/runtime/parser_test.cc
+++ b/test/runtime/parser_test.cc
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "test_helper.h"
+#include <future>
 #include "runtime/alloc.h"
 #include "runtime/language.h"
 #include "helpers/record_alloc.h"
@@ -610,6 +611,51 @@ describe("Parser", [&]() {
       });
     });
   });
+
+  describe("set_enabled(enabled)", [&]() {
+    it("stops the in-progress parse if false is passed", [&]() {
+      ts_parser_set_language(parser, load_real_language("json"));
+      AssertThat(ts_parser_enabled(parser), IsTrue());
+
+      auto tree_future = std::async([parser]() {
+        size_t read_count = 0;
+        TSInput infinite_input = {
+          &read_count,
+          [](void *payload, uint32_t *bytes_read) {
+            size_t *read_count = static_cast<size_t *>(payload);
+            assert((*read_count)++ < 100000);
+            *bytes_read = 1;
+            return "[";
+          },
+          [](void *payload, unsigned byte, TSPoint position) -> int {
+            return true;
+          },
+          TSInputEncodingUTF8
+        };
+
+        return ts_parser_parse(parser, nullptr, infinite_input);
+      });
+
+      auto cancel_future = std::async([parser]() {
+        ts_parser_set_enabled(parser, false);
+      });
+
+      cancel_future.wait();
+      tree_future.wait();
+      AssertThat(ts_parser_enabled(parser), IsFalse());
+      AssertThat(tree_future.get(), Equals<TSTree *>(nullptr));
+
+      TSTree *tree = ts_parser_parse_string(parser, nullptr, "[]", 2);
+      AssertThat(ts_parser_enabled(parser), IsFalse());
+      AssertThat(tree, Equals<TSTree *>(nullptr));
+
+      ts_parser_set_enabled(parser, true);
+      AssertThat(ts_parser_enabled(parser), IsTrue());
+      tree = ts_parser_parse_string(parser, nullptr, "[]", 2);
+      AssertThat(tree, !Equals<TSTree *>(nullptr));
+      ts_tree_delete(tree);
+    });
+  });
 });
 
 END_TEST