diff --git a/base/src/META-INF/blaze-base.xml b/base/src/META-INF/blaze-base.xml
index 91966665d5f..381d9ce2bc6 100644
--- a/base/src/META-INF/blaze-base.xml
+++ b/base/src/META-INF/blaze-base.xml
@@ -377,6 +377,7 @@
     <codeInsight.lineMarkerProvider
         language="BUILD"
         implementationClass="com.google.idea.blaze.base.query.MacroLineMarkerProvider"/>
+    <defaultHighlightingSettingProvider implementation="com.google.idea.blaze.base.qsync.QuerySyncHighlightingSettingProvider" order="first"/>
     <lookup.charFilter implementation="com.google.idea.blaze.base.lang.buildfile.completion.BuildLabelCharFilter"/>
     <runLineMarkerContributor
         language="BUILD"
@@ -409,6 +410,9 @@
     <registryKey defaultValue="true"
                  description="Causes the plugin to read external workspace data, enabling features such as code completion for external targets. This may incur the cost of an additional 'bazel mod' call, which could cause issues with older versions or setups."
                  key="bazel.read.external.workspace.data"/>
+    <registryKey defaultValue="true"
+                 description="Enable basic syntax highliting in Query Sync's 'Analysis Disabled' mode"
+                 key="bazel.qsync.enable.basic.highlighting.in.non.analysis.mode"/>
     <editorNotificationProvider implementation="com.google.idea.blaze.base.wizard2.BazelNotificationProvider"/>
   </extensions>
 
diff --git a/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/qsync/QuerySyncHighlightingFilter.java b/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/qsync/QuerySyncHighlightingFilter.java
index a51382116a4..6e6bc5a96e8 100644
--- a/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/qsync/QuerySyncHighlightingFilter.java
+++ b/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/qsync/QuerySyncHighlightingFilter.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import com.google.idea.blaze.base.settings.BlazeImportSettings.ProjectType;
 import com.intellij.codeInsight.daemon.impl.HighlightInfo;
 import com.intellij.codeInsight.daemon.impl.HighlightInfoFilter;
+import com.intellij.openapi.util.registry.Registry;
 import com.intellij.psi.PsiFile;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
@@ -28,6 +29,9 @@ public class QuerySyncHighlightingFilter implements HighlightInfoFilter {
 
   @Override
   public boolean accept(@NotNull HighlightInfo highlightInfo, @Nullable PsiFile psiFile) {
+    if(Registry.is("bazel.qsync.enable.basic.highlighting.in.non.analysis.mode")) {
+      return true;
+    }
     if (psiFile == null) {
       return true;
     }
diff --git a/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/qsync/QuerySyncHighlightingSettingProvider.java b/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/qsync/QuerySyncHighlightingSettingProvider.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..57d76863868
--- /dev/null
+++ b/base/src/com/google/idea/blaze/base/qsync/QuerySyncHighlightingSettingProvider.java
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package com.google.idea.blaze.base.qsync;
+
+import com.google.idea.blaze.base.settings.Blaze;
+import com.google.idea.blaze.base.settings.BlazeImportSettings;
+import com.intellij.codeInsight.daemon.impl.analysis.DefaultHighlightingSettingProvider;
+import com.intellij.codeInsight.daemon.impl.analysis.FileHighlightingSetting;
+import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
+import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.VirtualFile;
+import com.intellij.psi.PsiManager;
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
+
+public class QuerySyncHighlightingSettingProvider extends DefaultHighlightingSettingProvider {
+    @Override
+    public @Nullable FileHighlightingSetting getDefaultSetting(@NotNull Project project, @NotNull VirtualFile file) {
+        var psiFile = PsiManager.getInstance(project).findFile(file);
+        if (Blaze.getProjectType(psiFile.getProject()) == BlazeImportSettings.ProjectType.QUERY_SYNC) {
+            if(!QuerySyncManager.getInstance(psiFile.getProject()).isReadyForAnalysis(psiFile)){
+                return FileHighlightingSetting.ESSENTIAL;
+            }
+        }
+        return null;
+
+    }
+}