diff --git a/lib/rdoc/code_object/any_method.rb b/lib/rdoc/code_object/any_method.rb
index cda994d369..71e622d1f4 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/code_object/any_method.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/code_object/any_method.rb
@@ -113,6 +113,17 @@ def call_seq=(call_seq)
     @call_seq = call_seq
   end
 
+  ##
+  # Current token stream.
+
+  def token_stream
+    unless options.store_method_source?
+      raise RDoc::Error, "method source for #{full_name} was not stored; set store_method_source? to true"
+    end
+
+    super
+  end
+
   ##
   # Whether the method has a call-seq.
 
diff --git a/lib/rdoc/generator/markup.rb b/lib/rdoc/generator/markup.rb
index d6a56adf97..0fee0da33a 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/generator/markup.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/generator/markup.rb
@@ -138,9 +138,9 @@ def add_location_comment(src)
   # Prepends line numbers if +options.line_numbers+ is true.
 
   def markup_code
-    return '' if !@token_stream
+    return '' if !(tokens = token_stream)
 
-    src = RDoc::TokenStream.to_html @token_stream
+    src = RDoc::TokenStream.to_html tokens
 
     # dedent the source
     common_indent = src.length
diff --git a/lib/rdoc/generator/pot.rb b/lib/rdoc/generator/pot.rb
index a20fde077b..960b590dec 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/generator/pot.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/generator/pot.rb
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ def generate
     end
   end
 
+  def self.store_method_source? = false
+
   private
   def extract_messages
     extractor = MessageExtractor.new(@store)
diff --git a/lib/rdoc/generator/ri.rb b/lib/rdoc/generator/ri.rb
index 32f518ac71..1276592f1b 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/generator/ri.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/generator/ri.rb
@@ -27,4 +27,5 @@ def generate
     @store.save
   end
 
+  def self.store_method_source? = false
 end
diff --git a/lib/rdoc/options.rb b/lib/rdoc/options.rb
index 4bb074892f..ddcccfb86c 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/options.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/options.rb
@@ -1324,6 +1324,16 @@ def setup_generator(generator_name = @generator_name)
     end
   end
 
+  ##
+  # Returns whether syntax-highlighted method source should be stored.
+
+  #: () -> bool
+  def store_method_source?
+    return false if @coverage_report
+
+    !@generator.respond_to?(:store_method_source?) || @generator.store_method_source?
+  end
+
   ##
   # Finds the template dir for +template+
 
diff --git a/lib/rdoc/parser/ruby.rb b/lib/rdoc/parser/ruby.rb
index 63bec37426..bebc848908 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/parser/ruby.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/parser/ruby.rb
@@ -553,9 +553,12 @@ def extract_section_comment(comment_text, prefix_line_count) # :nodoc:
     comment_text
   end
 
-  # Returns syntax highlighted tokens of the given node
+  # Returns syntax-highlighted tokens for +node+, or an empty Array when
+  # method source storage is disabled.
 
   def syntax_highlighted_tokens(node)
+    return [] unless @options.store_method_source?
+
     RDoc::Parser::RubyColorizer.partial_colorize(@content, node, @prism_tokens)
   end
 
diff --git a/test/rdoc/code_object/any_method_test.rb b/test/rdoc/code_object/any_method_test.rb
index 3f3b681407..45671b1fae 100644
--- a/test/rdoc/code_object/any_method_test.rb
+++ b/test/rdoc/code_object/any_method_test.rb
@@ -152,6 +152,20 @@ def test_markup_code_empty
     assert_equal '', @c2_a.markup_code
   end
 
+  def test_markup_code_raises_when_method_source_not_stored
+    @options.generator = RDoc::Generator::RI
+
+    error = assert_raise(RDoc::Error) { @c1_m.markup_code }
+    assert_equal 'method source for C1#m was not stored; set store_method_source? to true', error.message
+  end
+
+  def test_token_stream_raises_when_method_source_not_stored
+    @options.generator = RDoc::Generator::RI
+
+    error = assert_raise(RDoc::Error) { @c1_m.token_stream }
+    assert_equal 'method source for C1#m was not stored; set store_method_source? to true', error.message
+  end
+
   def test_param_seq_with_variable_expansion
     m = RDoc::AnyMethod.new 'method'
     m.parent = @c1
diff --git a/test/rdoc/parser/ruby_test.rb b/test/rdoc/parser/ruby_test.rb
index 3ebfd5891b..8b7d150d22 100644
--- a/test/rdoc/parser/ruby_test.rb
+++ b/test/rdoc/parser/ruby_test.rb
@@ -2715,6 +2715,26 @@ def foo
     assert_equal(['          ', 'def', ' ', 'bar', "\n", '    ', 'baz', "\n", '  ', 'end'], bar.token_stream.map(&:text))
   end
 
+  def test_code_object_source_not_stored
+    generator = Class.new do
+      def self.store_method_source? = false
+    end
+    @options.generator = generator
+    @store.options.generator = generator
+
+    util_parser <<~RUBY
+      class Foo
+        def foo = 42
+      end
+    RUBY
+
+    method = @top_level.classes.first.method_list.first
+    error = assert_raise(RDoc::Error) { method.token_stream }
+    assert_equal 'method source for Foo#foo was not stored; set store_method_source? to true', error.message
+    error = assert_raise(RDoc::Error) { method.markup_code }
+    assert_equal 'method source for Foo#foo was not stored; set store_method_source? to true', error.message
+  end
+
   def test_markup_first_comment
     util_parser <<~RUBY
       # :markup: rd