diff --git a/src/engine/QueryExecutionTree.cpp b/src/engine/QueryExecutionTree.cpp
index 49ceb340aa..cef01b1129 100644
--- a/src/engine/QueryExecutionTree.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/QueryExecutionTree.cpp
@@ -77,10 +77,15 @@ QueryExecutionTree::selectedVariablesToColumnIndices(
 
 // _____________________________________________________________________________
 size_t QueryExecutionTree::getCostEstimate() {
-  if (cachedResult_) {
-    // result is pinned in cache. Nothing to compute
+  // If the result is cached and `zero-cost-estimate-for-cached-subtrees` is set
+  // to `true`, we set the cost estimate to zero.
+  if (cachedResult_ &&
+      RuntimeParameters().get<"zero-cost-estimate-for-cached-subtree">()) {
     return 0;
   }
+
+  // Otherwise, we return the cost estimate of the root operation. For index
+  // scans, we assume one unit of work per result row.
   if (getRootOperation()->isIndexScanWithNumVariables(1)) {
     return getSizeEstimate();
   } else {
diff --git a/src/global/RuntimeParameters.h b/src/global/RuntimeParameters.h
index f61705e7fc..f05c23b081 100644
--- a/src/global/RuntimeParameters.h
+++ b/src/global/RuntimeParameters.h
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ inline auto& RuntimeParameters() {
         // its size estimate will be the size of the block divided by this
         // value.
         SizeT<"small-index-scan-size-estimate-divisor">{5},
+        // Determines whether the cost estimate for a cached subtree should be
+        // set to zero in query planning.
+        Bool<"zero-cost-estimate-for-cached-subtree">{false},
     };
   }();
   return params;
diff --git a/test/OperationTest.cpp b/test/OperationTest.cpp
index 96c6525221..c564707514 100644
--- a/test/OperationTest.cpp
+++ b/test/OperationTest.cpp
@@ -242,15 +242,28 @@ TEST(OperationTest, estimatesForCachedResults) {
 
     [[maybe_unused]] auto res = qet->getResult();
   }
-  // The result is now cached inside the static execution context, if we create
-  // the same operation again, the cost estimate is 0. The size estimate doesn't
+  // The result is now cached inside the static execution context. If we create
+  // the same operation again and `zero-cost-estimate-for-cached-subtrees` is
+  // set to `true`, the cost estimate should be zero. The size estimate does not
   // change (see the `getCostEstimate` function for details on why).
   {
+    auto restoreWhenScopeEnds =
+        setRuntimeParameterForTest<"zero-cost-estimate-for-cached-subtree">(
+            true);
     auto qet = makeQet();
     EXPECT_EQ(qet->getCacheKey(), qet->getRootOperation()->getCacheKey());
     EXPECT_EQ(qet->getSizeEstimate(), 24u);
     EXPECT_EQ(qet->getCostEstimate(), 0u);
   }
+  {
+    auto restoreWhenScopeEnds =
+        setRuntimeParameterForTest<"zero-cost-estimate-for-cached-subtree">(
+            false);
+    auto qet = makeQet();
+    EXPECT_EQ(qet->getCacheKey(), qet->getRootOperation()->getCacheKey());
+    EXPECT_EQ(qet->getSizeEstimate(), 24u);
+    EXPECT_EQ(qet->getCostEstimate(), 210u);
+  }
 }
 
 // ________________________________________________