diff --git a/compiler/noirc_frontend/src/node_interner.rs b/compiler/noirc_frontend/src/node_interner.rs
index dda4750e17f..3a0a30cb7f7 100644
--- a/compiler/noirc_frontend/src/node_interner.rs
+++ b/compiler/noirc_frontend/src/node_interner.rs
@@ -584,6 +584,10 @@ impl NodeInterner {
 
     /// Stores the span for an interned expression.
     pub fn push_expr_location(&mut self, expr_id: ExprId, span: Span, file: FileId) {
+        if !self.track_references {
+            return;
+        }
+
         self.id_to_location.insert(expr_id.into(), Location::new(span, file));
     }
 
@@ -1059,6 +1063,10 @@ impl NodeInterner {
     }
 
     pub fn push_stmt_location(&mut self, id: StmtId, span: Span, file: FileId) {
+        if !self.track_references {
+            return;
+        }
+
         self.id_to_location.insert(id.into(), Location::new(span, file));
     }