diff --git a/ast/compile.go b/ast/compile.go
index 90a4ed8041..112571e7c4 100644
--- a/ast/compile.go
+++ b/ast/compile.go
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ func NewCompiler() *Compiler {
 		{"BuildComprehensionIndices", "compile_stage_rebuild_comprehension_indices", c.buildComprehensionIndices},
 	}
 
-	_, c.generalRuleRefsEnabled = os.LookupEnv("OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS")
+	_, c.generalRuleRefsEnabled = os.LookupEnv("EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS")
 
 	return c
 }
@@ -1757,7 +1757,7 @@ func (c *Compiler) rewriteRuleHeadRefs() {
 			}
 
 			for i := 1; i < len(ref); i++ {
-				// NOTE: Unless enabled via the OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS env var, non-string values in the refs are forbidden
+				// NOTE: Unless enabled via the EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS env var, non-string values in the refs are forbidden
 				// except for the last position, e.g.
 				//     OK: p.q.r[s]
 				// NOT OK: p[q].r.s
diff --git a/ast/compile_test.go b/ast/compile_test.go
index 0dd6db7d76..bb8ca866a4 100644
--- a/ast/compile_test.go
+++ b/ast/compile_test.go
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ func toRef(s string) Ref {
 }
 
 func TestCompilerCheckRuleHeadRefs(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Setenv("OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS", "true")
+	t.Setenv("EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS", "true")
 
 	tests := []struct {
 		note     string
@@ -1940,7 +1940,7 @@ func TestCompilerCheckRuleConflictsDefaultFunction(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestCompilerCheckRuleConflictsDotsInRuleHeads(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Setenv("OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS", "true")
+	t.Setenv("EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS", "true")
 
 	tests := []struct {
 		note    string
@@ -2189,7 +2189,7 @@ func TestCompilerCheckRuleConflictsDotsInRuleHeads(t *testing.T) {
 
 // TODO: Remove when general rule refs are enabled by default.
 func TestGeneralRuleRefsDisabled(t *testing.T) {
-	// OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS env var not set
+	// EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS env var not set
 
 	tests := []struct {
 		note    string
diff --git a/ast/parser.go b/ast/parser.go
index ede432ae85..540d7b80c1 100644
--- a/ast/parser.go
+++ b/ast/parser.go
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func NewParser() *Parser {
 		s:  &state{},
 		po: ParserOptions{},
 	}
-	_, p.po.generalRuleRefsEnabled = os.LookupEnv("OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS")
+	_, p.po.generalRuleRefsEnabled = os.LookupEnv("EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS")
 	return p
 }
 
diff --git a/docs/content/policy-language.md b/docs/content/policy-language.md
index 2321bf3110..043115b110 100644
--- a/docs/content/policy-language.md
+++ b/docs/content/policy-language.md
@@ -997,7 +997,7 @@ data.example
 Any term, except the very first, in a rule head's reference can be a variable. These variables can be assigned within the rule, just as for any other partial rule, to dynamically construct a nested collection of objects. 
 
 {{< danger >}}
-General refs in rule heads is an experimental feature, and can be enabled by setting the `OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS` environment variable.
+General refs in rule heads is an experimental feature, and can be enabled by setting the `EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS` environment variable.
 
 This feature is currently not supported for Wasm and IR.
 {{< /danger >}}
@@ -1039,20 +1039,20 @@ package example
 import future.keywords
 
 # A partial object rule that converts a list of users to a mapping by "role" and then "id".
-users_by_role[role][id] := user {
+users_by_role[role][id] := user if {
     some user in data.users
     id := user.id
     role := user.role
 }
 
 # Partial rule with an explicit "admin" key override
-users_by_role.admin[id] := user {
+users_by_role.admin[id] := user if {
     some user in data.admins
     id := user.id
 }
 
 # Leaf entries can be partial sets
-users_by_country[country] contains user.id {
+users_by_country[country] contains user.id if {
     some user in data.users
     country := user.country
 }
diff --git a/format/format_test.go b/format/format_test.go
index d562b53a14..0c545fb557 100644
--- a/format/format_test.go
+++ b/format/format_test.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func TestFormatSourceError(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestFormatSource(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Setenv("OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS", "true")
+	t.Setenv("EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS", "true")
 
 	regoFiles, err := filepath.Glob("testfiles/*.rego")
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/test/cases/testdata/refheads/test-generic-refs.yaml b/test/cases/testdata/refheads/test-generic-refs.yaml
index a0dae45f8c..74fb221f6e 100644
--- a/test/cases/testdata/refheads/test-generic-refs.yaml
+++ b/test/cases/testdata/refheads/test-generic-refs.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 cases:
   - note: 'refheads/general, single var'
     env:
-      OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
+      EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
     modules:
       - |
         package test
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ cases:
             r: 2
   - note: 'refheads/general, multiple vars'
     env:
-      OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
+      EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
     modules:
       - |
         package test
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ cases:
             2: true
   - note: 'refheads/general, deep query'
     env:
-      OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
+      EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
     modules:
       - |
         package test
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ cases:
           1: true
   - note: 'refheads/general, overlapping rule, no conflict'
     env:
-      OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
+      EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
     modules:
       - |
         package test
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ cases:
             r: 2
   - note: 'refheads/general, overlapping rule, conflict'
     env:
-      OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
+      EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
     modules:
       - |
         package test
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ cases:
     want_error: eval_conflict_error
   - note: 'refheads/general, set leaf'
     env:
-      OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
+      EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
     modules:
       - |
         package test
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ cases:
             r: [ "a", "b" ]
   - note: 'refheads/general, set leaf, deep query'
     env:
-      OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
+      EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
     modules:
       - |
         package test
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ cases:
       - x: "c"
   - note: 'refheads/general, input var'
     env:
-      OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
+      EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
     modules:
       - |
         package test
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ cases:
             r: "foo"
   - note: 'refheads/general, external non-ground var'
     env:
-      OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
+      EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
     modules:
       - |
         package test
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ cases:
               baz: 2
   - note: 'refheads/general, multiple result-set entries'
     env:
-      OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
+      EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS: "true"
     modules:
       - |
         package test
diff --git a/topdown/eval_test.go b/topdown/eval_test.go
index 36531c018e..383f3a5ce5 100644
--- a/topdown/eval_test.go
+++ b/topdown/eval_test.go
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ func TestContainsNestedRefOrCall(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestTopdownVirtualCache(t *testing.T) {
 	// TODO: break out into separate tests
-	t.Setenv("OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS", "true")
+	t.Setenv("EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS", "true")
 
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	store := inmem.New()
@@ -604,7 +604,7 @@ func TestTopdownVirtualCache(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestPartialRule(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Setenv("OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS", "true")
+	t.Setenv("EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS", "true")
 
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	store := inmem.New()
@@ -1393,7 +1393,7 @@ func TestGeneralRuleRefsFeatureFlag(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("Expected error but got:", c.Errors)
 	}
 
-	t.Setenv("OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS", "true")
+	t.Setenv("EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS", "true")
 
 	c = ast.NewCompiler()
 	c.Compile(mods)
diff --git a/topdown/topdown_partial_test.go b/topdown/topdown_partial_test.go
index 3a3472a888..126c7273a4 100644
--- a/topdown/topdown_partial_test.go
+++ b/topdown/topdown_partial_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestTopDownPartialEval(t *testing.T) {
 	// TODO: break out into separate tests
-	t.Setenv("OPA_ENABLE_GENERAL_RULE_REFS", "true")
+	t.Setenv("EXPERIMENTAL_GENERAL_RULE_REFS", "true")
 
 	tests := []struct {
 		note                 string