diff --git a/python/gui/qgsmapcanvas.sip b/python/gui/qgsmapcanvas.sip
index 2fff0b77c91..4d4ee376371 100644
--- a/python/gui/qgsmapcanvas.sip
+++ b/python/gui/qgsmapcanvas.sip
@@ -593,6 +593,27 @@ returns last position of mouse cursor
  :rtype: QgsLabelingEngineSettings
 %End
 
+    bool previewJobsEnabled() const;
+%Docstring
+ Returns true if canvas map preview jobs (low priority render jobs which render portions
+ of the view just outside of the canvas extent, to allow preview of these
+ out-of-canvas areas when panning or zooming out the map) are enabled
+ for the canvas.
+.. seealso:: setPreviewJobsEnabled()
+.. versionadded:: 3.0
+ :rtype: bool
+%End
+
+    void setPreviewJobsEnabled( bool enabled );
+%Docstring
+ Sets whether canvas map preview jobs (low priority render jobs which render portions
+ of the view just outside of the canvas extent, to allow preview of these
+ out-of-canvas areas when panning or zooming out the map) are ``enabled``
+ for the canvas.
+.. seealso:: previewJobsEnabled()
+.. versionadded:: 3.0
+%End
+
   public slots:
 
     void refresh();
diff --git a/src/app/qgisapp.cpp b/src/app/qgisapp.cpp
index 25fc2159578..08d5cefa846 100644
--- a/src/app/qgisapp.cpp
+++ b/src/app/qgisapp.cpp
@@ -727,6 +727,7 @@ QgisApp::QgisApp( QSplashScreen *splash, bool restorePlugins, bool skipVersionCh
   connect( mMapCanvas, &QgsMapCanvas::messageEmitted, this, &QgisApp::displayMessage );
   mMapCanvas->setWhatsThis( tr( "Map canvas. This is where raster and vector "
                                 "layers are displayed when added to the map" ) );
+  mMapCanvas->setPreviewJobsEnabled( true );
 
   // set canvas color right away
   int myRed = settings.value( QStringLiteral( "qgis/default_canvas_color_red" ), 255 ).toInt();
diff --git a/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.cpp b/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.cpp
index 71a825e8854..fb7b4ba0ac8 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.cpp
@@ -629,7 +629,8 @@ void QgsMapCanvas::rendererJobFinished()
     p.end();
 
     mMap->setContent( img, imageRect( img, mSettings ) );
-    startPreviewJobs();
+    if ( mUsePreviewJobs )
+      startPreviewJobs();
   }
 
   // now we are in a slot called from mJob - do not delete it immediately
@@ -664,6 +665,16 @@ QgsRectangle QgsMapCanvas::imageRect( const QImage &img, const QgsMapSettings &m
   return rect;
 }
 
+bool QgsMapCanvas::previewJobsEnabled() const
+{
+  return mUsePreviewJobs;
+}
+
+void QgsMapCanvas::setPreviewJobsEnabled( bool enabled )
+{
+  mUsePreviewJobs = enabled;
+}
+
 void QgsMapCanvas::mapUpdateTimeout()
 {
   if ( mJob )
@@ -2132,7 +2143,7 @@ const QgsLabelingEngineSettings &QgsMapCanvas::labelingEngineSettings() const
 void QgsMapCanvas::startPreviewJobs()
 {
   stopPreviewJobs(); //just in case still running
-  startPreviewJob( 0 );
+  schedulePreviewJob( 0 );
 }
 
 void QgsMapCanvas::startPreviewJob( int number )
@@ -2160,22 +2171,14 @@ void QgsMapCanvas::startPreviewJob( int number )
   jobSettings.setExtent( jobExtent );
   jobSettings.setFlag( QgsMapSettings::DrawLabeling, false );
 
-  QgsMapRendererQImageJob *job = new QgsMapRendererParallelJob( jobSettings );
+  QgsMapRendererQImageJob *job = new QgsMapRendererSequentialJob( jobSettings );
   mPreviewJobs.append( job );
   connect( job, &QgsMapRendererJob::finished, this, &QgsMapCanvas::previewJobFinished );
   job->start();
 
   if ( number < 8 )
   {
-    mPreviewTimer.setSingleShot( true );
-    mPreviewTimer.setInterval( 250 );
-    disconnect( mPreviewTimerConnection );
-    mPreviewTimerConnection = connect( &mPreviewTimer, &QTimer::timeout, [ = ]()
-    {
-      startPreviewJob( number + 1 );
-    }
-                                     );
-    mPreviewTimer.start();
+    schedulePreviewJob( number + 1 );
   }
 }
 
@@ -2194,3 +2197,16 @@ void QgsMapCanvas::stopPreviewJobs()
   }
   mPreviewJobs.clear();
 }
+
+void QgsMapCanvas::schedulePreviewJob( int number )
+{
+  mPreviewTimer.setSingleShot( true );
+  mPreviewTimer.setInterval( 250 );
+  disconnect( mPreviewTimerConnection );
+  mPreviewTimerConnection = connect( &mPreviewTimer, &QTimer::timeout, [ = ]()
+  {
+    startPreviewJob( number );
+  }
+                                   );
+  mPreviewTimer.start();
+}
diff --git a/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.h b/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.h
index 14a29784648..3abeb241796 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.h
+++ b/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.h
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ class GUI_EXPORT QgsMapCanvas : public QGraphicsView
 
     Q_OBJECT
     Q_PROPERTY( QString theme READ theme WRITE setTheme NOTIFY themeChanged )
+    Q_PROPERTY( bool previewJobsEnabled READ previewJobsEnabled WRITE setPreviewJobsEnabled )
 
   public:
 
@@ -523,6 +524,26 @@ class GUI_EXPORT QgsMapCanvas : public QGraphicsView
      */
     const QgsLabelingEngineSettings &labelingEngineSettings() const;
 
+    /**
+     * Returns true if canvas map preview jobs (low priority render jobs which render portions
+     * of the view just outside of the canvas extent, to allow preview of these
+     * out-of-canvas areas when panning or zooming out the map) are enabled
+     * for the canvas.
+     * \see setPreviewJobsEnabled()
+     * \since QGIS 3.0
+     */
+    bool previewJobsEnabled() const;
+
+    /**
+     * Sets whether canvas map preview jobs (low priority render jobs which render portions
+     * of the view just outside of the canvas extent, to allow preview of these
+     * out-of-canvas areas when panning or zooming out the map) are \a enabled
+     * for the canvas.
+     * \see previewJobsEnabled()
+     * \since QGIS 3.0
+     */
+    void setPreviewJobsEnabled( bool enabled );
+
   public slots:
 
     //! Repaints the canvas map
@@ -854,6 +875,8 @@ class GUI_EXPORT QgsMapCanvas : public QGraphicsView
 
     bool mAnnotationsVisible = true;
 
+    bool mUsePreviewJobs = false;
+
     //! Force a resize of the map canvas item
     //! \since QGIS 2.16
     void updateMapSize();
@@ -882,6 +905,7 @@ class GUI_EXPORT QgsMapCanvas : public QGraphicsView
 
     void startPreviewJobs();
     void stopPreviewJobs();
+    void schedulePreviewJob( int number );
 
     friend class TestQgsMapCanvas;
 
diff --git a/tests/src/python/test_qgsmapcanvas.py b/tests/src/python/test_qgsmapcanvas.py
index e609f246cff..45ed415c347 100644
--- a/tests/src/python/test_qgsmapcanvas.py
+++ b/tests/src/python/test_qgsmapcanvas.py
@@ -47,6 +47,14 @@ class TestQgsMapCanvas(unittest.TestCase):
         with open(report_file_path, 'a') as report_file:
             report_file.write(self.report)
 
+    def testGettersSetters(self):
+        canvas = QgsMapCanvas()
+
+        # should be disabled by default
+        self.assertFalse(canvas.previewJobsEnabled())
+        canvas.setPreviewJobsEnabled(True)
+        self.assertTrue(canvas.previewJobsEnabled())
+
     def testDeferredUpdate(self):
         """ test that map canvas doesn't auto refresh on deferred layer update """
         canvas = QgsMapCanvas()