diff --git a/includes/Hooks/HookUtils.php b/includes/Hooks/HookUtils.php
index 09d8f0fec..02c166c39 100644
--- a/includes/Hooks/HookUtils.php
+++ b/includes/Hooks/HookUtils.php
@@ -228,19 +228,26 @@ class HookUtils {
 		}
 
 		// ?dtenable=1 overrides all user and title checks
-		if (
-			$output->getRequest()->getVal( 'dtenable' ) ||
+		$queryEnable = $output->getRequest()->getVal( 'dtenable' ) ||
 			// Extra hack for parses from API, where this parameter isn't passed to derivative requests
-			RequestContext::getMain()->getRequest()->getVal( 'dtenable' )
-		) {
+			RequestContext::getMain()->getRequest()->getVal( 'dtenable' );
+		// The cookie hack allows users to enable all features when they are not
+		// yet available on the wiki
+		$cookieEnable = $output->getRequest()->getCookie( 'discussiontools-tempenable' ) ?: false;
+
+		if ( $feature === self::TOPICSUBSCRIPTION ) {
+			// Can't be enabled via query/cookie, because the tables may not exist yet (T280082)
+			$queryEnable = false;
+			$cookieEnable = false;
+		}
+
+		if ( $queryEnable ) {
 			return true;
 		}
 
 		return static::isAvailableForTitle( $title ) && (
 			static::isFeatureEnabledForUser( $output->getUser(), $feature ) ||
-			// The cookie hack allows users to enable all features when they are not
-			// yet available on the wiki
-			$output->getRequest()->getCookie( 'discussiontools-tempenable' ) ?: false
+			$cookieEnable
 		);
 	}
 }