diff --git a/tasks/ast_codegen/src/main.rs b/tasks/ast_codegen/src/main.rs
index 5c996ea719d0c1..80109fa16c3bde 100644
--- a/tasks/ast_codegen/src/main.rs
+++ b/tasks/ast_codegen/src/main.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ use defs::TypeDef;
 use generators::{AstBuilderGenerator, AstKindGenerator, VisitGenerator, VisitMutGenerator};
 use linker::{linker, Linker};
 use schema::{Inherit, Module, REnum, RStruct, RType, Schema};
-use util::write_all_to;
+use util::{write_all_to, NormalizeError};
 
 use crate::generators::ImplGetSpanGenerator;
 
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ fn main() -> std::result::Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
 
     if let CliOptions { schema: Some(schema_path), dry_run: false, .. } = cli_options {
         let path = schema_path.to_str().expect("invalid path for schema output.");
-        let schema = serde_json::to_string_pretty(&schema).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
+        let schema = serde_json::to_string_pretty(&schema).normalize()?;
         write_all_to(schema.as_bytes(), path)?;
     }
 
diff --git a/tasks/ast_codegen/src/schema.rs b/tasks/ast_codegen/src/schema.rs
index a2c30190750509..a4ff8d2a554a57 100644
--- a/tasks/ast_codegen/src/schema.rs
+++ b/tasks/ast_codegen/src/schema.rs
@@ -5,11 +5,11 @@ use syn::{
     parse::{Parse, ParseBuffer},
     parse_quote,
     punctuated::Punctuated,
-    Attribute, Generics, Ident, Item, ItemConst, ItemEnum, ItemMacro, ItemStruct, ItemUse, Token,
-    Type, Variant, Visibility,
+    Attribute, Generics, Ident, Item, ItemConst, ItemEnum, ItemMacro, ItemStruct, ItemUse, Meta,
+    MetaList, Path, Token, Type, Variant, Visibility,
 };
 
-use crate::TypeName;
+use crate::{util::NormalizeError, TypeName};
 
 use super::{parse_file, Itertools, PathBuf, Rc, Read, RefCell, Result, TypeDef, TypeRef};
 
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ impl From<Ident> for Inherit {
 pub struct EnumMeta {
     pub inherits: Vec<Inherit>,
     pub visitable: bool,
+    pub ast: bool,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ impl From<ItemEnum> for REnum {
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Clone)]
 pub struct StructMeta {
     pub visitable: bool,
+    pub ast: bool,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -159,6 +161,15 @@ impl RType {
         }
         Ok(())
     }
+
+    pub fn set_ast(&mut self, value: bool) -> Result<()> {
+        match self {
+            RType::Enum(it) => it.meta.ast = value,
+            RType::Struct(it) => it.meta.ast = value,
+            _ => return Err("Unsupported type!".to_string()),
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }
 
 impl TryFrom<Item> for RType {
@@ -203,10 +214,10 @@ impl Module {
     pub fn load(mut self) -> Result<Self> {
         assert!(!self.loaded, "can't load twice!");
 
-        let mut file = std::fs::File::open(&self.path).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
+        let mut file = std::fs::File::open(&self.path).normalize()?;
         let mut content = String::new();
-        file.read_to_string(&mut content).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
-        let file = parse_file(content.as_str()).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
+        file.read_to_string(&mut content).normalize()?;
+        let file = parse_file(content.as_str()).normalize()?;
         self.shebang = file.shebang;
         self.attrs = file.attrs;
         self.items = file
@@ -311,7 +322,7 @@ pub fn expand(type_def: &TypeRef) -> Result<()> {
                         inherits,
                     ))
                 })
-                .map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
+                .normalize()?;
             Some(RType::Enum(REnum::with_meta(
                 enum_,
                 EnumMeta {
@@ -331,16 +342,46 @@ pub fn expand(type_def: &TypeRef) -> Result<()> {
 }
 
 pub fn analyze(type_def: &TypeRef) -> Result<()> {
-    let is_visitable = match &*type_def.borrow() {
+    enum AstAttr {
+        None,
+        Mark,
+        Visit,
+    }
+    let ast_attr = match &*type_def.borrow() {
         RType::Enum(REnum { item: ItemEnum { attrs, .. }, .. })
         | RType::Struct(RStruct { item: ItemStruct { attrs, .. }, .. }) => {
-            Some(attrs.iter().any(|attr| attr.path().is_ident("visited_node")))
+            let attr = attrs.iter().find(|attr| attr.path().is_ident("ast"));
+            let attr = match attr {
+                Some(Attribute { meta: Meta::Path(_), .. }) => AstAttr::Mark,
+                Some(attr @ Attribute { meta: Meta::List(_), .. }) => {
+                    // TODO: support for punctuated list of arguments here!
+                    let args = attr.parse_args::<Path>().normalize()?;
+                    if args.is_ident("visit") {
+                        AstAttr::Visit
+                    } else {
+                        AstAttr::Mark
+                    }
+                }
+                Some(_) => return Err(String::from("Invalid arguments in the `ast` attribute!")),
+                None => AstAttr::None,
+            };
+            Some(attr)
         }
         _ => None,
     };
 
-    if let Some(is_visitable) = is_visitable {
-        type_def.borrow_mut().set_visitable(is_visitable)?;
+    #[allow(clippy::match_same_arms)]
+    match ast_attr {
+        Some(AstAttr::Visit) => {
+            type_def.borrow_mut().set_ast(true)?;
+            type_def.borrow_mut().set_visitable(true)?;
+        }
+        Some(AstAttr::Mark) => {
+            // AST without visit!
+            type_def.borrow_mut().set_ast(true)?;
+        }
+        Some(AstAttr::None) => { /* non AST types */ }
+        None => { /* unrelated items like `use`, `type` and `macro` definitions */ }
     }
 
     Ok(())
diff --git a/tasks/ast_codegen/src/util.rs b/tasks/ast_codegen/src/util.rs
index a48dd4e9e6e1a5..c9a6a22fa560b6 100644
--- a/tasks/ast_codegen/src/util.rs
+++ b/tasks/ast_codegen/src/util.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,19 @@ use syn::{GenericArgument, Ident, PathArguments, Type, TypePath};
 
 use crate::{CodegenCtx, TypeRef};
 
+pub trait NormalizeError<T> {
+    fn normalize(self) -> crate::Result<T>;
+}
+
+impl<T, E> NormalizeError<T> for Result<T, E>
+where
+    E: ToString,
+{
+    fn normalize(self) -> crate::Result<T> {
+        self.map_err(|e| e.to_string())
+    }
+}
+
 pub trait TokenStreamExt {
     fn replace_ident(self, needle: &str, replace: &Ident) -> TokenStream;
 }