diff --git a/test/datasets-live.jl b/test/datasets-live.jl
index f5b081196..dd73eca4d 100644
--- a/test/datasets-live.jl
+++ b/test/datasets-live.jl
@@ -1,31 +1,14 @@
 import HTTP, JSON, JuliaHub
-function _get_user_groups_rest(auth::JuliaHub.Authentication)
-    r = HTTP.get(
-        JuliaHub._url(auth, "user", "groups"),
-        JuliaHub._authheaders(auth),
-    )
-    r.status == 200 && return String.(JSON.parse(String(r.body)))
-    JuliaHub._throw_invalidresponse(r)
-end
-function _get_user_groups_gql(auth::JuliaHub.Authentication)
+function _get_user_groups(auth::JuliaHub.Authentication)::Vector{String}
     # Note: this query is newer than the one we use in src/userinfo.jl, and works
     # with newer JuliaHub versions, whereas the other one specifically works with
-    # older versions.
+    # older versions. This specific query has been tested with JuliaHub 6.8+
     userinfo_gql = read(joinpath(@__DIR__, "userInfo.gql"), String)
-    r = JuliaHub._gql_request(auth, userinfo_gql)
-    r.status == 200 || error("Invalid response from GQL ($(r.status))\n$(r.body)")
-    user = only(r.json["data"]["users"])
-    String[g["group"]["name"] for g in user["groups"]]
-end
-function _get_user_groups(auth::JuliaHub.Authentication)::Vector{String}
-    rest_exception = try
-        return _get_user_groups_rest(auth)
-    catch e
-        @debug "Failed to fetch user groups via REST API" exception = (e, catch_backtrace())
-        e, catch_backtrace()
-    end
     try
-        return _get_user_groups_gql(auth)
+        r = JuliaHub._gql_request(auth, userinfo_gql)
+        r.status == 200 || error("Invalid response from GQL ($(r.status))\n$(r.body)")
+        user = only(r.json["data"]["users"])
+        return String[g["group"]["name"] for g in user["groups"]]
     catch e
         @error "Unable to determine valid user groups"
         @error "> REST API failure" exception = rest_exception
diff --git a/test/userInfo.gql b/test/userInfo.gql
index 8b2a45580..0dfff23d8 100644
--- a/test/userInfo.gql
+++ b/test/userInfo.gql
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+# # LIMITATIONS ON EXTERNAL USE: external users are only allowed to depend
+# # on certain fields exposed in this query. No backwards compatibility
+# # guarantees are made for the fields marked "DISALLOWED".
+#
+# external_query = true
+# roles = ["default"]
+
 query UserInfo {
   users(limit: 1) {
     id
@@ -6,7 +13,19 @@ query UserInfo {
     emails {
       email
     }
-    groups: user_groups {
+    # DISALLOWED: .features is disallowed for external users
+    # No guarantees are made about the contents or validity of this field.
+    features: user_feature_maps {
+      feature {
+        name
+        id
+        product_id
+      }
+    }
+    # DISALLOWED: .get_started_viewed is disallowed for external users
+    # No guarantees are made about the contents or validity of this field.
+    get_started_viewed
+    groups: user_groups(where: { _not: { is_deleted: { _eq: true } } }) {
       id: group_id
       group {
         name
@@ -22,6 +41,15 @@ query UserInfo {
       }
     }
     accepted_tos
+    # DISALLOWED: .accepted_tos_time is disallowed for external users
+    # No guarantees are made about the contents or validity of this field.
+    accepted_tos_time
     survey_submitted_time
   }
+  # DISALLOWED: .features is disallowed for external users
+  # No guarantees are made about the contents or validity of this field.
+  features(where: { public: { _eq: true } }) {
+    id
+    name
+  }
 }