diff --git a/ast/policy.go b/ast/policy.go
index d66f7f06ff..10cee9f50d 100644
--- a/ast/policy.go
+++ b/ast/policy.go
@@ -315,6 +315,14 @@ func (c *Comment) String() string {
 	return "#" + string(c.Text)
 }
 
+// Copy returns a deep copy of c.
+func (c *Comment) Copy() *Comment {
+	cpy := *c
+	cpy.Text = make([]byte, len(c.Text))
+	copy(cpy.Text, c.Text)
+	return &cpy
+}
+
 // Equal returns true if this comment equals the other comment.
 // Unlike other equality checks on AST nodes, comment equality
 // depends on location.
@@ -1251,6 +1259,53 @@ func (w *With) SetLoc(loc *Location) {
 	w.Location = loc
 }
 
+// Copy returns a deep copy of the AST node x. If x is not an AST node, x is returned unmodified.
+func Copy(x interface{}) interface{} {
+	switch x := x.(type) {
+	case *Module:
+		return x.Copy()
+	case *Package:
+		return x.Copy()
+	case *Import:
+		return x.Copy()
+	case *Rule:
+		return x.Copy()
+	case *Head:
+		return x.Copy()
+	case Args:
+		return x.Copy()
+	case Body:
+		return x.Copy()
+	case *Expr:
+		return x.Copy()
+	case *With:
+		return x.Copy()
+	case *SomeDecl:
+		return x.Copy()
+	case *Term:
+		return x.Copy()
+	case *ArrayComprehension:
+		return x.Copy()
+	case *SetComprehension:
+		return x.Copy()
+	case *ObjectComprehension:
+		return x.Copy()
+	case Set:
+		return x.Copy()
+	case Object:
+		return x.Copy()
+	case Array:
+		return x.Copy()
+	case Ref:
+		return x.Copy()
+	case Call:
+		return x.Copy()
+	case *Comment:
+		return x.Copy()
+	}
+	return x
+}
+
 // RuleSet represents a collection of rules that produce a virtual document.
 type RuleSet []*Rule
 
diff --git a/ast/policy_test.go b/ast/policy_test.go
index 400fe6cea7..8ca9e377c9 100644
--- a/ast/policy_test.go
+++ b/ast/policy_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/open-policy-agent/opa/ast/location"
 	"github.com/open-policy-agent/opa/util"
 )
 
@@ -514,6 +515,24 @@ func TestSomeDeclString(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestCommentCopy(t *testing.T) {
+	comment := &Comment{
+		Text:     []byte("foo bar baz"),
+		Location: &location.Location{}, // location must be set for comment equality
+	}
+
+	cpy := comment.Copy()
+	if !cpy.Equal(comment) {
+		t.Fatal("expected copy to be equal")
+	}
+
+	comment.Text[1] = '0'
+
+	if cpy.Equal(comment) {
+		t.Fatal("expected copy to be unmodified")
+	}
+}
+
 func assertExprEqual(t *testing.T, a, b *Expr) {
 	t.Helper()
 	if !a.Equal(b) {
diff --git a/compile/compile.go b/compile/compile.go
index 7142927f0e..bfe43c0893 100644
--- a/compile/compile.go
+++ b/compile/compile.go
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ func (c *Compiler) compileWasm(ctx context.Context) error {
 	}
 
 	store := inmem.NewFromObject(c.bundle.Data)
-	resultSym := ast.VarTerm(ast.WildcardPrefix + "result")
+	resultSym := ast.VarTerm(ast.WildcardPrefix + "__result__")
 
 	cr, err := rego.New(
 		rego.ParsedQuery(ast.NewBody(ast.Equality.Expr(resultSym, c.entrypointrefs[0]))),
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ func (o *optimizer) Do(ctx context.Context) error {
 	}
 
 	store := inmem.NewFromObject(data)
-	resultsym := ast.VarTerm(o.resultsymprefix + "result")
+	resultsym := ast.VarTerm(o.resultsymprefix + "__result__")
 	usedFilenames := map[string]int{}
 
 	// NOTE(tsandall): the entrypoints are optimized in order so that the optimization
diff --git a/compile/compile_test.go b/compile/compile_test.go
index 019ad19f83..d363e9f5bd 100644
--- a/compile/compile_test.go
+++ b/compile/compile_test.go
@@ -523,9 +523,9 @@ func TestOptimizerOutput(t *testing.T) {
 				"optimized/test.rego": `
 					package test
 
-					p = result { 1 = input.x; result = true }
-					p = result { 2 = input.x; result = true }
-					p = result { 3 = input.x; result = true }
+					p = __result__ { 1 = input.x; __result__ = true }
+					p = __result__ { 2 = input.x; __result__ = true }
+					p = __result__ { 3 = input.x; __result__ = true }
 				`,
 				"test.rego": `
 					package test
@@ -589,12 +589,12 @@ func TestOptimizerOutput(t *testing.T) {
 				"optimized/test.rego": `
 					package test
 
-					p = result { 1 = input.x; result = true }
+					p = __result__ { 1 = input.x; __result__ = true }
 				`,
 				"optimized/test.1.rego": `
 					package test
 
-					r = result { 1 = input.x; result = true }
+					r = __result__ { 1 = input.x; __result__ = true }
 				`,
 				"test.rego": `
 					package test
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ func TestOptimizerOutput(t *testing.T) {
 				"optimized/test.rego": `
 					package test
 
-					foo = result { result = {"bar": {"p": true}} }`,
+					foo = __result__ { __result__ = {"bar": {"p": true}} }`,
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -647,7 +647,7 @@ func TestOptimizerOutput(t *testing.T) {
 				"optimized/test.1.rego": `
 					package test
 
-					p = result { data.test.q[input.x]; result = true }
+					p = __result__ { data.test.q[input.x]; __result__ = true }
 				`,
 				"optimized/test.rego": `
 					package test
@@ -679,8 +679,8 @@ func TestOptimizerOutput(t *testing.T) {
 			wantModules: map[string]string{
 				"optimized/partial/0/0.rego": `
 					package test["foo bar"]
-					p = result { 1 = input.x; result = true }
-					p = result { 2 = input.x; result = true }
+					p = __result__ { 1 = input.x; __result__ = true }
+					p = __result__ { 2 = input.x; __result__ = true }
 				`,
 				"x.rego": `
 					package test["foo bar"]
@@ -719,7 +719,7 @@ func TestOptimizerOutput(t *testing.T) {
 				"optimized/test.rego": `
 					package test
 
-					p = result { not data.partial.__not1_0__; result = true }
+					p = __result__ { not data.partial.__not1_0__; __result__ = true }
 				`,
 				"test.rego": `
 					package test
diff --git a/format/format.go b/format/format.go
index 95722146cf..35ed7603de 100644
--- a/format/format.go
+++ b/format/format.go
@@ -40,14 +40,16 @@ func MustAst(x interface{}) []byte {
 }
 
 // Ast formats a Rego AST element. If the passed value is not a valid AST
-// element, Ast returns nil and an error. Ast relies on all AST elements having
-// non-nil Location values. If an AST element with a nil Location value is
-// encountered, a default location will be set on the AST node.
+// element, Ast returns nil and an error. If AST nodes are missing locations
+// an arbitrary location will be used.
 func Ast(x interface{}) (formatted []byte, err error) {
 
-	wildcards := map[string]*ast.Term{}
-	wildcardNames := map[string]string{}
-	wildcardCounter := 0
+	// The node has to be deep copied because it may be mutated below. Alternatively,
+	// we could avoid the copy by checking if mtuation will occur first. For now,
+	// since format is not latency sensitive, just deep copy in all cases.
+	x = ast.Copy(x)
+
+	wildcards := map[ast.Var]*ast.Term{}
 
 	// Preprocess the AST. Set any required defaults and calculate
 	// values required for printing the formatted output.
@@ -58,40 +60,15 @@ func Ast(x interface{}) (formatted []byte, err error) {
 				return false
 			}
 		case *ast.Term:
-			if v, ok := n.Value.(ast.Var); ok {
-				if v.IsWildcard() {
-					str := string(v)
-					if _, seen := wildcards[str]; !seen {
-						// Keep a reference to the wildcard term so we can, if
-						// needed, rewrite it later
-						wildcards[str] = n
-					} else {
-						// On the second time we have seen the wildcard generate
-						// a name for it
-						newName, ok := wildcardNames[str]
-						if !ok {
-							newName = fmt.Sprintf("__wildcard%d__", wildcardCounter)
-							wildcardNames[str] = newName
-							wildcardCounter++
-
-							// Rewrite the first one that was "seen"
-							wildcards[str].Value = ast.Var(newName)
-						}
-
-						// Rewrite the current wildcard with its generated name
-						n.Value = ast.Var(newName)
-					}
-				}
-			}
+			unmangleWildcardVar(wildcards, n)
 		}
-
 		if x.Loc() == nil {
 			x.SetLoc(defaultLocation(x))
 		}
 		return false
 	})
 
-	w := &writer{indent: "\t", wildcardNames: wildcardNames}
+	w := &writer{indent: "\t"}
 	switch x := x.(type) {
 	case *ast.Module:
 		w.writeModule(x)
@@ -122,6 +99,34 @@ func Ast(x interface{}) (formatted []byte, err error) {
 	return squashTrailingNewlines(w.buf.Bytes()), nil
 }
 
+func unmangleWildcardVar(wildcards map[ast.Var]*ast.Term, n *ast.Term) {
+
+	v, ok := n.Value.(ast.Var)
+	if !ok || !v.IsWildcard() {
+		return
+	}
+
+	first, ok := wildcards[v]
+	if !ok {
+		wildcards[v] = n
+		return
+	}
+
+	w := v[len(ast.WildcardPrefix):]
+
+	// Prepend an underscore to ensure the variable will parse.
+	if len(w) == 0 || w[0] != '_' {
+		w = "_" + w
+	}
+
+	if first != nil {
+		first.Value = w
+		wildcards[v] = nil
+	}
+
+	n.Value = w
+}
+
 func squashTrailingNewlines(bs []byte) []byte {
 	if bytes.HasSuffix(bs, []byte("\n")) {
 		return append(bytes.TrimRight(bs, "\n"), '\n')
diff --git a/format/format_test.go b/format/format_test.go
index a8f5dc9232..1047c0d568 100644
--- a/format/format_test.go
+++ b/format/format_test.go
@@ -238,9 +238,9 @@ func TestFormatAST(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				},
 			},
-			expected: `input.arr[__wildcard0__]["some key"][_] = bar
-input.arr[__wildcard0__].bar = qux
-foo[__wildcard1__][__wildcard0__].bar = bar[__wildcard1__][_][__wildcard0__].bar
+			expected: `input.arr[_01]["some key"][_] = bar
+input.arr[_01].bar = qux
+foo[_03][_01].bar = bar[_03][_][_01].bar
 `,
 		},
 		{
@@ -252,11 +252,11 @@ foo[__wildcard1__][__wildcard0__].bar = bar[__wildcard1__][_][__wildcard0__].bar
 				},
 				&ast.Expr{
 					Index: 1,
-					Terms: ast.RefTerm(ast.VarTerm("$x"), ast.VarTerm("x")),
+					Terms: ast.RefTerm(ast.VarTerm("$x"), ast.VarTerm("y")),
 				},
 			},
-			expected: `__wildcard0__
-__wildcard0__[x]`,
+			expected: `_x
+_x[y]`,
 		},
 		{
 			note: "body shared wildcard - nested ref",
@@ -267,11 +267,11 @@ __wildcard0__[x]`,
 				},
 				&ast.Expr{
 					Index: 1,
-					Terms: ast.RefTerm(ast.VarTerm("a"), ast.RefTerm(ast.VarTerm("$x"), ast.VarTerm("x"))),
+					Terms: ast.RefTerm(ast.VarTerm("a"), ast.RefTerm(ast.VarTerm("$x"), ast.VarTerm("y"))),
 				},
 			},
-			expected: `__wildcard0__
-a[__wildcard0__[x]]`,
+			expected: `_x
+a[_x[y]]`,
 		},
 		{
 			note: "body shared wildcard - nested ref array",
@@ -282,11 +282,11 @@ a[__wildcard0__[x]]`,
 				},
 				&ast.Expr{
 					Index: 1,
-					Terms: ast.RefTerm(ast.VarTerm("a"), ast.RefTerm(ast.VarTerm("$x"), ast.VarTerm("x"), ast.ArrayTerm(ast.VarTerm("y"), ast.VarTerm("z")))),
+					Terms: ast.RefTerm(ast.VarTerm("a"), ast.RefTerm(ast.VarTerm("$x"), ast.VarTerm("y"), ast.ArrayTerm(ast.VarTerm("z"), ast.VarTerm("w")))),
 				},
 			},
-			expected: `__wildcard0__
-a[__wildcard0__[x][[y, z]]]`,
+			expected: `_x
+a[_x[y][[z, w]]]`,
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -305,6 +305,32 @@ a[__wildcard0__[x][[y, z]]]`,
 	}
 }
 
+func TestFormatDeepCopy(t *testing.T) {
+
+	original := ast.Body{
+		&ast.Expr{
+			Index: 0,
+			Terms: ast.VarTerm("$x"),
+		},
+		&ast.Expr{
+			Index: 1,
+			Terms: ast.RefTerm(ast.VarTerm("$x"), ast.VarTerm("y")),
+		},
+	}
+
+	cpy := original.Copy()
+
+	_, err := Ast(original)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if !cpy.Equal(original) {
+		t.Fatal("expected original to be unmodified")
+	}
+
+}
+
 func differsAt(a, b []byte) (int, int) {
 	if bytes.Equal(a, b) {
 		return 0, 0