diff --git a/components/contextmenu.tsx b/components/contextmenu.tsx
index 560df0fa..a6e73cf8 100644
--- a/components/contextmenu.tsx
+++ b/components/contextmenu.tsx
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ export default interface ContextMenuProps {
   target: OrgRoamNode | string | null
   nodeType?: string
   coordinates: { [direction: string]: number | undefined }
+  readonlyMode: boolean
   handleLocal: (node: OrgRoamNode, add: string) => void
   menuClose: () => void
   scope: { nodeIds: string[] }
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ export const ContextMenu = (props: ContextMenuProps) => {
     target,
     nodeType,
     coordinates,
+    readonlyMode,
     handleLocal,
     menuClose,
     scope,
@@ -132,7 +134,7 @@ export const ContextMenu = (props: ContextMenuProps) => {
                 >
                   Open in Emacs
                 </MenuItem>
-              ) : (
+              ) : !readonlyMode && (
                 <MenuItem icon={<AddIcon />} onClick={() => createNodeInEmacs(target, webSocket)}>
                   Create node
                 </MenuItem>
@@ -183,7 +185,7 @@ export const ContextMenu = (props: ContextMenuProps) => {
               >
                 Preview
               </MenuItem>
-              {target?.level === 0 && (
+              {!readonlyMode && target?.level === 0 && (
                 <MenuItem
                   closeOnSelect={false}
                   icon={<DeleteIcon color="red.500" />}
diff --git a/org-roam-ui.el b/org-roam-ui.el
index e13349b2..297997c4 100644
--- a/org-roam-ui.el
+++ b/org-roam-ui.el
@@ -131,6 +131,11 @@ Defaults to #'browse-url."
   :group 'org-roam-ui
   :type 'function)
 
+(defcustom org-roam-ui-readonly-mode nil
+  "If true, 'org-roam-ui' will open in readonly mode."
+  :group 'org-roam-ui
+  :type 'boolean)
+
 ;;Hooks
 
 (defcustom org-roam-ui-before-open-node-functions nil
@@ -255,20 +260,22 @@ Takes _WS and FRAME as arguments."
   "Delete a node when receiving DATA from the websocket.
 
 TODO: Be able to delete individual nodes."
-  (progn
-    (message "Deleted %s" (alist-get 'file data))
-    (delete-file (alist-get 'file data))
-    (org-roam-db-sync)
-    (org-roam-ui--send-graphdata)))
+  (if (not org-roam-ui-readonly-mode)
+    (progn
+      (message "Deleted %s" (alist-get 'file data))
+      (delete-file (alist-get 'file data))
+      (org-roam-db-sync)
+      (org-roam-ui--send-graphdata))))
 
 (defun org-roam-ui--on-msg-create-node (data)
   "Create a node when receiving DATA from the websocket."
-  (progn
-    (if (and (fboundp #'orb-edit-note) (alist-get 'ROAM_REFS data))
+  (if (not org-roam-ui-readonly-mode)
+    (progn
+      (if (and (fboundp #'orb-edit-note) (alist-get 'ROAM_REFS data))
         (orb-edit-note (alist-get 'id data)))
-    (org-roam-capture-
-     :node (org-roam-node-create :title (alist-get 'title data))
-     :props '(:finalize find-file))))
+      (org-roam-capture-
+        :node (org-roam-node-create :title (alist-get 'title data))
+        :props '(:finalize find-file)))))
 
 (defun org-roam-ui--ws-on-close (_websocket)
   "What to do when _WEBSOCKET to org-roam-ui is closed."
@@ -601,6 +608,8 @@ from all other links."
                                      ("useInheritance" .
                                       ,use-inheritance)
                                      ("roamDir" . ,org-roam-directory)
+                                     ("readonlyMode" .
+                                      ,org-roam-ui-readonly-mode)
                                      ("katexMacros" . ,org-roam-ui-latex-macros))))))))
 
 (defun org-roam-ui-sql-to-alist (column-names rows)
diff --git a/pages/index.tsx b/pages/index.tsx
index 8770283f..09cd46eb 100644
--- a/pages/index.tsx
+++ b/pages/index.tsx
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ export interface EmacsVariables {
   katexMacros?: { [key: string]: string }
   attachDir?: string
   useInheritance?: boolean
+  readonlyMode?: boolean
   subDirs: string[]
 }
 export type Tags = string[]
@@ -710,6 +711,7 @@ export function GraphPage() {
               target={contextMenuTarget}
               background={false}
               coordinates={contextPos}
+              readonlyMode={emacsVariables.readonlyMode || false}
               handleLocal={handleLocal}
               menuClose={contextMenu.onClose.bind(contextMenu)}
               webSocket={WebSocketRef.current}