diff --git a/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/canvas.ts b/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/canvas.ts
index 962a7ff4a..490350686 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/canvas.ts
+++ b/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/canvas.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import utils from "../../services/utils.js";
 import linkService from "../../services/link.js";
 import server from "../../services/server.js";
 import type FNote from "../../entities/fnote.js";
+import options from "../../services/options.js";
 import type { ExcalidrawElement, Theme } from "@excalidraw/excalidraw/element/types";
 import type { AppState, BinaryFileData, ExcalidrawImperativeAPI, ExcalidrawProps, LibraryItem, SceneData } from "@excalidraw/excalidraw/types";
 import type { JSX } from "react";
@@ -447,6 +448,9 @@ export default class ExcalidrawTypeWidget extends TypeWidget {
     }
 
     onChangeHandler() {
+        if (options.is("databaseReadonly")) {
+            return;
+        }
         // changeHandler is called upon any tiny change in excalidraw. button clicked, hover, etc.
         // make sure only when a new element is added, we actually save something.
         const isNewSceneVersion = this.isNewSceneVersion();
@@ -540,7 +544,7 @@ export default class ExcalidrawTypeWidget extends TypeWidget {
                         this.saveData();
                     },
                     onChange: () => this.onChangeHandler(),
-                    viewModeEnabled: false,
+                    viewModeEnabled: options.is("databaseReadonly"),
                     zenModeEnabled: false,
                     gridModeEnabled: false,
                     isCollaborating: false,
@@ -567,6 +571,10 @@ export default class ExcalidrawTypeWidget extends TypeWidget {
      * info: sceneVersions are not incrementing. it seems to be a pseudo-random number
      */
     isNewSceneVersion() {
+        if (options.is("databaseReadonly")) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
         const sceneVersion = this.getSceneVersion();
 
         return (