diff --git a/application/itopwebpage.class.inc.php b/application/itopwebpage.class.inc.php
index 46e2f0aa2..a3a3b5d91 100644
--- a/application/itopwebpage.class.inc.php
+++ b/application/itopwebpage.class.inc.php
@@ -661,6 +661,15 @@ EOF
 		}
 		$sLogOffMenu .= "</ul>\n</li>\n</ul></span>\n";
 
+		if (MetaModel::DBIsReadOnly())
+		{
+			$sApplicationMode = Dict::S('UI:ApplicationReadOnly');
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			$sApplicationMode = '';
+		}
+
 		//$sLogOffMenu = "<span id=\"logOffBtn\" style=\"height:55px;padding:0;margin:0;\"><img src=\"../images/onOffBtn.png\"></span>";
 
 		echo '<div id="left-pane" class="ui-layout-west">';
@@ -687,8 +696,8 @@ EOF
 
 		echo '<div class="ui-layout-center">';
 		echo '	<div id="top-bar" style="width:100%">';
-		echo '		<div id="global-search"><form action="../pages/UI.php"><table><tr><td id="g-search-input"><input type="text" name="text" value="'.$sText.'"'.$sOnClick.'/></td>';
-		echo '<td><input type="image" src="../images/searchBtn.png"/></a></td>';
+		echo '		<div id="global-search"><form action="../pages/UI.php"><table><tr><td></td><td id="g-search-input"><input type="text" name="text" value="'.$sText.'"'.$sOnClick.'/></td>';
+		echo '<td><input type="image" src="../images/searchBtn.png"/></a></td><td>'.$sApplicationMode.'</td>';
 		echo '<td><a style="background:transparent;" href="http://www.combodo.com/itop-help" target="_blank"><img style="border:0;padding-left:20px;padding-right:10px;" title="'.Dict::S('UI:Help').'" src="../images/help.png"/></td>';
 		echo '<td style="padding-right:20px;padding-left:10px;">'.$sLogOffMenu.'</td><td><input type="hidden" name="operation" value="full_text"/></td></tr></table></form></div>';
 		//echo '<td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<input type="hidden" name="operation" value="full_text"/></td></tr></table></form></div>';
diff --git a/core/config.class.inc.php b/core/config.class.inc.php
index 9db9e398e..0687e9045 100644
--- a/core/config.class.inc.php
+++ b/core/config.class.inc.php
@@ -134,6 +134,14 @@ class Config
 			'source_of_value' => '',
 			'show_in_conf_sample' => false,
 		),
+		'read_only' => array(
+			'type' => 'bool',
+			'description' => 'Freeze the data for administration purposes - administrators can still do anything... in appearance!',
+			'default' => false,
+			'value' => '',
+			'source_of_value' => '',
+			'show_in_conf_sample' => false,
+		),
 	);
 
 	public function IsProperty($sPropCode)
diff --git a/core/dbobject.class.php b/core/dbobject.class.php
index e3290987b..4bc995740 100644
--- a/core/dbobject.class.php
+++ b/core/dbobject.class.php
@@ -849,7 +849,14 @@ abstract class DBObject
 
 		$sInsertSQL = "INSERT INTO `$sTable` (".join(",", $aFieldsToWrite).") VALUES (".join(", ", $aValuesToWrite).")";
 
-		$iNewKey = CMDBSource::InsertInto($sInsertSQL);
+		if (MetaModel::DBIsReadOnly())
+		{
+			$iNewKey = -1;
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			$iNewKey = CMDBSource::InsertInto($sInsertSQL);
+		}
 		// Note that it is possible to have a key defined here, and the autoincrement expected, this is acceptable in a non root class
 		if (empty($this->m_iKey))
 		{
@@ -1009,7 +1016,10 @@ abstract class DBObject
 			$oFilter->AddCondition('id', $this->m_iKey, '=');
 	
 			$sSQL = MetaModel::MakeUpdateQuery($oFilter, $aChanges);
-			CMDBSource::Query($sSQL);
+			if (!MetaModel::DBIsReadOnly())
+			{
+				CMDBSource::Query($sSQL);
+			}
 		}
 
 		$this->DBWriteLinks();
@@ -1053,7 +1063,10 @@ abstract class DBObject
 		$this->OnDelete();
 
 		$sSQL = MetaModel::MakeDeleteQuery($oFilter);
-		CMDBSource::Query($sSQL);
+		if (!MetaModel::DBIsReadOnly())
+		{
+			CMDBSource::Query($sSQL);
+		}
 
 		$this->AfterDelete();
 
diff --git a/core/metamodel.class.php b/core/metamodel.class.php
index a8083da8e..b967979a6 100644
--- a/core/metamodel.class.php
+++ b/core/metamodel.class.php
@@ -1401,6 +1401,7 @@ abstract class MetaModel
 
 	public static function Init_OverloadStateAttribute($sStateCode, $sAttCode, $iFlags)
 	{
+		// Warning: this is not sufficient: the flags have to be copied to the states that are inheriting from this state
 		$sTargetClass = self::GetCallersPHPClass("Init");
 		self::$m_aStates[$sTargetClass][$sStateCode]['attribute_list'][$sAttCode] = $iFlags;
 	}
@@ -2535,6 +2536,12 @@ abstract class MetaModel
 		return $aDataDump;
 	}
 
+	// Temporary - investigate the cost of such a limitation
+	public static function DBIsReadOnly()
+	{
+		return self::$m_oConfig->Get('read_only');
+	}
+
 	protected static function MakeDictEntry($sKey, $sValueFromOldSystem, $sDefaultValue, &$bNotInDico)
 	{
 		$sValue = Dict::S($sKey, 'x-no-nothing');
@@ -3505,14 +3512,20 @@ abstract class MetaModel
 	public static function BulkDelete(DBObjectSearch $oFilter)
 	{
 		$sSQL = self::MakeDeleteQuery($oFilter);
-		CMDBSource::Query($sSQL);
+		if (!self::DBIsReadOnly())
+		{
+			CMDBSource::Query($sSQL);
+		}
 	}
 
 	public static function BulkUpdate(DBObjectSearch $oFilter, array $aValues)
 	{
 		// $aValues is an array of $sAttCode => $value
 		$sSQL = self::MakeUpdateQuery($oFilter, $aValues);
-		CMDBSource::Query($sSQL);
+		if (!self::DBIsReadOnly())
+		{
+			CMDBSource::Query($sSQL);
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Links
diff --git a/core/userrights.class.inc.php b/core/userrights.class.inc.php
index 016a3c9b6..cfa981707 100644
--- a/core/userrights.class.inc.php
+++ b/core/userrights.class.inc.php
@@ -372,6 +372,11 @@ class UserRights
 
 	public static function CanChangePassword()
 	{
+		if (MetaModel::DBIsReadOnly())
+		{
+			return false;
+		}
+
 		if (!is_null(self::$m_oUser))
 		{
  			return self::$m_oUser->CanChangePassword();
@@ -554,6 +559,14 @@ class UserRights
 
 		if (self::IsAdministrator($oUser)) return true;
 
+		if (MetaModel::DBIsReadOnly())
+		{
+			if ($iActionCode == UR_ACTION_MODIFY) return false;
+			if ($iActionCode == UR_ACTION_DELETE) return false;
+			if ($iActionCode == UR_ACTION_BULK_MODIFY) return false;
+			if ($iActionCode == UR_ACTION_BULK_DELETE) return false;
+		}
+
 		if (MetaModel::HasCategory($sClass, 'bizmodel'))
 		{
 			// #@# Temporary?????
@@ -584,6 +597,14 @@ class UserRights
 
 		if (self::IsAdministrator($oUser)) return true;
 
+		if (MetaModel::DBIsReadOnly())
+		{
+			if ($iActionCode == UR_ACTION_MODIFY) return false;
+			if ($iActionCode == UR_ACTION_DELETE) return false;
+			if ($iActionCode == UR_ACTION_BULK_MODIFY) return false;
+			if ($iActionCode == UR_ACTION_BULK_DELETE) return false;
+		}
+
 		if (MetaModel::HasCategory($sClass, 'bizmodel'))
 		{
 			if (is_null($oUser))
@@ -606,6 +627,14 @@ class UserRights
 
 		if (self::IsAdministrator($oUser)) return true;
 
+		if (MetaModel::DBIsReadOnly())
+		{
+			if ($iActionCode == UR_ACTION_MODIFY) return false;
+			if ($iActionCode == UR_ACTION_DELETE) return false;
+			if ($iActionCode == UR_ACTION_BULK_MODIFY) return false;
+			if ($iActionCode == UR_ACTION_BULK_DELETE) return false;
+		}
+
 		// this module is forbidden for non admins
 		if (MetaModel::HasCategory($sClass, 'addon/userrights')) return false;