diff --git a/defaults.toml b/defaults.toml
index adbc95e..acc9704 100644
--- a/defaults.toml
+++ b/defaults.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 [server]
 address = "0.0.0.0:8080"
 worker_id = "pict-rs-1"
+read_only = false
 
 [client]
 pool_size = 100
diff --git a/src/config/commandline.rs b/src/config/commandline.rs
index ba6ba2f..6b6b699 100644
--- a/src/config/commandline.rs
+++ b/src/config/commandline.rs
@@ -71,12 +71,14 @@ impl Args {
                 media_video_codec,
                 media_video_audio_codec,
                 media_filters,
+                read_only,
                 store,
             }) => {
                 let server = Server {
                     address,
                     api_key,
                     worker_id,
+                    read_only,
                 };
 
                 let client = Client {
@@ -315,6 +317,8 @@ struct Server {
     worker_id: Option<String>,
     #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     api_key: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "std::ops::Not::not")]
+    read_only: bool,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Default, serde::Serialize)]
@@ -455,10 +459,10 @@ impl Animation {
 #[derive(Debug, Default, serde::Serialize)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "snake_case")]
 struct Video {
-    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
-    enable: Option<bool>,
-    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
-    allow_audio: Option<bool>,
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "std::ops::Not::not")]
+    enable: bool,
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "std::ops::Not::not")]
+    allow_audio: bool,
     #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     max_width: Option<u16>,
     #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
@@ -477,8 +481,8 @@ struct Video {
 
 impl Video {
     fn set(self) -> Option<Self> {
-        let any_set = self.enable.is_some()
-            || self.allow_audio.is_some()
+        let any_set = self.enable
+            || self.allow_audio
             || self.max_width.is_some()
             || self.max_height.is_some()
             || self.max_area.is_some()
@@ -627,9 +631,10 @@ struct Run {
 
     /// Whether to enable video uploads
     #[arg(long)]
-    media_video_enable: Option<bool>,
+    media_video_enable: bool,
     /// Whether to enable audio in video uploads
-    media_video_allow_audio: Option<bool>,
+    #[arg(long)]
+    media_video_allow_audio: bool,
     /// The maximum width, in pixels, for uploaded videos
     #[arg(long)]
     media_video_max_width: Option<u16>,
@@ -652,6 +657,10 @@ struct Run {
     #[arg(long)]
     media_video_audio_codec: Option<AudioCodec>,
 
+    /// Don't permit ingesting media
+    #[arg(long)]
+    read_only: bool,
+
     #[command(subcommand)]
     store: Option<RunStore>,
 }
diff --git a/src/config/defaults.rs b/src/config/defaults.rs
index 55ddabd..6121648 100644
--- a/src/config/defaults.rs
+++ b/src/config/defaults.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ pub(crate) struct Defaults {
 struct ServerDefaults {
     address: SocketAddr,
     worker_id: String,
+    read_only: bool,
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, serde::Serialize)]
@@ -156,6 +157,7 @@ impl Default for ServerDefaults {
         ServerDefaults {
             address: "0.0.0.0:8080".parse().expect("Valid address string"),
             worker_id: String::from("pict-rs-1"),
+            read_only: false,
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/config/file.rs b/src/config/file.rs
index acdec9c..48a952c 100644
--- a/src/config/file.rs
+++ b/src/config/file.rs
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ pub(crate) struct Server {
 
     #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     pub(crate) api_key: Option<String>,
+
+    pub(crate) read_only: bool,
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, serde::Deserialize, serde::Serialize)]
diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index 5c0d3a8..bb7b3e8 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@ pub(crate) enum UploadError {
     #[error("Error in exiftool")]
     Exiftool(#[from] crate::exiftool::ExifError),
 
+    #[error("pict-rs is in read-only mode")]
+    ReadOnly,
+
     #[error("Requested file extension cannot be served by source file")]
     InvalidProcessExtension,
 
@@ -178,7 +181,8 @@ impl ResponseError for Error {
                 | UploadError::Repo(crate::repo::RepoError::AlreadyClaimed)
                 | UploadError::Validation(_)
                 | UploadError::UnsupportedProcessExtension
-                | UploadError::InvalidProcessExtension,
+                | UploadError::InvalidProcessExtension
+                | UploadError::ReadOnly,
             ) => StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST,
             Some(UploadError::Magick(e)) if e.is_client_error() => StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST,
             Some(UploadError::Ffmpeg(e)) if e.is_client_error() => StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST,
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index af4fa17..6b3a560 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -128,6 +128,10 @@ async fn ensure_details<R: FullRepo, S: Store + 'static>(
         tracing::debug!("details exist");
         Ok(details)
     } else {
+        if CONFIG.server.read_only {
+            return Err(UploadError::ReadOnly.into());
+        }
+
         tracing::debug!("generating new details from {:?}", identifier);
         let new_details = Details::from_store(store, &identifier).await?;
         tracing::debug!("storing details for {:?}", identifier);
@@ -172,6 +176,10 @@ impl<R: FullRepo, S: Store + 'static> FormData for Upload<R, S> {
 
                     Box::pin(
                         async move {
+                            if CONFIG.server.read_only {
+                                return Err(UploadError::ReadOnly.into());
+                            }
+
                             ingest::ingest(&**repo, &**store, stream, None, &CONFIG.media).await
                         }
                         .instrument(span),
@@ -220,6 +228,10 @@ impl<R: FullRepo, S: Store + 'static> FormData for Import<R, S> {
 
                     Box::pin(
                         async move {
+                            if CONFIG.server.read_only {
+                                return Err(UploadError::ReadOnly.into());
+                            }
+
                             ingest::ingest(
                                 &**repo,
                                 &**store,
@@ -341,8 +353,14 @@ impl<R: FullRepo, S: Store + 'static> FormData for BackgroundedUpload<R, S> {
                     let stream = stream.map_err(Error::from);
 
                     Box::pin(
-                        async move { Backgrounded::proxy(repo, store, stream).await }
-                            .instrument(span),
+                        async move {
+                            if CONFIG.server.read_only {
+                                return Err(UploadError::ReadOnly.into());
+                            }
+
+                            Backgrounded::proxy(repo, store, stream).await
+                        }
+                        .instrument(span),
                     )
                 })),
             )
@@ -457,6 +475,10 @@ async fn download<R: FullRepo + 'static, S: Store + 'static>(
     store: web::Data<S>,
     query: web::Query<UrlQuery>,
 ) -> Result<HttpResponse, Error> {
+    if CONFIG.server.read_only {
+        return Err(UploadError::ReadOnly.into());
+    }
+
     let res = client.get(&query.url).send().await?;
 
     if !res.status().is_success() {
@@ -531,6 +553,10 @@ async fn delete<R: FullRepo>(
     repo: web::Data<R>,
     path_entries: web::Path<(String, String)>,
 ) -> Result<HttpResponse, Error> {
+    if CONFIG.server.read_only {
+        return Err(UploadError::ReadOnly.into());
+    }
+
     let (token, alias) = path_entries.into_inner();
 
     let token = DeleteToken::from_existing(&token);
@@ -666,6 +692,10 @@ async fn process<R: FullRepo, S: Store + 'static>(
             tracing::debug!("details exist");
             details
         } else {
+            if CONFIG.server.read_only {
+                return Err(UploadError::ReadOnly.into());
+            }
+
             tracing::debug!("generating new details from {:?}", identifier);
             let new_details = Details::from_store(&store, &identifier).await?;
             tracing::debug!("storing details for {:?}", identifier);
@@ -683,6 +713,10 @@ async fn process<R: FullRepo, S: Store + 'static>(
         return ranged_file_resp(&store, identifier, range, details, not_found).await;
     }
 
+    if CONFIG.server.read_only {
+        return Err(UploadError::ReadOnly.into());
+    }
+
     let original_details = ensure_details(&repo, &store, &alias).await?;
 
     let (details, bytes) = generate::generate(
@@ -768,6 +802,10 @@ async fn process_head<R: FullRepo, S: Store + 'static>(
             tracing::debug!("details exist");
             details
         } else {
+            if CONFIG.server.read_only {
+                return Err(UploadError::ReadOnly.into());
+            }
+
             tracing::debug!("generating new details from {:?}", identifier);
             let new_details = Details::from_store(&store, &identifier).await?;
             tracing::debug!("storing details for {:?}", identifier);
@@ -811,6 +849,10 @@ async fn process_backgrounded<R: FullRepo, S: Store>(
         return Ok(HttpResponse::Accepted().finish());
     }
 
+    if CONFIG.server.read_only {
+        return Err(UploadError::ReadOnly.into());
+    }
+
     queue_generate(&repo, target_format, source, process_path, process_args).await?;
 
     Ok(HttpResponse::Accepted().finish())
@@ -1029,6 +1071,10 @@ fn srv_head(
 
 #[tracing::instrument(name = "Spawning variant cleanup", skip(repo))]
 async fn clean_variants<R: FullRepo>(repo: web::Data<R>) -> Result<HttpResponse, Error> {
+    if CONFIG.server.read_only {
+        return Err(UploadError::ReadOnly.into());
+    }
+
     queue::cleanup_all_variants(&repo).await?;
     Ok(HttpResponse::NoContent().finish())
 }
@@ -1043,6 +1089,10 @@ async fn set_not_found<R: FullRepo>(
     json: web::Json<AliasQuery>,
     repo: web::Data<R>,
 ) -> Result<HttpResponse, Error> {
+    if CONFIG.server.read_only {
+        return Err(UploadError::ReadOnly.into());
+    }
+
     let alias = json.into_inner().alias;
 
     if repo.hash(&alias).await?.is_none() {
@@ -1063,6 +1113,10 @@ async fn purge<R: FullRepo>(
     query: web::Query<AliasQuery>,
     repo: web::Data<R>,
 ) -> Result<HttpResponse, Error> {
+    if CONFIG.server.read_only {
+        return Err(UploadError::ReadOnly.into());
+    }
+
     let alias = query.into_inner().alias;
     let aliases = repo.aliases_from_alias(&alias).await?;
 
@@ -1481,6 +1535,10 @@ pub async fn run() -> color_eyre::Result<()> {
         }
     }
 
+    if CONFIG.server.read_only {
+        tracing::warn!("Launching in READ ONLY mode");
+    }
+
     match CONFIG.store.clone() {
         config::Store::Filesystem(config::Filesystem { path }) => {
             repo.migrate_identifiers().await?;