diff --git a/schema/plugin.json b/schema/plugin.json
index e37b353f..3a75a089 100644
--- a/schema/plugin.json
+++ b/schema/plugin.json
@@ -3,14 +3,65 @@
   "title": "jupytereverywhere",
   "description": "jupytereverywhere settings.",
   "type": "object",
-  "properties": {},
   "additionalProperties": false,
   "jupyter.lab.toolbars": {
-    "Notebook": [
+    "ViewOnlyNotebook": [
       {
         "name": "save",
+        "disabled": true
+      },
+      {
+        "name": "cut",
+        "command": "notebook:cut-cell",
+        "disabled": true
+      },
+      {
+        "name": "copy",
+        "command": "notebook:copy-cell",
+        "disabled": true
+      },
+      {
+        "name": "paste",
+        "command": "notebook:paste-cell-below",
+        "disabled": true
+      },
+      {
+        "name": "run",
+        "caption": "Run cell",
+        "disabled": true
+      },
+      {
+        "name": "interrupt",
+        "caption": "Interrupt notebook",
+        "disabled": true
+      },
+      {
+        "name": "restart",
+        "caption": "Restart notebook",
+        "disabled": true
+      },
+      {
+        "name": "restart-and-run",
+        "caption": "Restart and run all cells",
+        "disabled": true
+      },
+      {
+        "name": "cellType",
         "command": "",
-        "disabled": true,
+        "disabled": true
+      },
+      {
+        "name": "share",
+        "rank": 35
+      },
+      {
+        "name": "downloadDropdown",
+        "rank": 36
+      }
+    ],
+    "Notebook": [
+      {
+        "name": "save",
         "rank": 10
       },
       {
@@ -106,5 +157,13 @@
         "disabled": true
       }
     ]
+  },
+  "jupyter.lab.transform": true,
+  "properties": {
+    "toolbar": {
+      "title": "View-only notebook panel toolbar items",
+      "type": "array",
+      "default": []
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 77c2922e..82d0d2c9 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import { Commands } from './commands';
 import { competitions } from './pages/competitions';
 import { notebookPlugin } from './pages/notebook';
 import { generateDefaultNotebookName } from './notebook-name';
+import { viewOnlyNotebookFactoryPlugin } from './view-only';
 
 /**
  * Generate a shareable URL for the currently active notebook.
@@ -236,4 +237,11 @@ const plugin: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
   }
 };
 
-export default [plugin, notebookPlugin, files, competitions, customSidebar];
+export default [
+  viewOnlyNotebookFactoryPlugin,
+  plugin,
+  notebookPlugin,
+  files,
+  competitions,
+  customSidebar
+];
diff --git a/src/pages/notebook.tsx b/src/pages/notebook.tsx
index 4cb32d3b..90a1caef 100644
--- a/src/pages/notebook.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/notebook.tsx
@@ -1,24 +1,26 @@
 import { JupyterFrontEnd, JupyterFrontEndPlugin } from '@jupyterlab/application';
 import { INotebookTracker } from '@jupyterlab/notebook';
+import { INotebookContent } from '@jupyterlab/nbformat';
 import { SidebarIcon } from '../ui-components/SidebarIcon';
 import { EverywhereIcons } from '../icons';
 import { ToolbarButton, IToolbarWidgetRegistry } from '@jupyterlab/apputils';
 import { DownloadDropdownButton } from '../ui-components/DownloadDropdownButton';
 import { Commands } from '../commands';
 import { SharingService } from '../sharing-service';
-import { INotebookContent } from '@jupyterlab/nbformat';
+import { VIEW_ONLY_NOTEBOOK_FACTORY, IViewOnlyNotebookTracker } from '../view-only';
 
 export const notebookPlugin: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
   id: 'jupytereverywhere:notebook',
   autoStart: true,
-  requires: [INotebookTracker, IToolbarWidgetRegistry],
+  requires: [INotebookTracker, IViewOnlyNotebookTracker, IToolbarWidgetRegistry],
   activate: (
     app: JupyterFrontEnd,
     tracker: INotebookTracker,
+    readonlyTracker: IViewOnlyNotebookTracker,
     toolbarRegistry: IToolbarWidgetRegistry
   ) => {
-    const { commands, shell } = app;
-    const contents = app.serviceManager.contents;
+    const { commands, shell, serviceManager } = app;
+    const { contents } = serviceManager;
 
     const params = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
     let notebookId = params.get('notebook');
@@ -41,12 +43,15 @@ export const notebookPlugin: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
         console.log('Retrieving notebook from API...');
 
         const notebookResponse = await sharingService.retrieve(id);
-        console.log('API Response received:', notebookResponse); // debug
+        console.log('API Response received:', notebookResponse);
 
-        const content: INotebookContent = notebookResponse.content;
+        const { content }: { content: INotebookContent } = notebookResponse;
 
-        // We make all cells read-only by setting editable: false
-        // by iterating over each cell in the notebook content.
+        // We make all cells read-only by setting editable: false.
+        // This is still required with a custom widget factory as
+        // it is not trivial to coerce the cells to respect the `readOnly`
+        // property otherwise (Mike tried swapping `Notebook.ContentFactory`
+        // and it does not work without further hacks).
         if (content.cells) {
           content.cells.forEach(cell => {
             cell.metadata = {
@@ -56,27 +61,31 @@ export const notebookPlugin: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
           });
         }
 
+        const { id: responseId, readable_id, domain_id } = notebookResponse;
         content.metadata = {
           ...content.metadata,
           isSharedNotebook: true,
-          sharedId: notebookResponse.id,
-          readableId: notebookResponse.readable_id,
-          domainId: notebookResponse.domain_id
+          sharedId: responseId,
+          readableId: readable_id,
+          domainId: domain_id
         };
 
-        // Generate a meaningful filename for the shared notebook
-        const filename = `Shared_${notebookResponse.readable_id || notebookResponse.id}.ipynb`;
+        const filename = `Shared_${readable_id || responseId}.ipynb`;
 
         await contents.save(filename, {
           content,
           format: 'json',
           type: 'notebook',
+          // Even though we have a custom view-only factory, we still
+          // want to indicate that notebook is read-only to avoid
+          // error on Ctrl + S and instead get a nice notification that
+          // the notebook cannot be saved unless using save-as.
           writable: false
         });
 
         await commands.execute('docmanager:open', {
           path: filename,
-          factory: 'Notebook'
+          factory: VIEW_ONLY_NOTEBOOK_FACTORY
         });
 
         console.log(`Successfully loaded shared notebook: ${filename}`);
@@ -125,8 +134,11 @@ export const notebookPlugin: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
       label: 'Notebook',
       icon: EverywhereIcons.notebook,
       execute: () => {
+        if (readonlyTracker.currentWidget) {
+          return shell.activateById(readonlyTracker.currentWidget.id);
+        }
         if (tracker.currentWidget) {
-          shell.activateById(tracker.currentWidget.id);
+          return shell.activateById(tracker.currentWidget.id);
         }
       }
     });
@@ -135,24 +147,26 @@ export const notebookPlugin: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
     app.shell.activateById(sidebarItem.id);
     app.restored.then(() => app.shell.activateById(sidebarItem.id));
 
-    toolbarRegistry.addFactory(
-      'Notebook',
-      'downloadDropdown',
-      () => new DownloadDropdownButton(commands)
-    );
-
-    toolbarRegistry.addFactory(
-      'Notebook',
-      'share',
-      () =>
-        new ToolbarButton({
-          label: 'Share',
-          icon: EverywhereIcons.link,
-          tooltip: 'Share this notebook',
-          onClick: () => {
-            void commands.execute(Commands.shareNotebookCommand);
-          }
-        })
-    );
+    for (const toolbarName of ['Notebook', 'ViewOnlyNotebook']) {
+      toolbarRegistry.addFactory(
+        toolbarName,
+        'downloadDropdown',
+        () => new DownloadDropdownButton(commands)
+      );
+
+      toolbarRegistry.addFactory(
+        toolbarName,
+        'share',
+        () =>
+          new ToolbarButton({
+            label: 'Share',
+            icon: EverywhereIcons.link,
+            tooltip: 'Share this notebook',
+            onClick: () => {
+              void commands.execute(Commands.shareNotebookCommand);
+            }
+          })
+      );
+    }
   }
 };
diff --git a/src/sidebar.ts b/src/sidebar.ts
index 04b9a6d5..ec6e18e2 100644
--- a/src/sidebar.ts
+++ b/src/sidebar.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ export const customSidebar: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
         const newWidget = args.currentTitle
           ? leftHandler._findWidgetByTitle(args.currentTitle)
           : null;
-        console.log(newWidget);
         if (newWidget && newWidget instanceof SidebarIcon) {
           const cancel = newWidget.execute();
           if (cancel) {
diff --git a/src/view-only.ts b/src/view-only.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8bab6a7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/view-only.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,210 @@
+import { JupyterFrontEnd, JupyterFrontEndPlugin } from '@jupyterlab/application';
+import { IEditorMimeTypeService } from '@jupyterlab/codeeditor';
+import { WidgetTracker, IWidgetTracker } from '@jupyterlab/apputils';
+import { ReactiveToolbar, Toolbar } from '@jupyterlab/ui-components';
+import { IEditorServices } from '@jupyterlab/codeeditor';
+import { ABCWidgetFactory, DocumentRegistry, DocumentWidget } from '@jupyterlab/docregistry';
+import { ISettingRegistry } from '@jupyterlab/settingregistry';
+import { IRenderMimeRegistry } from '@jupyterlab/rendermime';
+import { ITranslator } from '@jupyterlab/translation';
+import { INotebookModel, Notebook, StaticNotebook } from '@jupyterlab/notebook';
+import { createToolbarFactory, IToolbarWidgetRegistry } from '@jupyterlab/apputils';
+import { Widget } from '@lumino/widgets';
+import { Token } from '@lumino/coreutils';
+import { MarkdownCell } from '@jupyterlab/cells';
+
+export const VIEW_ONLY_NOTEBOOK_FACTORY = 'ViewOnlyNotebook';
+
+const NOTEBOOK_PANEL_CLASS = 'jp-NotebookPanel';
+
+const NOTEBOOK_PANEL_TOOLBAR_CLASS = 'jp-NotebookPanel-toolbar';
+
+const NOTEBOOK_PANEL_NOTEBOOK_CLASS = 'jp-NotebookPanel-notebook';
+
+export const IViewOnlyNotebookTracker = new Token<IViewOnlyNotebookTracker>(
+  'jupytereverywhere:view-only-notebook:IViewOnlyNotebookTracker'
+);
+
+export interface IViewOnlyNotebookTracker extends IWidgetTracker<ViewOnlyNotebookPanel> {}
+
+/**
+ * Creates a "View Only" header widget for view-only notebooks.
+ */
+class ViewOnlyHeader extends Widget {
+  constructor() {
+    super();
+    this.addClass('je-ViewOnlyHeader');
+    const contentNode = document.createElement('div');
+    contentNode.className = 'je-ViewOnlyHeader-content';
+    contentNode.textContent = 'View Only';
+    this.node.appendChild(contentNode);
+  }
+}
+
+namespace FilteredToolbar {
+  export interface IOptions extends Toolbar.IOptions {
+    itemsToFilterOut: Set<string>;
+  }
+}
+
+class FilteredToolbar extends ReactiveToolbar {
+  constructor(options: FilteredToolbar.IOptions) {
+    super(options);
+    this._itemsToFilterOut = options.itemsToFilterOut;
+  }
+  insertItem(index: number, name: string, widget: Widget): boolean {
+    if (this._itemsToFilterOut?.has(name)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    return super.insertItem(index, name, widget);
+  }
+  // This can be undefined during the super() call in constructor
+  private _itemsToFilterOut: Set<string> | undefined;
+}
+
+class ViewOnlyNotebook extends StaticNotebook {
+  // Add any customization for view-only notebook here if needed
+}
+
+class ViewOnlyNotebookPanel extends DocumentWidget<ViewOnlyNotebook, INotebookModel> {
+  /**
+   * Construct a new view-only notebook panel.
+   */
+  constructor(options: DocumentWidget.IOptions<ViewOnlyNotebook, INotebookModel>) {
+    super({
+      ...options,
+      toolbar: new FilteredToolbar({
+        itemsToFilterOut: new Set(['read-only-indicator'])
+      })
+    });
+
+    this.addClass(NOTEBOOK_PANEL_CLASS);
+    this.toolbar.addClass(NOTEBOOK_PANEL_TOOLBAR_CLASS);
+    this.content.addClass(NOTEBOOK_PANEL_NOTEBOOK_CLASS);
+
+    this.content.model = this.context.model;
+    const headerWidget = new ViewOnlyHeader();
+    this.contentHeader.insertWidget(0, headerWidget);
+    this.contentHeader.addClass('je-ViewOnlyHeader-wrapper');
+  }
+}
+
+namespace ViewOnlyNotebookWidgetFactory {
+  export interface IOptions extends DocumentRegistry.IWidgetFactoryOptions<ViewOnlyNotebookPanel> {
+    rendermime: IRenderMimeRegistry;
+    contentFactory: Notebook.IContentFactory;
+    mimeTypeService: IEditorMimeTypeService;
+    editorConfig?: StaticNotebook.IEditorConfig;
+    notebookConfig?: StaticNotebook.INotebookConfig;
+    translator?: ITranslator;
+  }
+}
+
+class ViewOnlyNotebookWidgetFactory extends ABCWidgetFactory<
+  ViewOnlyNotebookPanel,
+  INotebookModel
+> {
+  /**
+   * Construct a new notebook widget factory.
+   *
+   * @param options - The options used to construct the factory.
+   */
+  constructor(private _options: ViewOnlyNotebookWidgetFactory.IOptions) {
+    super(_options);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Create a new widget.
+   */
+  protected createNewWidget(
+    context: DocumentRegistry.IContext<INotebookModel>,
+    source?: ViewOnlyNotebookPanel
+  ): ViewOnlyNotebookPanel {
+    const translator = (context as any).translator;
+    const { contentFactory, mimeTypeService, rendermime } = this._options;
+    const nbOptions = {
+      rendermime: source
+        ? source.content.rendermime
+        : rendermime.clone({ resolver: context.urlResolver }),
+      contentFactory,
+      mimeTypeService,
+      editorConfig: source
+        ? source.content.editorConfig
+        : this._options.editorConfig || StaticNotebook.defaultEditorConfig,
+      notebookConfig: source
+        ? source.content.notebookConfig
+        : this._options.notebookConfig || StaticNotebook.defaultNotebookConfig,
+      translator
+    };
+    const content = new ViewOnlyNotebook(nbOptions);
+
+    return new ViewOnlyNotebookPanel({ context, content });
+  }
+}
+
+class ViewOnlyContentFactory extends Notebook.ContentFactory {
+  createMarkdownCell(options: MarkdownCell.IOptions): MarkdownCell {
+    const cell = super.createMarkdownCell(options);
+    cell.showEditorForReadOnly = false;
+    return cell;
+  }
+}
+
+export const viewOnlyNotebookFactoryPlugin: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<IViewOnlyNotebookTracker> = {
+  id: 'jupytereverywhere:view-only-notebook',
+  requires: [
+    IEditorServices,
+    IRenderMimeRegistry,
+    IToolbarWidgetRegistry,
+    ISettingRegistry,
+    ITranslator
+  ],
+  provides: IViewOnlyNotebookTracker,
+  autoStart: true,
+  activate: (
+    app: JupyterFrontEnd,
+    editorServices: IEditorServices,
+    rendermime: IRenderMimeRegistry,
+    toolbarRegistry: IToolbarWidgetRegistry,
+    settingRegistry: ISettingRegistry,
+    translator: ITranslator
+  ) => {
+    // This needs to have a `toolbar` property with an array
+    const PANEL_SETTINGS = 'jupytereverywhere:plugin';
+
+    const toolbarFactory = createToolbarFactory(
+      toolbarRegistry,
+      settingRegistry,
+      VIEW_ONLY_NOTEBOOK_FACTORY,
+      PANEL_SETTINGS,
+      translator
+    );
+
+    const trans = translator.load('jupyterlab');
+    const editorFactory = editorServices.factoryService.newInlineEditor;
+
+    const factory = new ViewOnlyNotebookWidgetFactory({
+      name: VIEW_ONLY_NOTEBOOK_FACTORY,
+      label: trans.__('View-only Notebook'),
+      fileTypes: ['notebook'],
+      modelName: 'notebook',
+      preferKernel: false,
+      canStartKernel: false,
+      rendermime,
+      contentFactory: new ViewOnlyContentFactory({ editorFactory }),
+      editorConfig: StaticNotebook.defaultEditorConfig,
+      notebookConfig: StaticNotebook.defaultNotebookConfig,
+      mimeTypeService: editorServices.mimeTypeService,
+      toolbarFactory,
+      translator
+    });
+    const tracker = new WidgetTracker<ViewOnlyNotebookPanel>({
+      namespace: 'view-only-notebook'
+    });
+    factory.widgetCreated.connect((sender, widget) => {
+      void tracker.add(widget);
+    });
+    app.docRegistry.addWidgetFactory(factory);
+    return tracker;
+  }
+};
diff --git a/style/base.css b/style/base.css
index e8f844c2..f97a3d0b 100644
--- a/style/base.css
+++ b/style/base.css
@@ -62,16 +62,7 @@
   font-weight: 600;
 }
 
-#jp-main-dock-panel[data-mode='single-document'] {
-  padding: 25px !important;
-  background: #d8b8dc;
-}
-
-#jp-main-dock-panel[data-mode='single-document'] .jp-MainAreaWidget {
-  border-radius: var(--je-round-corners);
-  background: transparent;
-}
-
+/* Main area widget base styles */
 .jp-MainAreaWidget > .jp-Toolbar {
   border-radius: var(--je-round-corners);
 }
@@ -81,3 +72,41 @@
   margin-top: 10px;
   background: white;
 }
+
+/* View Only header */
+.je-ViewOnlyHeader {
+  min-height: 40px;
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  background: var(--je-slate-blue);
+}
+
+.je-ViewOnlyHeader-content {
+  color: white;
+  font-family: var(--je-font-family);
+  font-size: 14px;
+  font-weight: 600;
+  text-align: center;
+  padding: 8px 16px;
+  width: 100%;
+}
+
+.jp-MainAreaWidget > .je-ViewOnlyHeader-wrapper {
+  border-bottom-left-radius: 0;
+  border-bottom-right-radius: 0;
+}
+
+.je-ViewOnlyHeader-wrapper + .jp-Notebook {
+  border-top-left-radius: 0;
+  border-top-right-radius: 0;
+}
+
+#jp-main-dock-panel[data-mode='single-document'] {
+  padding: 25px !important;
+  background: #d8b8dc;
+}
+
+#jp-main-dock-panel[data-mode='single-document'] .jp-MainAreaWidget {
+  border-radius: var(--je-round-corners);
+  background: transparent;
+}
diff --git a/ui-tests/tests/jupytereverywhere.spec.ts-snapshots/application-shell-chromium-linux.png b/ui-tests/tests/jupytereverywhere.spec.ts-snapshots/application-shell-chromium-linux.png
index ec0925b6..f0b281f1 100644
Binary files a/ui-tests/tests/jupytereverywhere.spec.ts-snapshots/application-shell-chromium-linux.png and b/ui-tests/tests/jupytereverywhere.spec.ts-snapshots/application-shell-chromium-linux.png differ
diff --git a/ui-tests/tests/jupytereverywhere.spec.ts-snapshots/read-only-notebook-chromium-linux.png b/ui-tests/tests/jupytereverywhere.spec.ts-snapshots/read-only-notebook-chromium-linux.png
index 2827eaa2..deaad632 100644
Binary files a/ui-tests/tests/jupytereverywhere.spec.ts-snapshots/read-only-notebook-chromium-linux.png and b/ui-tests/tests/jupytereverywhere.spec.ts-snapshots/read-only-notebook-chromium-linux.png differ