diff --git a/admin/api/manual.go b/admin/api/manual.go
index 5413aed3e..1e22e32ad 100644
--- a/admin/api/manual.go
+++ b/admin/api/manual.go
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ type manual struct {
 }
 
 func (h *ManualHandler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	// we need this for testing.
+	// under normal circumstances this is never nil
+	if registry.Default == nil {
+		return
+	}
+
 	switch r.Method {
 	case "GET":
 		value, version, err := registry.Default.ReadManual()
diff --git a/admin/server.go b/admin/server.go
index 3577ba727..470006eab 100644
--- a/admin/server.go
+++ b/admin/server.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 
 // Server provides the HTTP server for the admin UI and API.
 type Server struct {
+	Access   string
 	Color    string
 	Title    string
 	Version  string
@@ -22,18 +23,35 @@ type Server struct {
 
 // ListenAndServe starts the admin server.
 func (s *Server) ListenAndServe(l config.Listen, tlscfg *tls.Config) error {
-	http.Handle("/api/config", &api.ConfigHandler{s.Cfg})
-	http.Handle("/api/manual", &api.ManualHandler{})
-	http.Handle("/api/routes", &api.RoutesHandler{})
-	http.Handle("/api/version", &api.VersionHandler{s.Version})
-	http.Handle("/manual", &ui.ManualHandler{Color: s.Color, Title: s.Title, Version: s.Version, Commands: s.Commands})
-	http.Handle("/routes", &ui.RoutesHandler{Color: s.Color, Title: s.Title, Version: s.Version})
-	http.HandleFunc("/logo.svg", ui.HandleLogo)
-	http.HandleFunc("/health", handleHealth)
-	http.Handle("/", http.RedirectHandler("/routes", http.StatusSeeOther))
-	return proxy.ListenAndServeHTTP(l, nil, tlscfg)
+	return proxy.ListenAndServeHTTP(l, s.handler(), tlscfg)
+}
+
+func (s *Server) handler() http.Handler {
+	mux := http.NewServeMux()
+
+	switch s.Access {
+	case "ro":
+		mux.HandleFunc("/api/manual", forbidden)
+		mux.HandleFunc("/manual", forbidden)
+	case "rw":
+		mux.Handle("/api/manual", &api.ManualHandler{})
+		mux.Handle("/manual", &ui.ManualHandler{Color: s.Color, Title: s.Title, Version: s.Version, Commands: s.Commands})
+	}
+
+	mux.Handle("/api/config", &api.ConfigHandler{s.Cfg})
+	mux.Handle("/api/routes", &api.RoutesHandler{})
+	mux.Handle("/api/version", &api.VersionHandler{s.Version})
+	mux.Handle("/routes", &ui.RoutesHandler{Color: s.Color, Title: s.Title, Version: s.Version})
+	mux.HandleFunc("/logo.svg", ui.HandleLogo)
+	mux.HandleFunc("/health", handleHealth)
+	mux.Handle("/", http.RedirectHandler("/routes", http.StatusSeeOther))
+	return mux
 }
 
 func handleHealth(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "OK")
 }
+
+func forbidden(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	http.Error(w, "Forbidden", http.StatusForbidden)
+}
diff --git a/admin/server_test.go b/admin/server_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69afaef2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/admin/server_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+package admin
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestAdminServerAccess(t *testing.T) {
+	type test struct {
+		uri  string
+		code int
+	}
+
+	testAccess := func(access string, tests []test) {
+		srv := &Server{Access: access}
+		ts := httptest.NewServer(srv.handler())
+		defer ts.Close()
+
+		noRedirectClient := &http.Client{
+			CheckRedirect: func(req *http.Request, via []*http.Request) error {
+				return http.ErrUseLastResponse
+			},
+		}
+		for _, tt := range tests {
+			t.Run(access+tt.uri, func(t *testing.T) {
+				resp, err := noRedirectClient.Get(ts.URL + tt.uri)
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("got %v want nil", err)
+				}
+				if got, want := resp.StatusCode, tt.code; got != want {
+					t.Fatalf("got code %d want %d", got, want)
+				}
+			})
+		}
+	}
+
+	roTests := []test{
+		{"/api/manual", 403},
+		{"/api/config", 200},
+		{"/api/routes", 200},
+		{"/api/version", 200},
+		{"/manual", 403},
+		{"/routes", 200},
+		{"/health", 200},
+		{"/logo.svg", 200},
+		{"/", 303},
+	}
+
+	rwTests := []test{
+		{"/api/manual", 200},
+		{"/api/config", 200},
+		{"/api/routes", 200},
+		{"/api/version", 200},
+		{"/manual", 200},
+		{"/routes", 200},
+		{"/health", 200},
+		{"/logo.svg", 200},
+		{"/", 303},
+	}
+
+	testAccess("ro", roTests)
+	testAccess("rw", rwTests)
+}
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 8e6788e13..216a44ddc 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ type UI struct {
 	Listen Listen
 	Color  string
 	Title  string
+	Access string
 }
 
 type Proxy struct {
diff --git a/config/default.go b/config/default.go
index faaa9d18c..8dba9de2f 100644
--- a/config/default.go
+++ b/config/default.go
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ var defaultConfig = &Config{
 			Addr:  ":9998",
 			Proto: "http",
 		},
-		Color: "light-green",
+		Color:  "light-green",
+		Access: "rw",
 	},
 }
diff --git a/config/load.go b/config/load.go
index 604ec8750..be436ba07 100644
--- a/config/load.go
+++ b/config/load.go
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ func load(cmdline, environ, envprefix []string, props *properties.Properties) (c
 	f.BoolVar(&cfg.Registry.Consul.CheckTLSSkipVerify, "registry.consul.register.checkTLSSkipVerify", defaultConfig.Registry.Consul.CheckTLSSkipVerify, "service check TLS verifcation")
 	f.IntVar(&cfg.Runtime.GOGC, "runtime.gogc", defaultConfig.Runtime.GOGC, "sets runtime.GOGC")
 	f.IntVar(&cfg.Runtime.GOMAXPROCS, "runtime.gomaxprocs", defaultConfig.Runtime.GOMAXPROCS, "sets runtime.GOMAXPROCS")
+	f.StringVar(&cfg.UI.Access, "ui.access", defaultConfig.UI.Access, "access mode, one of [ro, rw]")
 	f.StringVar(&uiListenerValue, "ui.addr", defaultValues.UIListenerValue, "Address the UI/API is listening on")
 	f.StringVar(&cfg.UI.Color, "ui.color", defaultConfig.UI.Color, "background color of the UI")
 	f.StringVar(&cfg.UI.Title, "ui.title", defaultConfig.UI.Title, "optional title for the UI")
@@ -228,6 +229,10 @@ func load(cmdline, environ, envprefix []string, props *properties.Properties) (c
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid proxy.matcher: %s", cfg.Proxy.Matcher)
 	}
 
+	if cfg.UI.Access != "ro" && cfg.UI.Access != "rw" {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid ui.access: %s", cfg.UI.Access)
+	}
+
 	// handle deprecations
 	deprecate := func(name, msg string) {
 		if f.IsSet(name) {
diff --git a/config/load_test.go b/config/load_test.go
index 4a46aa0a6..006743da3 100644
--- a/config/load_test.go
+++ b/config/load_test.go
@@ -593,6 +593,20 @@ func TestLoad(t *testing.T) {
 				return cfg
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			args: []string{"-ui.access", "ro"},
+			cfg: func(cfg *Config) *Config {
+				cfg.UI.Access = "ro"
+				return cfg
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			args: []string{"-ui.access", "rw"},
+			cfg: func(cfg *Config) *Config {
+				cfg.UI.Access = "rw"
+				return cfg
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			args: []string{"-ui.addr", "1.2.3.4:5555"},
 			cfg: func(cfg *Config) *Config {
diff --git a/fabio.properties b/fabio.properties
index 4bbf269d4..469fe3438 100644
--- a/fabio.properties
+++ b/fabio.properties
@@ -814,6 +814,16 @@
 # runtime.gomaxprocs = -1
 
 
+# ui.access configures the access mode for the UI.
+#
+#  ro:  read-only access
+#  rw:  read-write access
+#
+# The default is
+#
+# ui.access = rw
+
+
 # ui.addr configures the address the UI is listening on.
 # The listener uses the same syntax as proxy.addr but
 # supports only a single listener. To enable HTTPS
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 9332b21fe..f04c41a22 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -207,11 +207,13 @@ func makeTLSConfig(l config.Listen) *tls.Config {
 }
 
 func startAdmin(cfg *config.Config) {
+	log.Printf("[INFO] Admin server access mode %q", cfg.UI.Access)
 	log.Printf("[INFO] Admin server listening on %q", cfg.UI.Listen.Addr)
 	go func() {
 		l := cfg.UI.Listen
 		tlscfg := makeTLSConfig(l)
 		srv := &admin.Server{
+			Access:   cfg.UI.Access,
 			Color:    cfg.UI.Color,
 			Title:    cfg.UI.Title,
 			Version:  version,