diff --git a/src/cantor_part.h b/src/cantor_part.h
--- a/src/cantor_part.h
+++ b/src/cantor_part.h
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@
     QProgressDialog* m_initProgressDlg;
     bool m_showProgressDlg;
     QAction * m_evaluate;
+    QAction * m_restart;
     QAction * m_save;
     QAction * m_findNext;
     QAction * m_findPrev;
diff --git a/src/cantor_part.cpp b/src/cantor_part.cpp
--- a/src/cantor_part.cpp
+++ b/src/cantor_part.cpp
@@ -264,10 +264,10 @@
     actionCollection()->addAction(QLatin1String("enable_animations"), m_animateWorksheet);
     connect(m_animateWorksheet, SIGNAL(toggled(bool)), m_worksheet, SLOT(enableAnimations(bool)));
 
-    QAction * restart=new QAction(i18n("Restart Backend"), actionCollection());
-    actionCollection()->addAction(QLatin1String("restart_backend"), restart);
-    restart->setIcon(QIcon::fromTheme(QLatin1String("system-reboot")));
-    connect(restart, SIGNAL(triggered()), this, SLOT(restartBackend()));
+    m_restart=new QAction(i18n("Restart Backend"), actionCollection());
+    actionCollection()->addAction(QLatin1String("restart_backend"), m_restart);
+    m_restart->setIcon(QIcon::fromTheme(QLatin1String("system-reboot")));
+    connect(m_restart, SIGNAL(triggered()), this, SLOT(restartBackend()));
 
     QAction * evaluateCurrent=new QAction(i18n("Evaluate Entry"), actionCollection());
     actionCollection()->addAction(QLatin1String("evaluate_current"),  evaluateCurrent);
@@ -429,6 +429,9 @@
     QElapsedTimer timer;
 	timer.start();
     const bool rc = m_worksheet->load(localFilePath());
+    m_restart->setVisible(!m_worksheet->isReadOnly());
+    m_showBackendHelp->setVisible(!m_worksheet->isReadOnly());
+
     QApplication::restoreOverrideCursor();
 
     if (rc) {
@@ -563,14 +566,17 @@
 
 void CantorPart::initialized()
 {
-    connect(m_worksheet->session(), SIGNAL(statusChanged(Cantor::Session::Status)), this, SLOT(worksheetStatusChanged(Cantor::Session::Status)));
-    connect(m_worksheet->session(), SIGNAL(loginStarted()),this, SLOT(worksheetSessionLoginStarted()));
-    connect(m_worksheet->session(), SIGNAL(loginDone()),this, SLOT(worksheetSessionLoginDone()));
-    connect(m_worksheet->session(), SIGNAL(error(const QString&)), this, SLOT(showSessionError(const QString&)));
-
-    loadAssistants();
-    m_panelHandler->setSession(m_worksheet->session());
-    adjustGuiToSession();
+    if (!m_worksheet->isReadOnly())
+    {
+        connect(m_worksheet->session(), SIGNAL(statusChanged(Cantor::Session::Status)), this, SLOT(worksheetStatusChanged(Cantor::Session::Status)));
+        connect(m_worksheet->session(), SIGNAL(loginStarted()),this, SLOT(worksheetSessionLoginStarted()));
+        connect(m_worksheet->session(), SIGNAL(loginDone()),this, SLOT(worksheetSessionLoginDone()));
+        connect(m_worksheet->session(), SIGNAL(error(const QString&)), this, SLOT(showSessionError(const QString&)));
+
+        loadAssistants();
+        m_panelHandler->setSession(m_worksheet->session());
+        adjustGuiToSession();
+    }
 
     if (m_worksheet->isEmpty())
         m_worksheet->appendCommandEntry();
@@ -620,7 +626,10 @@
     if (filename.isEmpty())
         filename=i18n("Unnamed");
 
-    emit setCaption(filename, QIcon::fromTheme(m_worksheet->session()->backend()->icon()));
+    if (!m_worksheet->isReadOnly())
+        emit setCaption(filename, QIcon::fromTheme(m_worksheet->session()->backend()->icon()));
+    else
+        emit setCaption(filename+QLatin1String("[read-only]"), QIcon());
 }
 
 void CantorPart::pluginsChanged()
diff --git a/src/commandentry.cpp b/src/commandentry.cpp
--- a/src/commandentry.cpp
+++ b/src/commandentry.cpp
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@
     m_promptItem->setPlainText(Prompt);
     m_promptItem->setItemDragable(true);
     m_commandItem->enableCompletion(true);
+    if (worksheet->isReadOnly())
+        m_commandItem->setTextInteractionFlags(Qt::TextBrowserInteraction | Qt::TextSelectableByKeyboard);
 
     KColorScheme scheme = KColorScheme(QPalette::Normal, KColorScheme::View);
     m_commandItem->setBackgroundColor(scheme.background(KColorScheme::AlternateBackground).color());
@@ -425,6 +427,9 @@
 
 void CommandEntry::showCompletion()
 {
+    if (worksheet()->isReadOnly())
+        return;
+
     const QString line = currentLine();
 
     if(!worksheet()->completionEnabled() || line.trimmed().isEmpty())
@@ -557,6 +562,13 @@
 
 bool CommandEntry::evaluate(EvaluationOption evalOp)
 {
+    if (worksheet()->isReadOnly())
+    {
+        // Worksheet is read only, so evaluate next
+        evaluateNext(evalOp);
+        return true;
+    }
+
     removeContextHelp();
     QToolTip::hideText();
 
diff --git a/src/lib/expression.cpp b/src/lib/expression.cpp
--- a/src/lib/expression.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/expression.cpp
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
 {
     d->session=session;
     d->internal = internal;
-    if (!internal)
+    if (!internal && session)
         d->id=session->nextExpressionId();
     else
         d->id = -1;
@@ -120,7 +120,8 @@
         qDebug()<<"settting result to a type "<<result->type()<<" result";
         #ifdef WITH_EPS
         //If it's text, and latex typesetting is enabled, render it
-        if ( session()->isTypesettingEnabled()&&
+        if ( session() &&
+             session()->isTypesettingEnabled()&&
              result->type()==TextResult::Type &&
              dynamic_cast<TextResult*>(result)->format()==TextResult::LatexFormat &&
              !result->toHtml().trimmed().isEmpty() &&
diff --git a/src/worksheet.h b/src/worksheet.h
--- a/src/worksheet.h
+++ b/src/worksheet.h
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@
     EpsRenderer* epsRenderer();
     bool isEmpty();
     bool isLoadingFromFile();
+    bool isReadOnly() const;
 
     WorksheetEntry* currentEntry();
     WorksheetEntry* firstEntry();
@@ -293,7 +294,9 @@
     bool m_loginDone;
     bool m_isPrinting;
     bool m_isLoadingFromFile;
+    bool m_readOnly;
 
+    QString m_backendName;
 };
 
 #endif // WORKSHEET_H
diff --git a/src/worksheet.cpp b/src/worksheet.cpp
--- a/src/worksheet.cpp
+++ b/src/worksheet.cpp
@@ -268,6 +268,11 @@
     return m_isLoadingFromFile;
 }
 
+bool Worksheet::isReadOnly() const
+{
+    return m_readOnly;
+}
+
 void Worksheet::makeVisible(WorksheetEntry* entry)
 {
     QRectF r = entry->boundingRect();
@@ -473,7 +478,7 @@
 void Worksheet::evaluate()
 {
     qDebug()<<"evaluate worksheet";
-    if (!m_loginDone)
+    if (!m_loginDone && !m_readOnly)
         loginToSession();
 
     firstEntry()->evaluate(WorksheetEntry::EvaluateNext);
@@ -483,7 +488,7 @@
 
 void Worksheet::evaluateCurrentEntry()
 {
-    if (!m_loginDone)
+    if (!m_readOnly && !m_loginDone)
         loginToSession();
 
     WorksheetEntry* entry = currentEntry();
@@ -795,7 +800,10 @@
         if(m_highlighter)
             m_highlighter->deleteLater();
 
-        m_highlighter=session()->syntaxHighlighter(this);
+        if (!m_readOnly)
+            m_highlighter=session()->syntaxHighlighter(this);
+        else
+            m_highlighter=nullptr;
         if(!m_highlighter)
             m_highlighter=new Cantor::DefaultHighlighter(this);
 
@@ -823,7 +831,7 @@
 
 bool Worksheet::isRunning()
 {
-    return m_session->status()==Cantor::Session::Running;
+    return (m_readOnly ? false : m_session->status()==Cantor::Session::Running);
 }
 
 bool Worksheet::showExpressionIds()
@@ -851,7 +859,7 @@
 {
     QDomDocument doc( QLatin1String("CantorWorksheet") );
     QDomElement root=doc.createElement( QLatin1String("Worksheet") );
-    root.setAttribute(QLatin1String("backend"), m_session->backend()->name());
+    root.setAttribute(QLatin1String("backend"), (m_session ? m_session->backend()->name(): m_backendName));
     doc.appendChild(root);
 
     for( WorksheetEntry* entry = firstEntry(); entry; entry = entry->next())
@@ -982,7 +990,7 @@
     }
 
     bool rc = load(&file);
-    if (rc)
+    if (rc && !m_readOnly)
         m_session->setWorksheetPath(filename);
 
     return rc;
@@ -1023,21 +1031,23 @@
     QDomElement root=doc.documentElement();
 //     qDebug()<<root.tagName();
 
-    const QString backendName=root.attribute(QLatin1String("backend"));
-    Cantor::Backend* b=Cantor::Backend::createBackend(backendName);
+    m_backendName=root.attribute(QLatin1String("backend"));
+    Cantor::Backend* b=Cantor::Backend::createBackend(m_backendName);
     if (!b)
     {
         QApplication::restoreOverrideCursor();
-        KMessageBox::error(worksheetView(), i18n("The backend with which this file was generated is not installed. It needs %1", backendName), i18n("Cantor"));
-        return false;
+        KMessageBox::information(worksheetView(), i18n("%1 backend was not found. Editing and executing command entries is not possible", m_backendName), i18n("Cantor"));
+        m_readOnly = true;
     }
+    else
+        m_readOnly = false;
 
-    if(!b->isEnabled())
+    if(!m_readOnly && !b->isEnabled())
     {
         QApplication::restoreOverrideCursor();
         KMessageBox::information(worksheetView(), i18n("There are some problems with the %1 backend,\n"\
                                             "please check your configuration or install the needed packages.\n"
-                                            "You will only be able to view this worksheet.", backendName), i18n("Cantor"));
+                                            "You will only be able to view this worksheet.", m_backendName), i18n("Cantor"));
 
     }
 
@@ -1056,7 +1066,8 @@
     }
 
 
-    m_session=b->createSession();
+    if (!m_readOnly)
+        m_session=b->createSession();
 
     qDebug()<<"loading entries";
     QDomElement expressionChild = root.firstChildElement();
@@ -1096,7 +1107,7 @@
     m_isLoadingFromFile = false;
 
     //Set the Highlighting, depending on the current state
-    //If the session isn't logged in, use the default
+    //If the session isn't logged in or readonly, use the default
     enableHighlighting( m_highlighter!=nullptr || Settings::highlightDefault() );
 
     emit loaded();
diff --git a/src/worksheettextitem.cpp b/src/worksheettextitem.cpp
--- a/src/worksheettextitem.cpp
+++ b/src/worksheettextitem.cpp
@@ -437,9 +437,6 @@
 
 void WorksheetTextItem::keyPressEvent(QKeyEvent *event)
 {
-    if (!isEditable())
-        return;
-
     switch (event->key()) {
     case Qt::Key_Left:
         if (event->modifiers() == Qt::NoModifier && textCursor().atStart()) {