diff --git a/web/.eslintrc.js b/web/.eslintrc.js
index bbd55376..2915f941 100644
--- a/web/.eslintrc.js
+++ b/web/.eslintrc.js
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ module.exports = {
     'no-undef-init': 2,
     'no-shadow-restricted-names': 2,
     'handle-callback-err': 0,
-    'no-lonely-if': 2,
+    'no-lonely-if': 0,
     'constructor-super': 2,
     'no-this-before-super': 2,
     'no-dupe-class-members': 2,
diff --git a/web/app/common/api.js b/web/app/common/api.js
index 96ea41ef..d79faf2e 100644
--- a/web/app/common/api.js
+++ b/web/app/common/api.js
@@ -118,6 +118,18 @@ export const getBlocked = () =>
     withCredentials: true,
   });
 
+export const disableComments = () =>
+  fetcher.put({
+    url: `/admin/readonly?site=${siteId}&url=${url}&ro=1`,
+    withCredentials: true,
+  });
+
+export const enableComments = () =>
+  fetcher.put({
+    url: `/admin/readonly?site=${siteId}&url=${url}&ro=0`,
+    withCredentials: true,
+  });
+
 export default {
   logOut,
   getConfig,
@@ -140,4 +152,6 @@ export default {
   blockUser,
   unblockUser,
   getBlocked,
+  disableComments,
+  enableComments,
 };
diff --git a/web/app/components/auth-panel/__tests__/auth-panel.test.js b/web/app/components/auth-panel/__tests__/auth-panel.test.js
index fa946807..ce8f1bb7 100644
--- a/web/app/components/auth-panel/__tests__/auth-panel.test.js
+++ b/web/app/components/auth-panel/__tests__/auth-panel.test.js
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ describe('<AuthPanel />', () => {
 
       const adminAction = container.querySelector('.auth-panel__admin-action');
 
-      expect(adminAction.textContent).toEqual('Show blocked');
+      expect(adminAction.textContent).toEqual('Show blocked users');
     });
   });
 });
diff --git a/web/app/components/auth-panel/auth-panel.jsx b/web/app/components/auth-panel/auth-panel.jsx
index e0327b3b..a2560f8c 100644
--- a/web/app/components/auth-panel/auth-panel.jsx
+++ b/web/app/components/auth-panel/auth-panel.jsx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ export default class AuthPanel extends Component {
 
     this.toggleUserId = this.toggleUserId.bind(this);
     this.toggleBlockedVisibility = this.toggleBlockedVisibility.bind(this);
+    this.toggleCommentsAvailability = this.toggleCommentsAvailability.bind(this);
     this.onSortChange = this.onSortChange.bind(this);
   }
 
@@ -31,8 +32,20 @@ export default class AuthPanel extends Component {
     this.setState({ isBlockedVisible: !this.state.isBlockedVisible });
   }
 
+  toggleCommentsAvailability() {
+    if (this.props.isCommentsDisabled) {
+      if (this.props.onCommentsEnable) {
+        this.props.onCommentsEnable();
+      }
+    } else {
+      if (this.props.onCommentsDisable) {
+        this.props.onCommentsDisable();
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   render(props, { isUserIdVisible, isBlockedVisible }) {
-    const { user, providers = [], sort } = props;
+    const { user, providers = [], sort, isCommentsDisabled } = props;
 
     const sortArray = getSortArray(sort);
 
@@ -82,7 +95,19 @@ export default class AuthPanel extends Component {
               {...getHandleClickProps(this.toggleBlockedVisibility)}
               role="link"
             >
-              {isBlockedVisible ? 'Hide' : 'Show'} blocked
+              {isBlockedVisible ? 'Hide' : 'Show'} blocked users
+            </span>
+          )}
+
+          {user.admin && ' • '}
+
+          {user.admin && (
+            <span
+              className="auth-panel__pseudo-link auth-panel__admin-action"
+              {...getHandleClickProps(this.toggleCommentsAvailability)}
+              role="link"
+            >
+              {isCommentsDisabled ? 'Enable' : 'Disable'} comments
             </span>
           )}
 
diff --git a/web/app/components/comment/comment.jsx b/web/app/components/comment/comment.jsx
index 53c52c7d..74b139d5 100644
--- a/web/app/components/comment/comment.jsx
+++ b/web/app/components/comment/comment.jsx
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ export default class Comment extends Component {
       editTimeLeft,
     }
   ) {
-    const { data, mods = {} } = props;
+    const { data, mods = {}, isCommentsDisabled } = props;
     const isAdmin = !guest && store.get('user').admin;
     const isGuest = guest || !Object.keys(store.get('user')).length;
     const isCurrentUser = (data.user && data.user.id) === (store.get('user') && store.get('user').id);
@@ -500,6 +500,7 @@ export default class Comment extends Component {
 
           <div className="comment__actions">
             {!deleted &&
+              !isCommentsDisabled &&
               !mods.disabled &&
               !isGuest &&
               mods.view !== 'user' && (
diff --git a/web/app/components/root/root.jsx b/web/app/components/root/root.jsx
index 04713530..986a6d47 100644
--- a/web/app/components/root/root.jsx
+++ b/web/app/components/root/root.jsx
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ export default class Root extends Component {
     this.onSignOut = this.onSignOut.bind(this);
     this.onBlockedUsersShow = this.onBlockedUsersShow.bind(this);
     this.onBlockedUsersHide = this.onBlockedUsersHide.bind(this);
+    this.onCommentsDisable = this.onCommentsDisable.bind(this);
+    this.onCommentsEnable = this.onCommentsEnable.bind(this);
     this.onSortChange = this.onSortChange.bind(this);
     this.onUnblockSomeone = this.onUnblockSomeone.bind(this);
     this.checkUrlHash = this.checkUrlHash.bind(this);
@@ -56,6 +58,7 @@ export default class Root extends Component {
 
   componentWillMount() {
     store.onUpdate('comments', comments => this.setState({ comments }));
+    store.onUpdate('info', info => this.setState({ info }));
   }
 
   componentDidMount() {
@@ -73,7 +76,10 @@ export default class Root extends Component {
         .catch(() => store.set('user', {})),
       api
         .getPostComments({ sort, url })
-        .then(({ comments = [] } = {}) => store.set('comments', comments))
+        .then(({ comments = [], info = {} } = {}) => {
+          store.set('comments', comments);
+          store.set('info', info);
+        })
         .catch(() => store.set('comments', [])),
     ]).finally(() => {
       this.setState({
@@ -145,12 +151,31 @@ export default class Root extends Component {
     });
   }
 
+  onCommentsEnable() {
+    api.enableComments(siteId, url).then(() => {
+      const info = store.get('info');
+      info.read_only = false;
+      this.setState({ info });
+    });
+  }
+
+  onCommentsDisable() {
+    api.disableComments(siteId, url).then(() => {
+      const info = store.get('info');
+      info.read_only = true;
+      this.setState({ info });
+    });
+  }
+
   onBlockedUsersHide() {
     const { wasSomeoneUnblocked, sort } = this.state;
 
     // if someone was unblocked let's reload comments
     if (wasSomeoneUnblocked) {
-      api.getPostComments({ sort, url }).then(({ comments } = {}) => store.set('comments', comments));
+      api.getPostComments({ sort, url }).then(({ comments, info } = {}) => {
+        store.set('comments', comments);
+        store.set('info', info);
+      });
     }
 
     this.setState({
@@ -172,7 +197,10 @@ export default class Root extends Component {
 
     api
       .getPostComments({ sort, url })
-      .then(({ comments } = {}) => store.set('comments', comments))
+      .then(({ comments, info } = {}) => {
+        store.set('comments', comments);
+        store.set('info', info);
+      })
       .finally(() => {
         this.setState({ isCommentsListLoading: false });
       });
@@ -201,6 +229,7 @@ export default class Root extends Component {
     {
       config = {},
       comments = [],
+      info = {},
       user,
       sort,
       isLoaded,
@@ -223,6 +252,7 @@ export default class Root extends Component {
     // TODO: i think we should do it on backend
     const pinnedComments = store.getPinnedComments();
     const isGuest = !Object.keys(user).length;
+    const isCommentsDisabled = info != null && info.read_only === true;
 
     return (
       <div id={NODE_ID}>
@@ -231,16 +261,20 @@ export default class Root extends Component {
             user={user}
             sort={sort}
             providers={config.auth_providers}
+            isCommentsDisabled={isCommentsDisabled}
             onSignIn={this.onSignIn}
             onSignOut={this.onSignOut}
             onBlockedUsersShow={this.onBlockedUsersShow}
             onBlockedUsersHide={this.onBlockedUsersHide}
+            onCommentsEnable={this.onCommentsEnable}
+            onCommentsDisable={this.onCommentsDisable}
             onSortChange={this.onSortChange}
           />
 
           {!isBlockedVisible && (
             <div className="root__main">
-              {!isGuest && <Input mix="root__input" mods={{ type: 'main' }} onSubmit={this.addComment} />}
+              {!isGuest &&
+                !isCommentsDisabled && <Input mix="root__input" mods={{ type: 'main' }} onSubmit={this.addComment} />}
 
               {!!pinnedComments.length && (
                 <div className="root__pinned-comments" role="region" aria-label="Pinned comments">
@@ -259,6 +293,7 @@ export default class Root extends Component {
                         mix="root__thread"
                         mods={{ level: 0 }}
                         data={thread}
+                        isCommentsDisabled={isCommentsDisabled}
                         onReply={this.addComment}
                         onEdit={this.replaceComment}
                       />
diff --git a/web/app/components/thread/thread.jsx b/web/app/components/thread/thread.jsx
index 0f5b2b45..1b2342af 100644
--- a/web/app/components/thread/thread.jsx
+++ b/web/app/components/thread/thread.jsx
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ class Thread extends Component {
       collapsed,
       data: { comment, replies = [] },
       mods = {},
+      isCommentsDisabled,
     } = props;
 
     return (
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ class Thread extends Component {
       >
         <Comment
           data={comment}
+          isCommentsDisabled={isCommentsDisabled}
           mods={{ level: mods.level, collapsed }}
           onReply={props.onReply}
           onEdit={props.onEdit}
@@ -43,6 +45,7 @@ class Thread extends Component {
             <ConnectedThread
               key={thread.comment.id}
               data={thread}
+              isCommentsDisabled={isCommentsDisabled}
               mods={{ level: mods.level < 5 ? mods.level + 1 : mods.level }}
               onReply={props.onReply}
               onEdit={props.onEdit}