diff --git a/lib/core/database/sql_mutation_classifier.dart b/lib/core/database/sql_mutation_classifier.dart
index b3366ddd..3f810118 100644
--- a/lib/core/database/sql_mutation_classifier.dart
+++ b/lib/core/database/sql_mutation_classifier.dart
@@ -35,3 +35,61 @@ bool containsMutatingSql(String sql, {bool backslashEscapes = true}) =>
       sql,
       backslashEscapes: backslashEscapes,
     ).any((s) => isMutatingSqlStatement(s, backslashEscapes: backslashEscapes));
+
+/// Statements other than DML / DDL that still write, run code or touch the
+/// server's files.
+const _readOnlyRefusedFirstWords = {
+  'CALL', 'DO', 'COPY', 'LOAD', 'REFRESH', 'COMMENT', 'VACUUM', 'REINDEX',
+  'CLUSTER', 'LOCK', 'IMPORT',
+};
+
+final _readOnlyEscape = RegExp(
+  r'\bREAD\s+WRITE\b|'
+  r'\b(?:DEFAULT_)?TRANSACTION_READ_ONLY\b|\bTX_READ_ONLY\b|\bREAD_ONLY\b',
+);
+final _setConfig = RegExp(r'\bSET_CONFIG\s*\(');
+final _explainAnalyze = RegExp(r'^EXPLAIN\s+(?:\(?[^)]*\b)?ANALY[SZ]E\b');
+
+/// Why the Read-only mode of the SQL editor refuses [statement], or null when
+/// it may run. Covers what [isMutatingSqlStatement] does and the ways a script
+/// could switch the session back to read-write (`SET ... transaction_read_only`,
+/// `BEGIN READ WRITE`, `SET TRANSACTION READ WRITE`, `set_config(...)`), plus
+/// `EXPLAIN ANALYZE` of a write and statements that run code or write files.
+String? readOnlyRefusal(String statement, {bool backslashEscapes = true}) {
+  final upper = DestructiveSqlDetector.stripCommentsAndStrings(
+    statement,
+    backslashEscapes: backslashEscapes,
+  ).trim().toUpperCase();
+  if (upper.isEmpty) return null;
+  final first = _firstWord.firstMatch(upper)?.group(1);
+  if (first == null) return null;
+  if (_explainAnalyze.hasMatch(upper) && _dataModifyingCte.hasMatch(upper)) {
+    return 'EXPLAIN ANALYZE of a data-modifying statement would run it';
+  }
+  if (isMutatingSqlStatement(statement, backslashEscapes: backslashEscapes)) {
+    return 'it changes data or schema';
+  }
+  if (_readOnlyRefusedFirstWords.contains(first)) {
+    return '$first can write or run code';
+  }
+  // `READ_ONLY` as a column name in a SELECT is fine; only the statements that
+  // set a session or transaction mode count.
+  final setsMode = first == 'SET' || first == 'BEGIN' || first == 'START';
+  if ((setsMode && _readOnlyEscape.hasMatch(upper)) ||
+      _setConfig.hasMatch(upper)) {
+    return 'it would switch the session out of read-only';
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
+/// The first reason in [sql] (a script) that Read-only mode refuses, or null.
+String? readOnlyScriptRefusal(String sql, {bool backslashEscapes = true}) {
+  for (final statement in DestructiveSqlDetector.splitStatements(
+    sql,
+    backslashEscapes: backslashEscapes,
+  )) {
+    final why = readOnlyRefusal(statement, backslashEscapes: backslashEscapes);
+    if (why != null) return why;
+  }
+  return null;
+}
diff --git a/lib/features/workspace/generic_sql_workspace.dart b/lib/features/workspace/generic_sql_workspace.dart
index 504b6128..089ded66 100644
--- a/lib/features/workspace/generic_sql_workspace.dart
+++ b/lib/features/workspace/generic_sql_workspace.dart
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import 'package:querya_desktop/core/database/sql_mutation_classifier.dart';
 import 'package:querya_desktop/shared/report_error.dart';
 import 'package:flutter/widgets.dart';
 import 'package:querya_desktop/core/erd/erd_saved_layout.dart';
@@ -612,6 +613,22 @@ class GenericSqlWorkspaceState extends material.State<GenericSqlWorkspace> {
     // whole script is one statement.
     final sent = texts.length == 1 ? [runSql] : texts;
 
+    // Read-only is a guarantee, not a session default: the server setting can
+    // be switched off by a script, so the editor does not send such a script.
+    if (widget.isReadOnly) {
+      final why = readOnlyScriptRefusal(
+        scope,
+        backslashEscapes: widget.dialect.backslashEscapesQuotes,
+      );
+      if (why != null) {
+        setState(() {
+          session.error = 'Read-only mode is on and $why. '
+              'Turn Read-only off to run it.';
+        });
+        return;
+      }
+    }
+
     final safeToProceed = await confirmDiscardTableEditsIfDirty(
       context: context,
       buffer: session.stagingBuffer,
diff --git a/test/core/database/sql_mutation_classifier_test.dart b/test/core/database/sql_mutation_classifier_test.dart
index 717be9b3..4033b5fc 100644
--- a/test/core/database/sql_mutation_classifier_test.dart
+++ b/test/core/database/sql_mutation_classifier_test.dart
@@ -79,4 +79,56 @@ void main() {
       expect(containsMutatingSql(sql, backslashEscapes: false), isTrue);
     });
   });
+
+  group('readOnlyRefusal (#1773)', () {
+    test('refuses writes and every way back to read-write', () {
+      for (final sql in [
+        'INSERT INTO t VALUES (1)',
+        'DROP TABLE t',
+        'BEGIN READ WRITE',
+        'START TRANSACTION READ WRITE',
+        'SET TRANSACTION READ WRITE',
+        'SET SESSION CHARACTERISTICS AS TRANSACTION READ WRITE',
+        'SET default_transaction_read_only = off',
+        'SET SESSION transaction_read_only = off',
+        'SET SESSION TRANSACTION READ WRITE',
+        'SET GLOBAL read_only = 0',
+        "SELECT set_config('default_transaction_read_only', 'off', false)",
+        'EXPLAIN ANALYZE DELETE FROM t',
+        'EXPLAIN (ANALYZE, VERBOSE) UPDATE t SET a = 1',
+        'WITH d AS (DELETE FROM t RETURNING *) SELECT * FROM d',
+        'CALL do_things()',
+        "DO \$\$ BEGIN DELETE FROM t; END \$\$",
+        "COPY t TO '/tmp/x'",
+        'VACUUM t',
+      ]) {
+        expect(readOnlyRefusal(sql), isNotNull, reason: sql);
+      }
+    });
+
+    test('lets reading and harmless settings through', () {
+      for (final sql in [
+        'SELECT * FROM t',
+        'SELECT read_only FROM flags',
+        "SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'read_only'",
+        'SET search_path TO public',
+        'SET TRANSACTION READ ONLY',
+        'BEGIN READ ONLY',
+        'BEGIN',
+        'EXPLAIN SELECT 1',
+        'EXPLAIN DELETE FROM t',
+        'EXPLAIN ANALYZE SELECT 1',
+        "SELECT 'BEGIN READ WRITE' AS s",
+        '-- BEGIN READ WRITE\nSELECT 1',
+      ]) {
+        expect(readOnlyRefusal(sql), isNull, reason: sql);
+      }
+    });
+
+    test('a script is refused when any statement is', () {
+      expect(readOnlyScriptRefusal('SELECT 1; SET default_transaction_read_only = off; DELETE FROM t'),
+          isNotNull);
+      expect(readOnlyScriptRefusal('SELECT 1; SELECT 2'), isNull);
+    });
+  });
 }