diff --git a/frontend/src/app/features/content/shared/references/reference-dropdown.component.ts b/frontend/src/app/features/content/shared/references/reference-dropdown.component.ts
index ec021f8d4..c895ae429 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/features/content/shared/references/reference-dropdown.component.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/features/content/shared/references/reference-dropdown.component.ts
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ export class ReferenceDropdownComponent extends StatefulControlComponent<State,
     private resetContentNames(rebuild: boolean) {
         const success = this.isValid && !this.isLoadingFailed;
 
-        this.onDisabled(!success);
+        this.onDisabled(!success || this.snapshot.isDisabled);
 
         if (success && rebuild) {
             const contentNames: ContentName[] = [
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/features/content/shared/references/references-checkboxes.component.ts b/frontend/src/app/features/content/shared/references/references-checkboxes.component.ts
index d44e1fa16..ebcde256c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/features/content/shared/references/references-checkboxes.component.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/features/content/shared/references/references-checkboxes.component.ts
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ export class ReferencesCheckboxesComponent extends StatefulControlComponent<Stat
     private resetConverterState() {
         const success = this.isValid && this.contentItems && this.contentItems.length > 0;
 
-        this.onDisabled(!success);
+        this.onDisabled(!success || this.snapshot.isDisabled);
 
         let converter: ReferencesTagsConverter;
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/features/content/shared/references/references-tags.component.ts b/frontend/src/app/features/content/shared/references/references-tags.component.ts
index 334438276..35047c6fb 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/features/content/shared/references/references-tags.component.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/features/content/shared/references/references-tags.component.ts
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ export class ReferencesTagsComponent extends StatefulControlComponent<State, Rea
     private resetConverterState(rebuild: boolean) {
         const success = this.isValid && !this.isLoadingFailed;
 
-        this.onDisabled(!success);
+        this.onDisabled(!success || this.snapshot.isDisabled);
 
         if (rebuild) {
             const converter = new ReferencesTagsConverter(this.language, this.contents, this.localizer);
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/shared/components/references/reference-input.component.html b/frontend/src/app/shared/components/references/reference-input.component.html
index ebde93d3f..b73ebddee 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/shared/components/references/reference-input.component.html
+++ b/frontend/src/app/shared/components/references/reference-input.component.html
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <div class="input-group">
-    <input class="form-control" readonly [ngModel]="snapshot.selectedName" (click)="contentSelectorDialog.show()" />
+    <input class="form-control" readonly [ngModel]="snapshot.selectedName" (click)="openDialog()" />
 
-    <button type="button" class="btn btn-outline-secondary" (click)="selectContent()" sqxStopClick>
+    <button type="button" class="btn btn-outline-secondary" [disabled]="snapshot.isDisabled" (click)="selectContent()" sqxStopClick>
         <i class="icon-close"></i>
     </button>
 </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/shared/components/references/reference-input.component.ts b/frontend/src/app/shared/components/references/reference-input.component.ts
index bf16926c0..992ea2b14 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/shared/components/references/reference-input.component.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/shared/components/references/reference-input.component.ts
@@ -86,6 +86,14 @@ export class ReferenceInputComponent extends StatefulControlComponent<State, Rea
             });
     }
 
+    public openDialog() {
+        if (this.snapshot.isDisabled) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        this.contentSelectorDialog.show();
+    }
+
     public select(contents: ReadonlyArray<ContentDto>) {
         if (contents.length > 0) {
             this.selectContent(contents[0]);
@@ -95,6 +103,10 @@ export class ReferenceInputComponent extends StatefulControlComponent<State, Rea
     }
 
     public selectContent(selectedContent?: ContentDto) {
+        if (this.snapshot.isDisabled) {
+            return;
+        }
+        
         const id = selectedContent?.id;
 
         if (id) {