diff --git a/cmd/micro/micro.go b/cmd/micro/micro.go
index 396c414a..52f69518 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/micro.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/micro.go
@@ -51,10 +51,9 @@ func InitFlags() {
 
 	optionFlags = make(map[string]*string)
 
-	for k, v := range config.DefaultGlobalSettings() {
+	for k, v := range config.DefaultAllSettings() {
 		optionFlags[k] = flag.String(k, "", fmt.Sprintf("The %s option. Default value: '%v'.", k, v))
 	}
-	optionFlags["filetype"] = flag.String("filetype", "", fmt.Sprintf("The filetype option. Autodetected by default."))
 
 	flag.Parse()
 
@@ -69,7 +68,7 @@ func InitFlags() {
 	if *flagOptions {
 		// If -options was passed
 		var keys []string
-		m := config.DefaultGlobalSettings()
+		m := config.DefaultAllSettings()
 		for k, _ := range m {
 			keys = append(keys, k)
 		}
@@ -154,15 +153,13 @@ func main() {
 
 	// flag options
 	for k, v := range optionFlags {
-		if *v != "" && k != "filetype" {
-			nativeValue, err := config.GetNativeValue(k, config.GlobalSettings[k], *v)
+		if *v != "" {
+			nativeValue, err := config.GetNativeValue(k, config.DefaultAllSettings()[k], *v)
 			if err != nil {
 				screen.TermMessage(err)
 				continue
 			}
 			config.GlobalSettings[k] = nativeValue
-		} else if k == "filetype" && *v != "" {
-			config.GlobalSettings[k] = *v
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -199,8 +196,10 @@ func main() {
 	action.InitTabs(b)
 	action.InitGlobals()
 
-	if _, ok := config.GlobalSettings["filetype"]; ok {
-		delete(config.GlobalSettings, "filetype")
+	for _, s := range config.LocalSettings {
+		if _, ok := config.GlobalSettings[s]; ok {
+			delete(config.GlobalSettings, s)
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Here is the event loop which runs in a separate thread
diff --git a/internal/buffer/buffer.go b/internal/buffer/buffer.go
index 5e74ac5f..b7583799 100644
--- a/internal/buffer/buffer.go
+++ b/internal/buffer/buffer.go
@@ -196,6 +196,10 @@ func NewBuffer(r io.Reader, size int64, path string, startcursor Loc, btype BufT
 		b.EventHandler = NewEventHandler(b.SharedBuffer, b.cursors)
 	}
 
+	if b.Settings["readonly"].(bool) {
+		b.Type.Readonly = true
+	}
+
 	b.Path = path
 	b.AbsPath = absPath
 
diff --git a/internal/buffer/settings.go b/internal/buffer/settings.go
index 1d9801ad..6b43bbb7 100644
--- a/internal/buffer/settings.go
+++ b/internal/buffer/settings.go
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ func (b *Buffer) SetOptionNative(option string, nativeValue interface{}) error {
 		}
 	} else if option == "encoding" {
 		b.isModified = true
+	} else if option == "readonly" {
+		b.Type.Readonly = nativeValue.(bool)
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/internal/config/settings.go b/internal/config/settings.go
index 45c39634..a775a1c0 100644
--- a/internal/config/settings.go
+++ b/internal/config/settings.go
@@ -194,14 +194,27 @@ func DefaultGlobalSettings() map[string]interface{} {
 	return common
 }
 
+// LocalSettings is a list of the local only settings
+var LocalSettings = []string{"filetype", "readonly"}
+
 // DefaultLocalSettings returns the default local settings
 // Note that filetype is a local only option
 func DefaultLocalSettings() map[string]interface{} {
 	common := DefaultCommonSettings()
 	common["filetype"] = "unknown"
+	common["readonly"] = false
 	return common
 }
 
+func DefaultAllSettings() map[string]interface{} {
+	global := DefaultGlobalSettings()
+	local := DefaultLocalSettings()
+	for k, v := range global {
+		local[k] = v
+	}
+	return local
+}
+
 func GetNativeValue(option string, realValue interface{}, value string) (interface{}, error) {
 	var native interface{}
 	kind := reflect.TypeOf(realValue).Kind()