diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiThesaurus.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiThesaurus.cpp
index 494c525788..86ed9598ab 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiThesaurus.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiThesaurus.cpp
@@ -86,7 +86,16 @@ GuiThesaurus::GuiThesaurus(GuiView & lv)
 	bc().setPolicy(ButtonPolicy::OkApplyCancelReadOnlyPolicy);
 }
 
-
+void GuiThesaurus::checkStatus()
+{
+	if (!isBufferAvailable()) {
+		// deactivate the thesaurus if we have no buffer
+		enableView(false);
+		return;
+	}
+	updateView();
+}
+	
 void GuiThesaurus::change_adaptor()
 {
 	changed();
@@ -119,7 +128,7 @@ void GuiThesaurus::selectionChanged()
 	if (pos > -1)
 		item = rex.cap(2).trimmed();
 	replaceED->setText(item);
-	replacePB->setEnabled(true);
+	replacePB->setEnabled(!isBufferReadonly());
 	changed();
 }
 
@@ -182,8 +191,9 @@ void GuiThesaurus::updateLists()
 			}
 		meaningsTV->setEnabled(true);
 		lookupPB->setEnabled(true);
-		replaceED->setEnabled(true);
-		replacePB->setEnabled(true);
+		bool const readonly = isBufferReadonly();
+		replaceED->setEnabled(!readonly);
+		replacePB->setEnabled(!readonly);
 	}
 
 	if (meanings.empty()) {
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiThesaurus.h b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiThesaurus.h
index 57544a6b3e..17f9ebf179 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiThesaurus.h
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiThesaurus.h
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ class GuiThesaurus : public GuiDialog, public Ui::ThesaurusUi
 public:
 	GuiThesaurus(GuiView & lv);
 
+	void checkStatus();
+
 private Q_SLOTS:
 	void change_adaptor();
 	void entryChanged();