diff --git a/configs/ems-config.yaml b/configs/ems-config.yaml
index aafddab..4a91cef 100644
--- a/configs/ems-config.yaml
+++ b/configs/ems-config.yaml
@@ -111,3 +111,4 @@ ems:
   recovery_timeout: "1h"             # ignore Shelly state if EMS was down longer
   override_timeout: "1h"             # default lockout when EMS detects external Shelly change
   override_max_import_w: 800         # cancel override immediately if importing more than this (0 = disabled)
+  monitor_only_file: "/etc/ems/monitor-only"  # presence of this file = monitor-only mode active
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index bd41840..d8bd49b 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ type EMSConfig struct {
 	RecoveryTimeout    string  `yaml:"recovery_timeout"`
 	OverrideTimeout    string  `yaml:"override_timeout"`
 	OverrideMaxImportW float64 `yaml:"override_max_import_w"` // cancel override if grid import exceeds this (0 = disabled)
+	MonitorOnlyFile    string  `yaml:"monitor_only_file"`     // flag file path: presence = monitor-only mode active
 }
 
 func (e *EMSConfig) PollIntervalParsed() time.Duration {
diff --git a/internal/monitor/mode.go b/internal/monitor/mode.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..87bf470
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/monitor/mode.go
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+// Package monitor provides a persistent monitor-only mode toggle.
+// When active, the EMS continues polling and showing the status page
+// but suppresses all actuator calls (Shelly switches, Viessmann API).
+// State is stored as a flag file: presence = active, absence = normal.
+package monitor
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"sync"
+)
+
+// Mode is a thread-safe, file-backed monitor-only flag.
+type Mode struct {
+	mu       sync.RWMutex
+	active   bool
+	filePath string
+}
+
+// New creates a Mode and loads the current state from the flag file.
+// If filePath is empty, the mode is in-memory only (not persistent).
+func New(filePath string) *Mode {
+	m := &Mode{filePath: filePath}
+	if filePath != "" {
+		_, err := os.Stat(filePath)
+		m.active = err == nil // file exists → monitor-only
+	}
+	return m
+}
+
+// IsActive reports whether monitor-only mode is currently enabled.
+func (m *Mode) IsActive() bool {
+	m.mu.RLock()
+	defer m.mu.RUnlock()
+	return m.active
+}
+
+// Set enables or disables monitor-only mode and persists the change to disk.
+func (m *Mode) Set(active bool) error {
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	defer m.mu.Unlock()
+
+	m.active = active
+
+	if m.filePath == "" {
+		return nil // in-memory only
+	}
+
+	if active {
+		f, err := os.Create(m.filePath)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		return f.Close()
+	}
+
+	err := os.Remove(m.filePath)
+	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return err
+}
diff --git a/internal/status/status.go b/internal/status/status.go
index 5a03f24..c4f13e7 100644
--- a/internal/status/status.go
+++ b/internal/status/status.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/tb/ems/internal/config"
 	"github.com/tb/ems/internal/engine"
 	"github.com/tb/ems/internal/forecast"
+	"github.com/tb/ems/internal/monitor"
 )
 
 // consumerMeta holds static display info for each consumer.
@@ -50,10 +51,11 @@ type Store struct {
 	strategic    config.StrategicConfig
 	consumers    map[engine.Consumer]*consumerRecord
 	fcResult     *forecast.Result
+	monitorMode  *monitor.Mode
 }
 
 // NewStore creates a new status store.
-func NewStore(dryRun bool, wwConfigured bool, strategic config.StrategicConfig) *Store {
+func NewStore(dryRun bool, wwConfigured bool, strategic config.StrategicConfig, mode *monitor.Mode) *Store {
 	consumers := make(map[engine.Consumer]*consumerRecord, len(consumerOrder))
 	for _, c := range consumerOrder {
 		consumers[c] = &consumerRecord{}
@@ -63,6 +65,7 @@ func NewStore(dryRun bool, wwConfigured bool, strategic config.StrategicConfig)
 		wwConfigured: wwConfigured,
 		strategic:    strategic,
 		consumers:    consumers,
+		monitorMode:  mode,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -148,6 +151,7 @@ type pageData struct {
 	LastUpdate       time.Time
 	ErrMsg           string
 	DryRun           bool
+	MonitorOnly      bool
 	BatterySOC       float64
 	GridPowerW       float64
 	PVProductionW    float64
@@ -227,6 +231,8 @@ func (s *Store) Handler() http.HandlerFunc {
 			return
 		}
 
+		monitorOnly := s.monitorMode != nil && s.monitorMode.IsActive()
+
 		s.mu.RLock()
 		l1, l2, l3 := s.state.PhaseL1PowerW, s.state.PhaseL2PowerW, s.state.PhaseL3PowerW
 		hasPhase := l1 != 0 || l2 != 0 || l3 != 0
@@ -234,6 +240,7 @@ func (s *Store) Handler() http.HandlerFunc {
 			LastUpdate:       s.lastUpdate,
 			ErrMsg:           s.errMsg,
 			DryRun:           s.dryRun,
+			MonitorOnly:      monitorOnly,
 			BatterySOC:       s.state.BatterySOC,
 			GridPowerW:       s.state.GridPowerW,
 			PVProductionW:    s.state.PVProductionW,
@@ -366,8 +373,27 @@ h1 { font-size: 1.4rem; font-weight: 700; color: #14532d; }
   font-size: 0.85rem;
   margin-bottom: 1rem;
 }
-.banner.warn  { background: #fef9c3; color: #854d0e; border: 1px solid #fde68a; }
-.banner.error { background: #fee2e2; color: #991b1b; border: 1px solid #fca5a5; }
+.banner.warn    { background: #fef9c3; color: #854d0e; border: 1px solid #fde68a; }
+.banner.error   { background: #fee2e2; color: #991b1b; border: 1px solid #fca5a5; }
+.banner.monitor {
+  background: #fff7ed; color: #9a3412; border: 1px solid #fed7aa;
+  display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: space-between; gap: 0.75rem;
+}
+.resume-btn {
+  background: #fff; border: 1px solid #9a3412; color: #9a3412;
+  border-radius: 7px; padding: 0.25rem 0.7rem; font-size: 0.8rem;
+  font-weight: 700; cursor: pointer; white-space: nowrap; flex-shrink: 0;
+}
+.resume-btn:active { opacity: 0.7; }
+.monitor-toggle {
+  text-align: center; margin-top: 1.5rem; padding-bottom: 0.5rem;
+}
+.monitor-toggle-btn {
+  background: none; border: 1px solid #d1d5db; color: #9ca3af;
+  border-radius: 8px; padding: 0.35rem 1rem; font-size: 0.75rem;
+  cursor: pointer;
+}
+.monitor-toggle-btn:hover { border-color: #9ca3af; color: #6b7280; }
 
 .grid {
   display: grid;
@@ -584,7 +610,14 @@ h1 { font-size: 1.4rem; font-weight: 700; color: #14532d; }
   {{end}}
 </header>
 
-{{if .DryRun}}
+{{if .MonitorOnly}}
+<div class="banner monitor">
+  <span>⏸ Monitor-Only — Keine Schaltvorgänge</span>
+  <form method="post" action="/monitor">
+    <button type="submit" class="resume-btn">▶ Automatik</button>
+  </form>
+</div>
+{{else if .DryRun}}
 <div class="banner warn">⚠️ Testmodus — keine echten Schaltvorgänge</div>
 {{end}}
 {{if .ErrMsg}}
@@ -729,5 +762,13 @@ h1 { font-size: 1.4rem; font-weight: 700; color: #14532d; }
 </div>
 {{end}}
 
+{{if not .MonitorOnly}}
+<div class="monitor-toggle">
+  <form method="post" action="/monitor">
+    <button type="submit" class="monitor-toggle-btn">⏸ Monitor-Only</button>
+  </form>
+</div>
+{{end}}
+
 </body>
 </html>`
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index df498f4..06a6fe3 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/tb/ems/internal/engine"
 	"github.com/tb/ems/internal/forecast"
 	"github.com/tb/ems/internal/metrics"
+	"github.com/tb/ems/internal/monitor"
 	"github.com/tb/ems/internal/status"
 	"github.com/tb/ems/internal/viessmann"
 )
@@ -103,9 +104,17 @@ func main() {
 	reg := prometheus.NewRegistry()
 	m := metrics.NewMetrics(reg)
 
+	// Monitor-only mode (persistent flag file)
+	monitorMode := monitor.New(cfg.EMS.MonitorOnlyFile)
+	if monitorMode.IsActive() {
+		logger.Warn("starting in monitor-only mode — actuator calls suppressed",
+			"flag_file", cfg.EMS.MonitorOnlyFile,
+		)
+	}
+
 	// Status store (shared between HTTP handler and control loop)
 	wwConfigured := cfg.Viessmann.InstallationID != ""
-	statusStore := status.NewStore(*dryRun, wwConfigured, cfg.Strategic)
+	statusStore := status.NewStore(*dryRun, wwConfigured, cfg.Strategic, monitorMode)
 
 	// Metrics HTTP server
 	mux := http.NewServeMux()
@@ -115,6 +124,7 @@ func main() {
 		w.Write([]byte("ok"))
 	})
 	mux.HandleFunc("/override", overrideHandler(act, eng, logger))
+	mux.HandleFunc("/monitor", monitorHandler(monitorMode, logger))
 	mux.HandleFunc("/", statusStore.Handler())
 
 	srv := &http.Server{
@@ -143,12 +153,12 @@ func main() {
 	logger.Info("EMS control loop started")
 
 	// Run once immediately
-	runCycle(ctx, coll, eng, act, fc, m, statusStore, cfg, cfg.EMS.StateFile, logger, *dryRun)
+	runCycle(ctx, coll, eng, act, fc, m, statusStore, cfg, cfg.EMS.StateFile, logger, *dryRun, monitorMode)
 
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-ticker.C:
-			runCycle(ctx, coll, eng, act, fc, m, statusStore, cfg, cfg.EMS.StateFile, logger, *dryRun)
+			runCycle(ctx, coll, eng, act, fc, m, statusStore, cfg, cfg.EMS.StateFile, logger, *dryRun, monitorMode)
 
 		case sig := <-sigCh:
 			logger.Info("received signal, shutting down", "signal", sig)
@@ -174,6 +184,7 @@ func runCycle(
 	stateFile string,
 	logger *slog.Logger,
 	dryRun bool,
+	monitorMode *monitor.Mode,
 ) {
 	now := time.Now()
 
@@ -240,9 +251,13 @@ func runCycle(
 	// Step 4: Execute actions
 	m.RecordActions(actions)
 
-	if dryRun {
+	if dryRun || monitorMode.IsActive() {
+		mode := "DRY RUN"
+		if monitorMode.IsActive() {
+			mode = "MONITOR-ONLY"
+		}
 		for _, a := range actions {
-			logger.Info("[DRY RUN] would execute",
+			logger.Info(fmt.Sprintf("[%s] would execute", mode),
 				"consumer", a.Consumer,
 				"turn_on", a.TurnOn,
 				"reason", a.Reason,
@@ -256,6 +271,24 @@ func runCycle(
 	}
 }
 
+// monitorHandler toggles monitor-only mode on POST and redirects to the status page.
+func monitorHandler(mode *monitor.Mode, logger *slog.Logger) http.HandlerFunc {
+	return func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if r.Method != http.MethodPost {
+			http.Redirect(w, r, "/", http.StatusSeeOther)
+			return
+		}
+		newState := !mode.IsActive()
+		if err := mode.Set(newState); err != nil {
+			logger.Error("failed to set monitor-only mode", "active", newState, "error", err)
+			http.Error(w, "could not update monitor mode — check logs", http.StatusInternalServerError)
+			return
+		}
+		logger.Info("monitor-only mode changed", "active", newState)
+		http.Redirect(w, r, "/", http.StatusSeeOther)
+	}
+}
+
 // shouldRecover checks the heartbeat file to decide whether to read back
 // Shelly states on startup. Returns false if the file is missing (first run)
 // or older than the recovery timeout.