diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/admin/options.py b/django/contrib/gis/admin/options.py
index fff1cb20a6bd1..a1da28108d735 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/admin/options.py
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/admin/options.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ def formfield_for_dbfield(self, db_field, **kwargs):
     def get_map_widget(self, db_field):
         """
         Returns a subclass of the OpenLayersWidget (or whatever was specified
-        in the `widget` attribute) using the settings from the attributes set 
+        in the `widget` attribute) using the settings from the attributes set
         in this class.
         """
         is_collection = db_field.geom_type in ('MULTIPOINT', 'MULTILINESTRING', 'MULTIPOLYGON', 'GEOMETRYCOLLECTION')
@@ -111,12 +111,6 @@ class OLMap(self.widget):
                       }
         return OLMap
 
-# Using the Beta OSM in the admin requires the following:
-#  (1) The Google Maps Mercator projection needs to be added
-#      to your `spatial_ref_sys` table.  You'll need at least GDAL 1.5:
-#      >>> from django.contrib.gis.gdal import SpatialReference
-#      >>> from django.contrib.gis.utils import add_postgis_srs
-#      >>> add_postgis_srs(SpatialReference(900913)) # Adding the Google Projection 
 from django.contrib.gis import gdal
 if gdal.HAS_GDAL:
     class OSMGeoAdmin(GeoModelAdmin):
diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/templates/gis/admin/openlayers.js b/django/contrib/gis/templates/gis/admin/openlayers.js
index 93286cc464784..4324693c78223 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/templates/gis/admin/openlayers.js
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/templates/gis/admin/openlayers.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 {# Author: Justin Bronn, Travis Pinney & Dane Springmeyer #}
 {% block vars %}var {{ module }} = {};
-{{ module }}.map = null; {{ module }}.controls = null; {{ module }}.panel = null; {{ module }}.re = new RegExp("^SRID=\d+;(.+)", "i"); {{ module }}.layers = {}; 
+{{ module }}.map = null; {{ module }}.controls = null; {{ module }}.panel = null; {{ module }}.re = new RegExp("^SRID=\d+;(.+)", "i"); {{ module }}.layers = {};
+{{ module }}.modifiable = {{ modifiable|yesno:"true,false" }};
 {{ module }}.wkt_f = new OpenLayers.Format.WKT();
 {{ module }}.is_collection = {{ is_collection|yesno:"true,false" }};
 {{ module }}.collection_type = '{{ collection_type }}';
@@ -43,10 +44,10 @@
 {{ module }}.modify_wkt = function(event){
   if ({{ module }}.is_collection){
     if ({{ module }}.is_point){
-      {{ module }}.add_wkt(event); 
+      {{ module }}.add_wkt(event);
       return;
     } else {
-      // When modifying the selected components are added to the 
+      // When modifying the selected components are added to the
       // vector layer so we only increment to the `num_geom` value.
       var feat = new OpenLayers.Feature.Vector(new OpenLayers.Geometry.{{ geom_type }}());
       for (var i = 0; i < {{ module }}.num_geom; i++){
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@
   {{ module }}.map.setCenter(new OpenLayers.LonLat({{ default_lon }}, {{ default_lat }}), {{ default_zoom }});
 }
 // Add Select control
-{{ module }}.addSelectControl = function(){   
+{{ module }}.addSelectControl = function(){
   var select = new OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature({{ module }}.layers.vector, {'toggle' : true, 'clickout' : true});
   {{ module }}.map.addControl(select);
   select.activate();
@@ -88,16 +89,20 @@
   } else if ({{ module }}.is_point){
     draw_ctl = new OpenLayers.Control.DrawFeature(lyr, OpenLayers.Handler.Point, {'displayClass': 'olControlDrawFeaturePoint'});
   }
-  {% if modifiable %}
-  var mod = new OpenLayers.Control.ModifyFeature(lyr, {'displayClass': 'olControlModifyFeature'});
-  {{ module }}.controls = [nav, draw_ctl, mod];
-  {% else %}
-  {{ module }}.controls = [nav, darw_ctl];
-  {% endif %}  
+  if ({{ module }}.modifiable){
+    var mod = new OpenLayers.Control.ModifyFeature(lyr, {'displayClass': 'olControlModifyFeature'});
+    {{ module }}.controls = [nav, draw_ctl, mod];
+  } else {
+    if(!lyr.features.length){
+      {{ module }}.controls = [nav, draw_ctl];
+    } else {
+      {{ module }}.controls = [nav];
+    }
+  }
 }
 {{ module }}.init = function(){
     {% block map_options %}// The options hash, w/ zoom, resolution, and projection settings.
-    var options = { 
+    var options = {
 {% autoescape off %}{% for item in map_options.items %}      '{{ item.0 }}' : {{ item.1 }}{% if not forloop.last %},{% endif %}
 {% endfor %}{% endautoescape %}    };{% endblock %}
     // The admin map for this geometry field.
@@ -112,7 +117,7 @@
     // Read WKT from the text field.
     var wkt = document.getElementById('{{ id }}').value;
     if (wkt){
-      // After reading into geometry, immediately write back to 
+      // After reading into geometry, immediately write back to
       // WKT <textarea> as EWKT (so that SRID is included).
       var admin_geom = {{ module }}.read_wkt(wkt);
       {{ module }}.write_wkt(admin_geom);
@@ -128,14 +133,14 @@
       // Zooming to the bounds.
       {{ module }}.map.zoomToExtent(admin_geom.geometry.getBounds());
       if ({{ module }}.is_point){
-          {{ module }}.map.zoomTo({{ point_zoom }}); 
+          {{ module }}.map.zoomTo({{ point_zoom }});
       }
     } else {
       {{ module }}.map.setCenter(new OpenLayers.LonLat({{ default_lon }}, {{ default_lat }}), {{ default_zoom }});
     }
     // This allows editing of the geographic fields -- the modified WKT is
     // written back to the content field (as EWKT, so that the ORM will know
-    // to transform back to original SRID). 
+    // to transform back to original SRID).
     {{ module }}.layers.vector.events.on({"featuremodified" : {{ module }}.modify_wkt});
     {{ module }}.layers.vector.events.on({"featureadded" : {{ module }}.add_wkt});
     {% block controls %}
@@ -153,7 +158,9 @@
     {% if not scrollable %}{{ module }}.map.getControlsByClass('OpenLayers.Control.Navigation')[0].disableZoomWheel();{% endif %}
     {% endblock %}
     if (wkt){
-      {{ module }}.enableEditing();
+      if ({{ module }}.modifiable){
+        {{ module }}.enableEditing();
+      }
     } else {
       {{ module }}.enableDrawing();
     }
diff --git a/docs/ref/contrib/gis/admin.txt b/docs/ref/contrib/gis/admin.txt
index dc2336d9da505..df93c585049ea 100644
--- a/docs/ref/contrib/gis/admin.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/contrib/gis/admin.txt
@@ -47,11 +47,26 @@ GeoDjango's admin site
    Link to the URL of the OpenLayers JavaScript.  Defaults to
    ``'http://openlayers.org/api/2.8/OpenLayers.js'``.
 
+
+   .. attribute:: modifiable
+
+   Defaults to ``False``.  When set to to ``True``, disables editing of
+   existing geometry fields in the admin.
+
+   .. note::
+   
+       This is different from adding the geometry field to
+       :attr:`~django.contrib.admin.ModelAdmin.readonly_fields`,
+       which will only display the WKT of the geometry. Setting
+       ``modifiable=False``, actually displays the geometry in a map,
+       but disables the ability to edit its vertices.
+
 ``OSMGeoAdmin``
 ===============
 
 .. class:: OSMGeoAdmin
 
    A subclass of :class:`GeoModelAdmin` that uses a spherical mercator projection
-   with OpenStreetMap street data tiles.  See the :ref:`OSMGeoAdmin introduction <osmgeoadmin-intro>`
+   with `OpenStreetMap <http://openstreetmap.org/>`_ street data tiles.
+   See the :ref:`OSMGeoAdmin introduction <osmgeoadmin-intro>`
    in the tutorial for a usage example.