diff --git a/src/components/App.tsx b/src/components/App.tsx
index 83c9a0dd8317..4f41ff542659 100644
--- a/src/components/App.tsx
+++ b/src/components/App.tsx
@@ -2468,8 +2468,11 @@ class App extends React.Component<AppProps, AppState> {
 
   private setActiveTool = (
     tool:
-      | { type: typeof SHAPES[number]["value"] | "eraser" | "hand" }
-      | { type: "custom"; customType: string },
+      | {
+          type: typeof SHAPES[number]["value"] | "eraser" | "hand";
+          locked?: boolean;
+        }
+      | { type: "custom"; customType: string; locked?: boolean },
   ) => {
     const nextActiveTool = updateActiveTool(this.state, tool);
     if (nextActiveTool.type === "hand") {
diff --git a/src/excalidraw-app/index.tsx b/src/excalidraw-app/index.tsx
index c6b69713ce6e..d52b56747d27 100644
--- a/src/excalidraw-app/index.tsx
+++ b/src/excalidraw-app/index.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import polyfill from "../polyfill";
 import LanguageDetector from "i18next-browser-languagedetector";
-import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { trackEvent } from "../analytics";
 import { getDefaultAppState } from "../appState";
 import { ErrorDialog } from "../components/ErrorDialog";
@@ -21,7 +21,13 @@ import {
 } from "../element/types";
 import { useCallbackRefState } from "../hooks/useCallbackRefState";
 import { t } from "../i18n";
-import { Excalidraw, defaultLang } from "../packages/excalidraw/index";
+import {
+  Excalidraw,
+  defaultLang,
+  Footer,
+  Button,
+  Sidebar,
+} from "../packages/excalidraw/index";
 import {
   AppState,
   LibraryItems,
@@ -76,7 +82,6 @@ import { reconcileElements } from "./collab/reconciliation";
 import { parseLibraryTokensFromUrl, useHandleLibrary } from "../data/library";
 import { AppMainMenu } from "./components/AppMainMenu";
 import { AppWelcomeScreen } from "./components/AppWelcomeScreen";
-import { AppFooter } from "./components/AppFooter";
 import { atom, Provider, useAtom, useAtomValue } from "jotai";
 import { useAtomWithInitialValue } from "../jotai";
 import { appJotaiStore } from "./app-jotai";
@@ -600,6 +605,70 @@ const ExcalidrawWrapper = () => {
 
   const isOffline = useAtomValue(isOfflineAtom);
 
+  const [activeToolType, setActiveToolType] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const prevActiveTool = useRef<{
+    type: string;
+    locked?: boolean;
+    prevLockState?: boolean;
+  }>();
+
+  const toggleCommentTool = useCallback(() => {
+    const nextType =
+      excalidrawAPI?.getAppState().activeTool?.customType === "comment"
+        ? "selection"
+        : "comment";
+    excalidrawAPI?.setActiveTool(
+      nextType === "comment"
+        ? {
+            type: "custom",
+            customType: "comment",
+            locked: true,
+          }
+        : { type: "selection" },
+    );
+  }, [excalidrawAPI]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (excalidrawAPI) {
+      const unsubOnChange = excalidrawAPI.onChange((_, appState) => {
+        const type = appState.activeTool.customType || appState.activeTool.type;
+        if (
+          prevActiveTool.current?.type === "comment" &&
+          type !== "comment" &&
+          !prevActiveTool.current?.prevLockState
+        ) {
+          excalidrawAPI.setActiveTool({
+            ...appState.activeTool,
+            locked: false,
+          });
+        }
+        setActiveToolType(type);
+        prevActiveTool.current = {
+          type,
+          locked: appState.activeTool.locked,
+          prevLockState:
+            prevActiveTool.current?.type !== "comment"
+              ? prevActiveTool.current?.locked
+              : prevActiveTool.current?.prevLockState,
+        };
+      });
+
+      // on C keypress
+      const onKeyDown = (event: KeyboardEvent) => {
+        if (event.code === "KeyC") {
+          toggleCommentTool();
+        }
+      };
+
+      window.addEventListener("keydown", onKeyDown);
+
+      return () => {
+        window.removeEventListener("keydown", onKeyDown);
+        unsubOnChange();
+      };
+    }
+  }, [excalidrawAPI, toggleCommentTool]);
+
   return (
     <div
       style={{ height: "100%" }}
@@ -651,7 +720,25 @@ const ExcalidrawWrapper = () => {
           isCollaborating={isCollaborating}
         />
         <AppWelcomeScreen setCollabDialogShown={setCollabDialogShown} />
-        <AppFooter />
+        <Sidebar name="custom">test</Sidebar>
+        <Footer>
+          <div
+            style={{
+              display: "flex",
+              gap: ".5rem",
+              alignItems: "center",
+              marginRight: "auto",
+            }}
+          >
+            <Sidebar.Trigger name="custom">sidebar</Sidebar.Trigger>
+            <Button
+              onSelect={toggleCommentTool}
+              className={clsx({ active: activeToolType === "comment" })}
+            >
+              💬
+            </Button>
+          </div>
+        </Footer>
         {isCollaborating && isOffline && (
           <div className="collab-offline-warning">
             {t("alerts.collabOfflineWarning")}
diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.ts
index b5a65cae211c..7b70b079fada 100644
--- a/src/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils.ts
@@ -292,8 +292,11 @@ export const distance = (x: number, y: number) => Math.abs(x - y);
 export const updateActiveTool = (
   appState: Pick<AppState, "activeTool">,
   data: (
-    | { type: typeof SHAPES[number]["value"] | "eraser" | "hand" }
-    | { type: "custom"; customType: string }
+    | {
+        type: typeof SHAPES[number]["value"] | "eraser" | "hand";
+        locked?: boolean;
+      }
+    | { type: "custom"; customType: string; locked?: boolean }
   ) & { lastActiveToolBeforeEraser?: LastActiveTool },
 ): AppState["activeTool"] => {
   if (data.type === "custom") {
@@ -301,6 +304,7 @@ export const updateActiveTool = (
       ...appState.activeTool,
       type: "custom",
       customType: data.customType,
+      locked: data.locked ?? appState.activeTool.locked,
     };
   }
 
@@ -312,6 +316,7 @@ export const updateActiveTool = (
         : data.lastActiveToolBeforeEraser,
     type: data.type,
     customType: null,
+    locked: data.locked ?? appState.activeTool.locked,
   };
 };