diff --git a/examples/ipympl.ipynb b/examples/ipympl.ipynb
index 469a5419..fbdd96c3 100644
--- a/examples/ipympl.ipynb
+++ b/examples/ipympl.ipynb
@@ -56,6 +56,15 @@
     "fig.canvas.footer_visible = False"
    ]
   },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "fig.canvas.resizable = False"
+   ]
+  },
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
diff --git a/ipympl/backend_nbagg.py b/ipympl/backend_nbagg.py
index ad79ca6d..f2dfe782 100644
--- a/ipympl/backend_nbagg.py
+++ b/ipympl/backend_nbagg.py
@@ -155,6 +155,8 @@ class Canvas(DOMWidget, FigureCanvasWebAggCore):
     header_visible = Bool(True).tag(sync=True)
     footer_visible = Bool(True).tag(sync=True)
 
+    resizable = Bool(True).tag(sync=True)
+
     _width = CInt().tag(sync=True)
     _height = CInt().tag(sync=True)
 
diff --git a/js/src/mpl_widget.js b/js/src/mpl_widget.js
index 4d98e51c..9a74d950 100644
--- a/js/src/mpl_widget.js
+++ b/js/src/mpl_widget.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ class MPLCanvasModel extends widgets.DOMWidgetModel {
             toolbar: null,
             toolbar_visible: true,
             toolbar_position: 'horizontal',
+            resizable: true,
             _width: 0,
             _height: 0,
             _figure_label: 'Figure',
@@ -51,6 +52,11 @@ class MPLCanvasModel extends widgets.DOMWidgetModel {
         this._init_image();
 
         this.on('msg:custom', this.on_comm_message.bind(this));
+        this.on('change:resizable', () => {
+            this._for_each_view(function(view) {
+                view.update_canvas();
+            })
+        });
 
         this.send_initialization_message();
     }
@@ -421,26 +427,28 @@ class MPLCanvasView extends widgets.DOMWidgetView {
         }
 
         // Draw resize handle
-        this.top_context.save();
+        if (this.model.get('resizable')) {
+            this.top_context.save();
 
-        var gradient = this.top_context.createLinearGradient(
-            this.top_canvas.width - this.resize_handle_size / 3, this.top_canvas.height - this.resize_handle_size / 3,
-            this.top_canvas.width - this.resize_handle_size / 4, this.top_canvas.height - this.resize_handle_size / 4
-        );
-        gradient.addColorStop(0, 'rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)');
-        gradient.addColorStop(1, 'rgba(0, 0, 0, 255)');
+            var gradient = this.top_context.createLinearGradient(
+                this.top_canvas.width - this.resize_handle_size / 3, this.top_canvas.height - this.resize_handle_size / 3,
+                this.top_canvas.width - this.resize_handle_size / 4, this.top_canvas.height - this.resize_handle_size / 4
+            );
+            gradient.addColorStop(0, 'rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)');
+            gradient.addColorStop(1, 'rgba(0, 0, 0, 255)');
 
-        this.top_context.fillStyle = gradient;
+            this.top_context.fillStyle = gradient;
 
-        this.top_context.globalAlpha = 0.3;
-        this.top_context.beginPath();
-        this.top_context.moveTo(this.top_canvas.width, this.top_canvas.height);
-        this.top_context.lineTo(this.top_canvas.width, this.top_canvas.height - this.resize_handle_size);
-        this.top_context.lineTo(this.top_canvas.width - this.resize_handle_size, this.top_canvas.height);
-        this.top_context.closePath();
-        this.top_context.fill();
+            this.top_context.globalAlpha = 0.3;
+            this.top_context.beginPath();
+            this.top_context.moveTo(this.top_canvas.width, this.top_canvas.height);
+            this.top_context.lineTo(this.top_canvas.width, this.top_canvas.height - this.resize_handle_size);
+            this.top_context.lineTo(this.top_canvas.width - this.resize_handle_size, this.top_canvas.height);
+            this.top_context.closePath();
+            this.top_context.fill();
 
-        this.top_context.restore();
+            this.top_context.restore();
+        }
     }
 
     _update_cursor() {
@@ -492,7 +500,8 @@ class MPLCanvasView extends widgets.DOMWidgetView {
             if (name === 'button_press') {
                 // If clicking on the resize handle
                 if (canvas_pos.x >= this.top_canvas.width - this.resize_handle_size &&
-                        canvas_pos.y >= this.top_canvas.height - this.resize_handle_size) {
+                        canvas_pos.y >= this.top_canvas.height - this.resize_handle_size &&
+                        this.model.get('resizable')) {
                     this.resizing = true;
                     return;
                 } else {