diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index b0ab199..c2b4ee4 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@
 * add `/collections/{collection_id}/items/{item_id}/assets/{asset_id}` optional endpoints (`TITILER_PGSTAC_API_ENABLE_ASSETS_ENDPOINTS=TRUE|FALSE`)
 * add `/external` optional endpoints (`TITILER_PGSTAC_API_ENABLE_EXTERNAL_DATASET_ENDPOINTS=TRUE|FALSE`)
 * add `cachecontrol_exclude_paths` attribute in `ApiSettings` to let users decide if some path should not have cache-control headers (defaults is to exclude `/list`)
-* Add PgstacSettings such that the user can provide their own default settings for PgSTAC search
+* add `PgstacSettings` such that the user can provide their own default settings for PgSTAC search
+* add check for pgstac `read-only` mode and raise `ReadOnlyPgSTACError` error when trying to write to the pgstac instance
+* add `/pgstac` endpoint in the application (when `TITILER_PGSTAC_API_DEBUG=TRUE`)
 
 ## 1.3.1 (2024-08-01)
 
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index c177e48..4b58541 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -59,41 +59,53 @@ def database(postgresql_proc):
         password="a2Vw:yk=)CdSis[fek]tW=/o",
     ) as jan:
         connection = f"postgresql://{jan.user}:{quote(jan.password)}@{jan.host}:{jan.port}/{jan.dbname}"
-
         # make sure the DB is set to use UTC
         with psycopg.connect(connection) as conn:
             with conn.cursor() as cur:
                 cur.execute(f"ALTER DATABASE {jan.dbname} SET TIMEZONE='UTC';")
 
-        print("Running to PgSTAC migration...")
-        with PgstacDB(dsn=connection) as db:
-            migrator = Migrate(db)
-            version = migrator.run_migration()
-            assert version
-            print(f"PgSTAC version: {version}")
-
-            print("Load items and collection into PgSTAC")
-            loader = Loader(db=db)
-            loader.load_collections(collection)
-            loader.load_collections(collection_maxar)
-            loader.load_items(items)
-
-        # Make sure we have 1 collection and 163 items in pgstac
-        with psycopg.connect(connection) as conn:
-            with conn.cursor() as cur:
-                cur.execute("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM pgstac.collections")
-                val = cur.fetchone()[0]
-                assert val == 2
+        yield jan
 
-                cur.execute("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM pgstac.items")
-                val = cur.fetchone()[0]
-                assert val == 163
 
-        yield jan
+@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
+def pgstac(database):
+    """Create PgSTAC fixture."""
+    connection = f"postgresql://{database.user}:{quote(database.password)}@{database.host}:{database.port}/{database.dbname}"
+
+    # Clear PgSTAC
+    with psycopg.connect(connection) as conn:
+        with conn.cursor() as cur:
+            cur.execute("DROP SCHEMA IF EXISTS pgstac CASCADE;")
+
+    print("Running to PgSTAC migration...")
+    with PgstacDB(dsn=connection) as db:
+        migrator = Migrate(db)
+        version = migrator.run_migration()
+        assert version
+        print(f"PgSTAC version: {version}")
+
+        print("Load items and collection into PgSTAC")
+        loader = Loader(db=db)
+        loader.load_collections(collection)
+        loader.load_collections(collection_maxar)
+        loader.load_items(items)
+
+    # Make sure we have 1 collection and 163 items in pgstac
+    with psycopg.connect(connection) as conn:
+        with conn.cursor() as cur:
+            cur.execute("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM pgstac.collections")
+            val = cur.fetchone()[0]
+            assert val == 2
+
+            cur.execute("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM pgstac.items")
+            val = cur.fetchone()[0]
+            assert val == 163
+
+    yield connection
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
-def app(database, monkeypatch):
+def app(pgstac, monkeypatch):
     """Create app with connection to the pytest database."""
     monkeypatch.setenv("AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID", "jqt")
     monkeypatch.setenv("AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY", "rde")
@@ -104,10 +116,7 @@ def app(database, monkeypatch):
     monkeypatch.setenv("TITILER_PGSTAC_API_DEBUG", "TRUE")
     monkeypatch.setenv("TITILER_PGSTAC_API_ENABLE_ASSETS_ENDPOINTS", "TRUE")
     monkeypatch.setenv("TITILER_PGSTAC_API_ENABLE_EXTERNAL_DATASET_ENDPOINTS", "TRUE")
-    monkeypatch.setenv(
-        "DATABASE_URL",
-        f"postgresql://{database.user}:{quote(database.password)}@{database.host}:{database.port}/{database.dbname}",
-    )
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DATABASE_URL", pgstac)
 
     from titiler.pgstac.main import app
 
diff --git a/tests/test_items.py b/tests/test_items.py
index fae82e3..501be74 100644
--- a/tests/test_items.py
+++ b/tests/test_items.py
@@ -4,13 +4,13 @@
 
 import pystac
 
-from titiler.pgstac.dependencies import get_stac_item
-
 from .conftest import mock_rasterio_open
 
 
 def test_get_stac_item(app):
     """test get_stac_item."""
+    from titiler.pgstac.dependencies import get_stac_item
+
     item = get_stac_item(
         app.app.state.dbpool, "noaa-emergency-response", "20200307aC0853900w361030"
     )
diff --git a/tests/test_readonly.py b/tests/test_readonly.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..36e85dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_readonly.py
@@ -0,0 +1,201 @@
+"""test read-only pgstac instance."""
+
+import os
+from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
+from urllib.parse import quote_plus as quote
+
+import psycopg
+import pytest
+from fastapi import FastAPI
+from psycopg.rows import class_row, dict_row
+from pypgstac.db import PgstacDB
+from pypgstac.load import Loader
+from pypgstac.migrate import Migrate
+from starlette.requests import Request
+from starlette.testclient import TestClient
+
+from titiler.pgstac.errors import ReadOnlyPgSTACError
+from titiler.pgstac.model import Metadata, PgSTACSearch, Search
+
+DATA_DIR = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "fixtures")
+collection = os.path.join(DATA_DIR, "noaa-emergency-response.json")
+items = os.path.join(DATA_DIR, "noaa-eri-nashville2020.json")
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(
+    params=[
+        True,
+        False,
+    ],
+    scope="session",
+)
+def pgstac_ro(request, database):
+    """Create PgSTAC fixture."""
+    read_only = request.param
+
+    connection = f"postgresql://{database.user}:{quote(database.password)}@{database.host}:{database.port}/{database.dbname}"
+    with psycopg.connect(connection) as conn:
+        with conn.cursor() as cur:
+            cur.execute("DROP SCHEMA IF EXISTS pgstac CASCADE;")
+
+    with PgstacDB(dsn=connection) as db:
+        migrator = Migrate(db)
+        version = migrator.run_migration()
+        assert version
+
+        loader = Loader(db=db)
+        loader.load_collections(collection)
+        loader.load_items(items)
+
+    # register one search
+    with psycopg.connect(
+        connection,
+        options="-c search_path=pgstac,public -c application_name=pgstac",
+    ) as conn:
+        with conn.cursor(row_factory=dict_row) as cursor:
+            search = PgSTACSearch(collections=["noaa-emergency-response"])
+            metadata = Metadata(name="noaa-emergency-response")
+            cursor.row_factory = class_row(Search)
+            cursor.execute(
+                "SELECT * FROM search_query(%s, _metadata => %s);",
+                (
+                    search.model_dump_json(by_alias=True, exclude_none=True),
+                    metadata.model_dump_json(exclude_none=True),
+                ),
+            )
+            cursor.fetchone()
+
+    if read_only:
+        with psycopg.connect(connection) as conn:
+            with conn.cursor() as cur:
+                cur.execute(
+                    "UPDATE pgstac.pgstac_settings SET value = true WHERE name = 'readonly';"
+                )
+
+    yield connection, read_only
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def app_ro(pgstac_ro, monkeypatch):
+    """create app fixture."""
+    monkeypatch.setenv("TITILER_PGSTAC_CACHE_DISABLE", "TRUE")
+
+    dsn, ro = pgstac_ro
+
+    from titiler.pgstac.db import close_db_connection, connect_to_db
+    from titiler.pgstac.dependencies import CollectionIdParams, SearchIdParams
+    from titiler.pgstac.extensions import searchInfoExtension
+    from titiler.pgstac.factory import (
+        MosaicTilerFactory,
+        add_search_list_route,
+        add_search_register_route,
+    )
+    from titiler.pgstac.settings import PostgresSettings
+
+    postgres_settings = PostgresSettings(database_url=dsn)
+
+    @asynccontextmanager
+    async def lifespan(app: FastAPI):
+        """FastAPI Lifespan."""
+        # Create Connection Pool
+        await connect_to_db(app, settings=postgres_settings)
+        yield
+        # Close the Connection Pool
+        await close_db_connection(app)
+
+    app = FastAPI(lifespan=lifespan)
+    app.state.readonly = ro
+
+    @app.get("/pgstac")
+    def pgstac_info(request: Request):
+        """Retrieve PgSTAC Info."""
+        with request.app.state.dbpool.connection() as conn:
+            with conn.cursor(row_factory=dict_row) as cursor:
+                cursor.execute("SELECT pgstac.readonly()")
+                pgstac_readonly = cursor.fetchone()["readonly"]
+
+        return {
+            "pgstac_readonly": pgstac_readonly,
+        }
+
+    searches = MosaicTilerFactory(
+        path_dependency=SearchIdParams,
+        router_prefix="/searches/{search_id}",
+        extensions=[
+            searchInfoExtension(),
+        ],
+    )
+    app.include_router(searches.router, prefix="/searches/{search_id}")
+    add_search_register_route(
+        app,
+        prefix="/searches",
+        tile_dependencies=[
+            searches.layer_dependency,
+            searches.dataset_dependency,
+            searches.pixel_selection_dependency,
+            searches.process_dependency,
+            searches.rescale_dependency,
+            searches.colormap_dependency,
+            searches.render_dependency,
+            searches.pgstac_dependency,
+            searches.reader_dependency,
+            searches.backend_dependency,
+        ],
+    )
+    add_search_list_route(app, prefix="/searches", tags=["STAC Search"])
+
+    collection = MosaicTilerFactory(
+        path_dependency=CollectionIdParams,
+        router_prefix="/collections/{collection_id}",
+        extensions=[
+            searchInfoExtension(),
+        ],
+    )
+    app.include_router(collection.router, prefix="/collections/{collection_id}")
+
+    with TestClient(app) as app:
+        yield app, ro
+
+
+def test_pgstac_config(app_ro):
+    """should return pgstac read-only info."""
+    client, ro = app_ro
+
+    response = client.get("/pgstac")
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    assert response.json()["pgstac_readonly"] == ro
+
+
+def test_searches_ro(app_ro):
+    """Register Search should only work for non-read-only pgstac."""
+    client, ro = app_ro
+
+    response = client.get("/searches/list", params={"limit": 1})
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    resp = response.json()
+    assert resp["context"]["matched"] == 1
+    search_id = resp["searches"][0]["search"]["hash"]
+
+    response = client.get(f"/searches/{search_id}/info")
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+
+    if ro:
+        with pytest.raises(ReadOnlyPgSTACError):
+            client.post("/searches/register", json={"collections": ["collection"]})
+    else:
+        response = client.post(
+            "/searches/register", json={"collections": ["collection"]}
+        )
+        assert response.status_code == 200
+
+
+def test_collections_ro(app_ro):
+    """collections should only work for non-read-only pgstac."""
+    client, ro = app_ro
+
+    if ro:
+        with pytest.raises(ReadOnlyPgSTACError):
+            client.get("/collections/noaa-emergency-response/info")
+    else:
+        response = client.get("/collections/noaa-emergency-response/info")
+        assert response.status_code == 200
diff --git a/titiler/pgstac/dependencies.py b/titiler/pgstac/dependencies.py
index d91f224..45921b1 100644
--- a/titiler/pgstac/dependencies.py
+++ b/titiler/pgstac/dependencies.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 from titiler.core.dependencies import DefaultDependency
 from titiler.pgstac import model
+from titiler.pgstac.errors import ReadOnlyPgSTACError
 from titiler.pgstac.settings import CacheSettings, RetrySettings
 from titiler.pgstac.utils import retry
 
@@ -100,6 +101,14 @@ def get_collection_id(pool: ConnectionPool, collection_id: str) -> str:  # noqa:
 
                 metadata.defaults = renders
 
+            # TODO: adapt Mosaic Backend to accept Search object directly
+            # we technically don't need to register the search request for /collections
+            cursor.execute("SELECT pgstac.readonly()")
+            if cursor.fetchone()["readonly"]:
+                raise ReadOnlyPgSTACError(
+                    "PgSTAC instance is set to `read-only`, cannot register search query."
+                )
+
             cursor.row_factory = class_row(model.Search)
             cursor.execute(
                 "SELECT * FROM search_query(%s, _metadata => %s);",
diff --git a/titiler/pgstac/errors.py b/titiler/pgstac/errors.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..71ac769
--- /dev/null
+++ b/titiler/pgstac/errors.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+"""titiler.pgstac errors."""
+
+from starlette import status
+
+from titiler.core.errors import TilerError
+
+
+class ReadOnlyPgSTACError(TilerError):
+    """Cannot Write to PgSTAC Database."""
+
+
+PGSTAC_STATUS_CODES = {ReadOnlyPgSTACError: status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR}
diff --git a/titiler/pgstac/factory.py b/titiler/pgstac/factory.py
index 4d88bf4..d2c6a80 100644
--- a/titiler/pgstac/factory.py
+++ b/titiler/pgstac/factory.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 from fastapi.dependencies.utils import get_dependant, request_params_to_args
 from geojson_pydantic import Feature, FeatureCollection
 from psycopg import sql
-from psycopg.rows import class_row
+from psycopg.rows import class_row, dict_row
 from pydantic import conint
 from rio_tiler.constants import MAX_THREADS, WGS84_CRS
 from rio_tiler.mosaic.methods.base import MosaicMethodBase
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@
     SearchParams,
     TmsTileParams,
 )
+from titiler.pgstac.errors import ReadOnlyPgSTACError
 from titiler.pgstac.mosaic import PGSTACBackend
 
 MOSAIC_THREADS = int(os.getenv("MOSAIC_CONCURRENCY", MAX_THREADS))
@@ -1001,7 +1002,14 @@ def register_search(request: Request, search_query=Depends(search_dependency)):
         search, metadata = search_query
 
         with request.app.state.dbpool.connection() as conn:
-            with conn.cursor(row_factory=class_row(model.Search)) as cursor:
+            with conn.cursor(row_factory=dict_row) as cursor:
+                cursor.execute("SELECT pgstac.readonly()")
+                if cursor.fetchone()["readonly"]:
+                    raise ReadOnlyPgSTACError(
+                        "PgSTAC instance is set to `read-only`, cannot register search query."
+                    )
+
+                cursor.row_factory = class_row(model.Search)
                 cursor.execute(
                     "SELECT * FROM search_query(%s, _metadata => %s);",
                     (
diff --git a/titiler/pgstac/main.py b/titiler/pgstac/main.py
index 84858ce..05e2fef 100644
--- a/titiler/pgstac/main.py
+++ b/titiler/pgstac/main.py
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
     ItemIdParams,
     SearchIdParams,
 )
+from titiler.pgstac.errors import PGSTAC_STATUS_CODES
 from titiler.pgstac.extensions import searchInfoExtension
 from titiler.pgstac.factory import (
     MosaicTilerFactory,
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ async def lifespan(app: FastAPI):
 
 add_exception_handlers(app, DEFAULT_STATUS_CODES)
 add_exception_handlers(app, MOSAIC_STATUS_CODES)
+add_exception_handlers(app, PGSTAC_STATUS_CODES)
 
 
 # Set all CORS enabled origins
@@ -142,6 +144,22 @@ async def get_collection(request: Request, collection_id: str = Path()):
                 r = cursor.fetchone()
                 return r.get("get_collection") or {}
 
+    @app.get("/pgstac", include_in_schema=False, tags=["DEBUG"])
+    def pgstac_info(request: Request) -> Dict:
+        """Retrieve PgSTAC Info."""
+        with request.app.state.dbpool.connection() as conn:
+            with conn.cursor(row_factory=dict_row) as cursor:
+                cursor.execute("SELECT pgstac.readonly()")
+                pgstac_readonly = cursor.fetchone()["readonly"]
+
+                cursor.execute("SELECT pgstac.get_version();")
+                pgstac_version = cursor.fetchone()["get_version"]
+
+        return {
+            "pgstac_version": pgstac_version,
+            "pgstac_readonly": pgstac_readonly,
+        }
+
 
 ###############################################################################
 # STAC Search Endpoints