diff --git a/src/routes/api/repos/[npub]/[repo]/file/+server.ts b/src/routes/api/repos/[npub]/[repo]/file/+server.ts
index fd83dd7..95fdfdc 100644
--- a/src/routes/api/repos/[npub]/[repo]/file/+server.ts
+++ b/src/routes/api/repos/[npub]/[repo]/file/+server.ts
@@ -189,8 +189,33 @@ export const POST: RequestHandler = async ({ params, url, request }: { params: {
       return error(401, 'Authentication required. Please provide userPubkey.');
     }
 
+    // Check if repo exists locally
     if (!fileManager.repoExists(npub, repo)) {
-      return error(404, 'Repository not found');
+      // Try to fetch announcement to see if repo exists in Nostr
+      let repoOwnerPubkey: string;
+      try {
+        repoOwnerPubkey = requireNpubHex(npub);
+      } catch {
+        return error(400, 'Invalid npub format');
+      }
+
+      // Fetch repository announcement from Nostr
+      const events = await nostrClient.fetchEvents([
+        {
+          kinds: [KIND.REPO_ANNOUNCEMENT],
+          authors: [repoOwnerPubkey],
+          '#d': [repo],
+          limit: 1
+        }
+      ]);
+
+      if (events.length > 0) {
+        // Repository exists in Nostr but is not cloned locally
+        // For file editing, we need a local clone
+        return error(404, 'Repository is not cloned locally. To edit files, the repository must be cloned to the server first. Please use the "Clone to Server" button if you have unlimited access, or contact a server administrator.');
+      } else {
+        return error(404, 'Repository not found');
+      }
     }
 
     // Check if user is a maintainer
diff --git a/src/routes/repos/[npub]/[repo]/+page.svelte b/src/routes/repos/[npub]/[repo]/+page.svelte
index 874d62b..f5b8845 100644
--- a/src/routes/repos/[npub]/[repo]/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/repos/[npub]/[repo]/+page.svelte
@@ -138,6 +138,10 @@
   let checkingCloneStatus = $state(false);
   let cloning = $state(false);
   
+  // Helper: Check if repo needs to be cloned for write operations
+  const needsClone = $derived(isRepoCloned === false);
+  const cloneTooltip = 'Please clone this repo to use this feature.';
+  
   // Verification status
   let verificationStatus = $state<{ verified: boolean; error?: string; message?: string } | null>(null);
   let showVerificationDialog = $state(false);
@@ -1292,10 +1296,8 @@
     await checkMaintainerStatus();
     await loadBookmarkStatus();
     
-    // Check clone status if user has unlimited access
-    if (hasUnlimitedAccess($userStore.userLevel)) {
-      await checkCloneStatus();
-    }
+    // Check clone status (needed to disable write operations)
+    await checkCloneStatus();
     await checkVerification();
     await loadReadme();
     await loadForkInfo();
@@ -1766,8 +1768,9 @@
       });
 
       if (!response.ok) {
-        const errorData = await response.json();
-        throw new Error(errorData.message || 'Failed to save file');
+        const errorData = await response.json().catch(() => ({ message: response.statusText }));
+        const errorMessage = errorData.message || errorData.error || 'Failed to save file';
+        throw new Error(errorMessage);
       }
 
       // Reload file to get updated content
@@ -2400,10 +2403,15 @@
             </button>
           {/if}
           {#if isMaintainer}
-            <button onclick={() => {
-              if (!userPubkey || !isMaintainer) return;
-              showCreateBranchDialog = true;
-            }} class="create-branch-button">+ New Branch</button>
+            <button 
+              onclick={() => {
+                if (!userPubkey || !isMaintainer || needsClone) return;
+                showCreateBranchDialog = true;
+              }} 
+              class="create-branch-button"
+              disabled={needsClone}
+              title={needsClone ? cloneTooltip : 'Create a new branch'}
+            >+ New Branch</button>
           {/if}
         {/if}
       </div>
@@ -2503,10 +2511,15 @@
               <button onclick={handleBack} class="back-button">← Back</button>
             {/if}
             {#if userPubkey && isMaintainer}
-              <button onclick={() => {
-                if (!userPubkey || !isMaintainer) return;
-                showCreateFileDialog = true;
-              }} class="create-file-button">+ New File</button>
+              <button 
+                onclick={() => {
+                  if (!userPubkey || !isMaintainer || needsClone) return;
+                  showCreateFileDialog = true;
+                }} 
+                class="create-file-button"
+                disabled={needsClone}
+                title={needsClone ? cloneTooltip : 'Create a new file'}
+              >+ New File</button>
             {/if}
             <button 
               onclick={() => showFileListOnMobile = !showFileListOnMobile} 
@@ -2539,7 +2552,15 @@
                   {/if}
                 </button>
                 {#if userPubkey && isMaintainer && file.type === 'file'}
-                  <button onclick={() => deleteFile(file.path)} class="delete-file-button" title="Delete file">
+                  <button 
+                    onclick={() => {
+                      if (needsClone) return;
+                      deleteFile(file.path);
+                    }} 
+                    class="delete-file-button" 
+                    disabled={needsClone}
+                    title={needsClone ? cloneTooltip : 'Delete file'}
+                  >
                     <img src="/icons/x.svg" alt="Delete" class="icon-small" />
                   </button>
                 {/if}
@@ -2589,10 +2610,15 @@
         <div class="tags-header">
           <h2>Tags</h2>
           {#if userPubkey && isMaintainer}
-            <button onclick={() => {
-              if (!userPubkey || !isMaintainer) return;
-              showCreateTagDialog = true;
-            }} class="create-tag-button">+ New Tag</button>
+            <button 
+              onclick={() => {
+                if (!userPubkey || !isMaintainer || needsClone) return;
+                showCreateTagDialog = true;
+              }} 
+              class="create-tag-button"
+              disabled={needsClone}
+              title={needsClone ? cloneTooltip : 'Create a new tag'}
+            >+ New Tag</button>
           {/if}
         </div>
         {#if tags.length === 0}
@@ -2739,10 +2765,15 @@
                 <span class="unsaved-indicator">● Unsaved changes</span>
               {/if}
               {#if isMaintainer}
-                <button onclick={() => {
-                  if (!userPubkey || !isMaintainer) return;
-                  showCommitDialog = true;
-                }} disabled={!hasChanges || saving} class="save-button">
+                <button 
+                  onclick={() => {
+                    if (!userPubkey || !isMaintainer || needsClone) return;
+                    showCommitDialog = true;
+                  }} 
+                  disabled={!hasChanges || saving || needsClone} 
+                  class="save-button"
+                  title={needsClone ? cloneTooltip : (hasChanges ? 'Save changes' : 'No changes to save')}
+                >
                   {saving ? 'Saving...' : 'Save'}
                 </button>
               {:else if userPubkey}
@@ -2771,6 +2802,7 @@
                   content={editedContent} 
                   language={fileLanguage}
                   onChange={handleContentChange}
+                  readOnly={needsClone}
                 />
               {:else}
                 <div class="read-only-editor">
@@ -3207,7 +3239,12 @@
         </label>
         <div class="modal-actions">
           <button onclick={() => showCreateFileDialog = false} class="cancel-button">Cancel</button>
-          <button onclick={createFile} disabled={!newFileName.trim() || saving} class="save-button">
+          <button 
+            onclick={createFile} 
+            disabled={!newFileName.trim() || saving || needsClone} 
+            class="save-button"
+            title={needsClone ? cloneTooltip : ''}
+          >
             {saving ? 'Creating...' : 'Create'}
           </button>
         </div>
@@ -3249,7 +3286,12 @@
         </label>
         <div class="modal-actions">
           <button onclick={() => showCreateBranchDialog = false} class="cancel-button">Cancel</button>
-          <button onclick={createBranch} disabled={!newBranchName.trim() || saving} class="save-button">
+          <button 
+            onclick={createBranch} 
+            disabled={!newBranchName.trim() || saving || needsClone} 
+            class="save-button"
+            title={needsClone ? cloneTooltip : ''}
+          >
             {saving ? 'Creating...' : 'Create Branch'}
           </button>
         </div>
@@ -3290,7 +3332,12 @@
         </label>
         <div class="modal-actions">
           <button onclick={() => showCreateTagDialog = false} class="cancel-button">Cancel</button>
-          <button onclick={createTag} disabled={!newTagName.trim() || saving} class="save-button">
+          <button 
+            onclick={createTag} 
+            disabled={!newTagName.trim() || saving || needsClone} 
+            class="save-button"
+            title={needsClone ? cloneTooltip : ''}
+          >
             {saving ? 'Creating...' : 'Create Tag'}
           </button>
         </div>
@@ -3506,7 +3553,12 @@
         </label>
         <div class="modal-actions">
           <button onclick={() => showCommitDialog = false} class="cancel-button">Cancel</button>
-          <button onclick={saveFile} disabled={!commitMessage.trim() || saving} class="save-button">
+          <button 
+            onclick={saveFile} 
+            disabled={!commitMessage.trim() || saving || needsClone} 
+            class="save-button"
+            title={needsClone ? cloneTooltip : ''}
+          >
             {saving ? 'Saving...' : 'Commit & Save'}
           </button>
         </div>