diff --git a/app/activeproject.cpp b/app/activeproject.cpp
index 39d855cb3..d51e64174 100644
--- a/app/activeproject.cpp
+++ b/app/activeproject.cpp
@@ -97,12 +97,14 @@ QString ActiveProject::projectFullName() const
 
 bool ActiveProject::load( const QString &filePath )
 {
-  updateProjectMetadata();
   return forceLoad( filePath, false );
 }
 
 bool ActiveProject::forceLoad( const QString &filePath, bool force )
 {
+  // update user's role each time a project is opened, following #3174
+  updateProjectMetadata();
+
   CoreUtils::log( QStringLiteral( "Project loading" ), filePath + " " + ( force ? "true" : "false" ) );
 
   // clear autosync
@@ -567,6 +569,7 @@ bool ActiveProject::updateProjectMetadata()
   QNetworkReply *reply = mMerginApi->getProjectInfo( projectFullName() );
   if ( !reply )
   {
+    restoreCachedRole();
     return false;
   }
 
@@ -589,24 +592,24 @@ void ActiveProject::updateProjectMetadataReplyFinished()
     QByteArray data = r->readAll();
 
     MerginProjectMetadata serverProject = MerginProjectMetadata::fromJson( data );
-
     QString role = serverProject.role;
     setProjectRole( role );
   }
   else
   {
-    QString serverMsg = mMerginApi->extractServerErrorMsg( r->readAll() );
-
-    QString projectDir = mQgsProject->absolutePath();
-    MerginProjectMetadata cachedProjectMetadata = MerginProjectMetadata::fromCachedJson( mLocalProject.projectDir + "/" + mMerginApi->sMetadataFile );
-
-    QString role = cachedProjectMetadata.role;
-    setProjectRole( role );
+    restoreCachedRole();
   }
 
   r->deleteLater();
 }
 
+void ActiveProject::restoreCachedRole()
+{
+  MerginProjectMetadata cachedProjectMetadata = MerginProjectMetadata::fromCachedJson( mLocalProject.projectDir + "/" + mMerginApi->sMetadataFile );
+  QString role = cachedProjectMetadata.role;
+  setProjectRole( role );
+}
+
 QString ActiveProject::projectRole() const
 {
   return mProjectRole;
diff --git a/app/activeproject.h b/app/activeproject.h
index 54b2de4e5..bec9a8b4f 100644
--- a/app/activeproject.h
+++ b/app/activeproject.h
@@ -125,8 +125,14 @@ class ActiveProject: public QObject
      * Returns role/permission level of current user for this project
      */
     Q_INVOKABLE QString projectRole() const;
+
     void setProjectRole( const QString &role );
 
+    /**
+     * Restores cached project role in metadata
+     */
+    void restoreCachedRole();
+
     /**
      * Creates a network request to fetch latest project information and define user role in this project
      */
diff --git a/app/qml/form/MMFormPage.qml b/app/qml/form/MMFormPage.qml
index f12a9647f..1168a06d0 100644
--- a/app/qml/form/MMFormPage.qml
+++ b/app/qml/form/MMFormPage.qml
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ Page {
 
   footer: MMComponents.MMToolbar {
 
-    visible: !root.layerIsReadOnly
+    visible: !root.layerIsReadOnly && __activeProject.projectRole !== "reader"
 
     ObjectModel {
       id: readStateButtons
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ Page {
         id: editGeometry
         text: qsTr( "Edit geometry" )
         iconSource: __style.editIcon
-        visible: root.layerIsSpatial
+        visible: root.layerIsSpatial && __activeProject.projectRole !== "reader"
         onClicked: root.editGeometryRequested( root.controller.featureLayerPair )
       }
     }
diff --git a/app/qml/form/MMPreviewDrawer.qml b/app/qml/form/MMPreviewDrawer.qml
index ca6753fc0..328d55ebb 100644
--- a/app/qml/form/MMPreviewDrawer.qml
+++ b/app/qml/form/MMPreviewDrawer.qml
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ Item {
     property bool isHTMLType: root.controller.type === MM.AttributePreviewController.HTML
     property bool isEmptyType: root.controller.type === MM.AttributePreviewController.Empty
 
-    property bool showEditButton: !root.layerIsReadOnly
+    property bool showEditButton: !root.layerIsReadOnly && __activeProject.projectRole !== "reader"
     property bool showStakeoutButton: __inputUtils.isPointLayerFeature( controller.featureLayerPair )
     property bool showButtons: showEditButton || showStakeoutButton
 
diff --git a/app/qml/form/components/MMFeaturesListPageDrawer.qml b/app/qml/form/components/MMFeaturesListPageDrawer.qml
index c6f3a266a..ce9c22933 100644
--- a/app/qml/form/components/MMFeaturesListPageDrawer.qml
+++ b/app/qml/form/components/MMFeaturesListPageDrawer.qml
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ Drawer {
         }
 
         text: qsTr( "Add feature" )
+        visible: __activeProject.projectRole !== "reader"
 
         onClicked: root.buttonClicked()
       }
diff --git a/app/qml/layers/MMFeaturesListPage.qml b/app/qml/layers/MMFeaturesListPage.qml
index 04b8bb256..5bf9c3f9f 100644
--- a/app/qml/layers/MMFeaturesListPage.qml
+++ b/app/qml/layers/MMFeaturesListPage.qml
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ MMComponents.MMPage {
       anchors.bottom: parent.bottom
       anchors.bottomMargin: root.hasToolbar ? __style.margin20 : ( __style.safeAreaBottom + __style.margin8 )
 
-      visible: __inputUtils.isNoGeometryLayer( root.selectedLayer ) && !root.layerIsReadOnly
+      visible: __inputUtils.isNoGeometryLayer( root.selectedLayer ) && !root.layerIsReadOnly && __activeProject.projectRole !== "reader"
 
       text: qsTr("Add feature")
 
diff --git a/app/qml/project/MMProjectController.qml b/app/qml/project/MMProjectController.qml
index 04f52008d..47d34033d 100644
--- a/app/qml/project/MMProjectController.qml
+++ b/app/qml/project/MMProjectController.qml
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ Item {
     {
       // just hide the panel - project already loaded
       hidePanel()
+      // update user's role in project ( in case user has changed )
+      __activeProject.updateProjectMetadata()
     }
     else
     {
diff --git a/core/merginapi.cpp b/core/merginapi.cpp
index c2f40bd23..ab5e4a618 100644
--- a/core/merginapi.cpp
+++ b/core/merginapi.cpp
@@ -720,7 +720,6 @@ bool MerginApi::pullProject( const QString &projectNamespace, const QString &pro
 
   CoreUtils::log( "pull " + projectFullName, "### Starting ###" );
 
-  qDebug() << "HERE projectNamespace AND projectName : " << projectNamespace << "  " <<  projectName;
   QNetworkReply *reply = getProjectInfo( projectFullName, withAuth );
   if ( reply )
   {
diff --git a/core/merginprojectmetadata.cpp b/core/merginprojectmetadata.cpp
index 79d8f93db..2943cfd9f 100644
--- a/core/merginprojectmetadata.cpp
+++ b/core/merginprojectmetadata.cpp
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ MerginProjectMetadata MerginProjectMetadata::fromJson( const QByteArray &data )
   project.name = docObj.value( QStringLiteral( "name" ) ).toString();
   project.projectNamespace = docObj.value( QStringLiteral( "namespace" ) ).toString();
   project.role = docObj.value( QStringLiteral( "role" ) ).toString();
-  qDebug() << "MerginProjectMetadata MerginProjectMetadata::fromJson( const QByteArray &data ) called, getting role: " << project.role;
+
   QJsonValue access = docObj.value( QStringLiteral( "access" ) );
   if ( access.isObject() )
   {