diff --git a/elisp/um-mode.el b/elisp/um-mode.el
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0833db0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/elisp/um-mode.el
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+;;; um-mode.el -*- lexical-binding: t -*-
+
+(defun um-inhibit-read-only (cmd &optional args)
+  (let ((inhibit-read-only t))
+    (apply cmd args)))
+
+(defun um-drag-stuff-up () (interactive) (um-inhibit-read-only 'drag-stuff-up '(1)))
+(defun um-drag-stuff-down () (interactive) (um-inhibit-read-only 'drag-stuff-down '(1)))
+(defun um-kill-line () (interactive) (um-inhibit-read-only 'kill-line))
+(defun um-tag-dwim-inhibit-read-only (arg) (interactive "p")
+       (um-inhibit-read-only 'um-tag-dwim (list arg)))
+
+;; NOTE: define-derived-mode defines a sparse keymap with the parent mode. But
+;; we can prefill it:
+(defvar-keymap um-mode-map
+  :doc "Keymap for um-mode."
+  "M-p" 'um-drag-stuff-up
+  "M-n" 'um-drag-stuff-down
+  "M-k" 'um-kill-line
+  "t" 'um-tag-dwim-inhibit-read-only
+  )
+
+(define-derived-mode um-mode view-mode "um-mode"
+  "major mode for *.um file lists. Mostly `view-mode' with a few special commands.
+
+\\{um-mode-map}
+"
+  (setq-local mode-line-show-line-column nil)
+  )
+
+;;;###autoload
+(add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.um\\'" . um-mode))
+
+(provide 'um-mode)
diff --git a/elisp/um.el b/elisp/um.el
index f1c6dc8..a7569c8 100644
--- a/elisp/um.el
+++ b/elisp/um.el
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 ;; `um-tag-dwim': insert or delete a tag in dired and other contexts.
 
 (require 'project)
+(require 'um-mode)
 
 (defcustom um-root-glob ".*/writing/journal"
   "Primary glob for `um-root-path.' This allows various mountpoints."