diff --git a/ui (gen4)/features/base.js b/ui (gen4)/features/base.js
index 960b5d55..d8ee47a7 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/features/base.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/features/base.js	
@@ -587,10 +587,9 @@ core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 
 	tag: 'base',
 	depends: [
-		'changes',
 	],
 	suggested: [
-		'base-edit',
+		'edit',
 		//'tags',
 		//'sort',
 		//'tasks',
@@ -599,14 +598,6 @@ core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 	actions: BaseActions,
 
 	handlers: [
-		// manage changes...
-		// everything changed...
-		[[
-			'claer',
-			'loadURLs', 
-		],
-			function(){ this.markChanged('all') }],
-
 		['prepareIndexForWrite', 
 			function(res){
 				// we save .current unconditionally...
@@ -954,9 +945,10 @@ module.BaseEdit =
 core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 	title: 'ImageGrid base editor',
 
-	tag: 'base-edit',
+	tag: 'edit',
 	depends: [
 		'base',
+		'changes',
 	],
 
 	actions: BaseEditActions,
@@ -985,6 +977,13 @@ core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 						&& this.shiftImageOrder.apply(this, [].slice(arguments, 1)) } }],
 
 		// manage changes...
+		// everything changed...
+		[[
+			'claer',
+			'loadURLs', 
+		],
+			function(){ this.markChanged('all') }],
+
 		// data...
 		[[
 			//'load',
@@ -1054,6 +1053,32 @@ function(direction, dfl_tag){
 
 var TagsActions = 
 module.TagsActions = actions.Actions({
+	prevTagged: ['- Navigate/Previous image tagged with tag',
+		makeTagWalker('prev')],
+	nextTagged: ['- Navigate/Next image tagged with tag',
+		makeTagWalker('next')],
+})
+
+var Tags =
+module.Tags = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
+	title: '',
+
+	tag: 'tags',
+	depends: [
+		'base',
+	],
+	suggested: [
+		'tags-edit',
+	],
+
+	actions: TagsActions,
+})
+
+
+// - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
+
+var TagsEditActions = 
+module.TagsEditActions = actions.Actions({
 	// tags...
 	//
 	// XXX mark updated...
@@ -1156,24 +1181,19 @@ module.TagsActions = actions.Actions({
 			}
 		}],
 	
-	prevTagged: ['- Navigate/Previous image tagged with tag',
-		makeTagWalker('prev')],
-	nextTagged: ['- Navigate/Next image tagged with tag',
-		makeTagWalker('next')],
 })
 
-
-var Tags =
-module.Tags = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
+var TagsEdit =
+module.TagsEdit = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 	title: '',
 
-	tag: 'tags',
+	tag: 'tags-edit',
 	depends: [
-		'base',
-		'changes',
+		'tags',
+		'edit',
 	],
 
-	actions: TagsActions,
+	actions: TagsEditActions,
 
 	handlers: [
 		// tags and images...
@@ -1254,6 +1274,118 @@ module.Tags = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 
 
 
+//---------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Image Group...
+
+var ImageGroupActions =
+module.ImageGroupActions = actions.Actions({
+	expandGroup: ['Group/Expand group', 
+		{browseMode: 'ungroup'}, 
+		function(target){ this.data.expandGroup(target || this.current) }],
+	collapseGroup: ['Group/Collapse group', {
+		journal: true,
+		browseMode: 'ungroup'}, 
+		function(target){ this.data.collapseGroup(target || this.current) }],
+
+	cropGroup: ['Crop|Group/Crop group', {
+		journal: true,
+		browseMode: 'ungroup'}, 
+		function(target){ this.crop(this.data.cropGroup(target || this.current)) }],
+})
+
+var ImageGroup =
+module.ImageGroup = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
+	title: '',
+
+	tag: 'image-group',
+	depends: [
+		'base',
+	],
+	suggested: [
+		'image-group-edit',
+	],
+
+	actions: ImageGroupActions,
+})
+
+
+// - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
+
+var ImageEditGroupActions =
+module.ImageEditGroupActions = actions.Actions({
+	// grouping...
+	// XXX need to tell .images about this...
+	group: ['- Group|Edit/Group images', 
+		{journal: true},
+		function(gids, group){ this.data.group(gids, group) }],
+	ungroup: ['Group|Edit/Ungroup images', 
+		{journal: true},
+		{browseMode: function(){
+			return this.data.getGroup() == null && 'disabled' }},
+		function(gids, group){ this.data.ungroup(gids, group) }],
+
+	// direction can be:
+	// 	'next'
+	// 	'prev'
+	groupTo: ['- Group|Edit/Group to', 
+		{journal: true},
+		function(target, direction){
+			target = this.data.getImage(target)
+			var other = this.data.getImage(target, direction == 'next' ? 1 : -1)
+
+			// we are start/end of ribbon...
+			if(other == null){
+				return
+			}
+			
+			// add into an existing group...
+			if(this.data.isGroup(other)){
+				this.group(target, other)
+
+			// new group...
+			} else {
+				this.group([target, other])
+			}
+		}],
+	// shorthands to .groupTo(..)
+	groupBack: ['Group|Edit/Group backwards', 
+		{journal: true},
+		function(target){ this.groupTo(target, 'prev') }],
+	groupForward: ['Group|Edit/Group forwards', 
+		{journal: true},
+		function(target){ this.groupTo(target, 'next') }],
+
+	// NOTE: this will only group loaded images...
+	groupMarked: ['Group|Mark/Group loaded marked images', 
+		{journal: true},
+		function(){ this.group(this.data.getImages(this.data.getTaggedByAny('marked'))) }],
+})
+
+var ImageEditGroup =
+module.ImageEditGroup = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
+	title: '',
+
+	tag: 'image-group-edit',
+	depends: [
+		'image-group',
+		'edit',
+	],
+
+	actions: ImageEditGroupActions,
+
+	handlers: [
+		[[
+			'group',
+			'ungroup',
+			'expandGroup',
+			'collapseGroup',
+		], 
+			function(_, target){ this.markChanged('data') }],
+	],
+})
+
+
+
 //---------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Crop...
 
@@ -1525,98 +1657,6 @@ module.Crop = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 
 
 
-//---------------------------------------------------------------------
-// Image Group...
-
-var ImageGroupActions =
-module.ImageGroupActions = actions.Actions({
-	// grouping...
-	// XXX need to tell .images about this...
-	group: ['- Group|Edit/Group images', 
-		{journal: true},
-		function(gids, group){ this.data.group(gids, group) }],
-	ungroup: ['Group|Edit/Ungroup images', 
-		{journal: true},
-		{browseMode: function(){
-			return this.data.getGroup() == null && 'disabled' }},
-		function(gids, group){ this.data.ungroup(gids, group) }],
-
-	// direction can be:
-	// 	'next'
-	// 	'prev'
-	groupTo: ['- Group|Edit/Group to', 
-		{journal: true},
-		function(target, direction){
-			target = this.data.getImage(target)
-			var other = this.data.getImage(target, direction == 'next' ? 1 : -1)
-
-			// we are start/end of ribbon...
-			if(other == null){
-				return
-			}
-			
-			// add into an existing group...
-			if(this.data.isGroup(other)){
-				this.group(target, other)
-
-			// new group...
-			} else {
-				this.group([target, other])
-			}
-		}],
-	// shorthands to .groupTo(..)
-	groupBack: ['Group|Edit/Group backwards', 
-		{journal: true},
-		function(target){ this.groupTo(target, 'prev') }],
-	groupForward: ['Group|Edit/Group forwards', 
-		{journal: true},
-		function(target){ this.groupTo(target, 'next') }],
-
-	// NOTE: this will only group loaded images...
-	groupMarked: ['Group|Mark/Group loaded marked images', 
-		{journal: true},
-		function(){ this.group(this.data.getImages(this.data.getTaggedByAny('marked'))) }],
-
-	expandGroup: ['Group/Expand group', 
-		{browseMode: 'ungroup'}, 
-		function(target){ this.data.expandGroup(target || this.current) }],
-	collapseGroup: ['Group/Collapse group', {
-		journal: true,
-		browseMode: 'ungroup'}, 
-		function(target){ this.data.collapseGroup(target || this.current) }],
-
-	cropGroup: ['Crop|Group/Crop group', {
-		journal: true,
-		browseMode: 'ungroup'}, 
-		function(target){ this.crop(this.data.cropGroup(target || this.current)) }],
-})
-
-
-var ImageGroup =
-module.ImageGroup = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
-	title: '',
-
-	tag: 'image-group',
-	depends: [
-		'base',
-		'changes',
-	],
-
-	actions: ImageGroupActions,
-
-	handlers: [
-		[[
-			'group',
-			'ungroup',
-			'expandGroup',
-			'collapseGroup',
-		], 
-			function(_, target){ this.markChanged('data') }],
-	],
-})
-
-
-
 //---------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Meta base features...
 
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/features/filesystem.js b/ui (gen4)/features/filesystem.js
index 0c48a1ba..41bc181a 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/features/filesystem.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/features/filesystem.js	
@@ -740,11 +740,12 @@ module.FileSystemLoader = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 
 	tag: 'fs-loader',
 	depends: [
+		'base',
+		'edit',
 		'index-format',
 		'location',
 		'recover',
 		'fs-info',
-		'changes',
 		'tasks',
 	],
 	suggested: [
@@ -1275,7 +1276,6 @@ module.FileSystemSaveHistory = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 
 	tag: 'fs-save-history',
 	depends: [
-		'changes',
 		'fs-loader',
 		'fs-comments',
 	],
@@ -1529,7 +1529,6 @@ module.FileSystemSaveHistoryUI = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 	tag: 'ui-fs-save-history',
 	depends: [
 		'ui',
-		'changes',
 		'fs-save-history',
 	],
 
@@ -2067,7 +2066,6 @@ module.FileSystemWriter = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 	depends: [
 		'fs-loader',
 		'index-format',
-		'changes',	
 	],
 	suggested: [
 		'ui-fs-writer',
@@ -2418,7 +2416,6 @@ module.FileSystemWriterUI = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 
 	tag: 'ui-fs-writer',
 	depends: [
-		'changes',	
 		'fs-writer', 
 		'ui-fs-loader',
 	],
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/features/marks.js b/ui (gen4)/features/marks.js
index b6005fae..803e0d9b 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/features/marks.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/features/marks.js	
@@ -203,7 +203,6 @@ var undoShift = function(undo){
 
 //---------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-// XXX .toggleMarkBlock(..) not done yet...
 var ImageMarkActions = actions.Actions({
 
 	// a shorthand...
@@ -227,6 +226,39 @@ var ImageMarkActions = actions.Actions({
 				.filter(function(img, i){ return images[i] != null })
 		}],
 
+	prevMarked: ['Mark|Navigate/Previous marked image',
+		function(mode){ this.prevTagged('selected', mode) }],
+	nextMarked: ['Mark|Navigate/Next marked image',
+		function(mode){ this.nextTagged('selected', mode) }],
+
+	cropMarked: ['Mark|Crop/Crop $marked images',
+		function(flatten){ this.cropTagged('selected', 'any', flatten) }],
+})
+
+
+// NOTE: this is usable without ribbons...
+var ImageMarks = 
+module.ImageMarks = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
+	title: '',
+	doc: '',
+
+	tag: 'image-marks',
+
+	depends: [
+		'base',
+	],
+	suggested: [
+		'image-marks-edit',
+		'ui-image-marks',
+	],
+
+	actions: ImageMarkActions,
+})
+
+
+// - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
+
+var ImageMarkEditActions = actions.Actions({
 	// Common use-cases:
 	// 	Toggle mark on current image
 	// 	.toggleMark()
@@ -294,41 +326,33 @@ var ImageMarkActions = actions.Actions({
 			})
 		}],
 
-	prevMarked: ['Mark|Navigate/Previous marked image',
-		function(mode){ this.prevTagged('selected', mode) }],
-	nextMarked: ['Mark|Navigate/Next marked image',
-		function(mode){ this.nextTagged('selected', mode) }],
-
 	shiftMarkedUp: ['Mark|Ribbon/Shift marked $up',
 		{undo: undoShift('shiftMarkedDown')},
 		shiftMarked('up')],
 	shiftMarkedDown: ['Mark|Ribbon/Shift marked $down',
 		{undo: undoShift('shiftMarkedUp')},
 		shiftMarked('down')],
-
-	cropMarked: ['Mark|Crop/Crop $marked images',
-		function(flatten){ this.cropTagged('selected', 'any', flatten) }],
 })
 
-
-// NOTE: this is usable without ribbons...
-var ImageMarks = 
-module.ImageMarks = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
+var ImageEditMarks = 
+module.ImageEditMarks = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 	title: '',
 	doc: '',
 
-	tag: 'image-marks',
+	tag: 'image-marks-edit',
 
 	depends: [
-		'base'
+		'tags-edit',
 	],
 	suggested: [
-		'ui-image-marks',
 	],
 
-	actions: ImageMarkActions,
+	actions: ImageMarkEditActions,
 })
 
+
+// - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
+
 var ImageMarksUI = 
 module.ImageMarksUI = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 	title: '',
@@ -353,7 +377,9 @@ module.ImageMarksUI = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 		['updateImage', function(_, gid, img){
 			// update only when ribbons are preset... 
 			if(this.ribbons != null){
-				if(this.toggleMark(gid, '?') == 'on'){
+				// NOTE: we are not using .toggleMark(..) here as this 
+				// 		does not need to depend on the 'edit' feature...
+				if(this.data.toggleTag('selected', gid, '?') == 'on'){
 					this.ribbons.toggleImageMark(gid, 'selected', 'on')
 				} else {
 					this.ribbons.toggleImageMark(gid, 'selected', 'off')
@@ -379,18 +405,6 @@ var ImageBookmarkActions = actions.Actions({
 		return this.data.tags['bookmark'].slice()
 	},
 
-	toggleBookmark: ['Bookmark|Image/Image $bookmark',
-		undoTag('toggleBookmark'),
-		makeTagTogglerAction('bookmark')],
-	// action can be:
-	// 	'on'	- toggle all on
-	// 	'off'	- toggle all off
-	// 	'next'	- toggle each image to next state
-	toggleBookmarkOnMarked: ['Bookmark|Mark/Bookmark on maked images',
-		function(action){ 
-			return this.toggleBookmark(this.data.getTaggedByAny('selected'), action) 
-		}],
-
 	prevBookmarked: ['Bookmark|Navigate/Previous bookmarked image',
 		function(mode){ this.prevTagged('bookmark', mode) }],
 	nextBookmarked: ['Bookmark|Navigate/Next bookmarked image',
@@ -409,9 +423,10 @@ module.ImageBookmarks = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 	tag: 'image-bookmarks',
 
 	depends: [
-		'base'
+		'base',
 	],
 	suggested: [
+		'image-bookmarks-edit',
 		'ui-image-bookmarks',
 	],
 
@@ -419,6 +434,43 @@ module.ImageBookmarks = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 
 })
 
+
+// - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
+
+var ImageBookmarkEditActions = actions.Actions({
+	toggleBookmark: ['Bookmark|Image/Image $bookmark',
+		undoTag('toggleBookmark'),
+		makeTagTogglerAction('bookmark')],
+	// action can be:
+	// 	'on'	- toggle all on
+	// 	'off'	- toggle all off
+	// 	'next'	- toggle each image to next state
+	toggleBookmarkOnMarked: ['Bookmark|Mark/Bookmark on maked images',
+		function(action){ 
+			return this.toggleBookmark(this.data.getTaggedByAny('selected'), action) 
+		}],
+})
+
+var ImageBookmarksEdit = 
+module.ImageBookmarksEdit = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
+	title: '',
+	doc: '',
+
+	tag: 'image-bookmarks-edit',
+
+	depends: [
+		'tags-edit',
+	],
+	suggested: [
+		'ui-image-bookmarks',
+	],
+
+	actions: ImageBookmarkEditActions,
+})
+
+
+// - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
+
 var ImageBookmarksUI = 
 module.ImageBookmarksUI = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 	title: '',
@@ -436,7 +488,7 @@ module.ImageBookmarksUI = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 		['updateImage', function(_, gid, img){
 			// update only when ribbons are preset... 
 			if(this.ribbons != null){
-				if(this.toggleBookmark(gid, '?') == 'on'){
+				if(this.data.toggleTag('bookmark', gid, '?') == 'on'){
 					this.ribbons.toggleImageMark(gid, 'bookmark', 'on')
 				} else {
 					this.ribbons.toggleImageMark(gid, 'bookmark', 'off')
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/features/meta.js b/ui (gen4)/features/meta.js
index 5b8c0200..4b6a64c6 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/features/meta.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/features/meta.js	
@@ -50,6 +50,16 @@ core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature('viewer-testing', [
 	'viewer-commandline',
 	'viewer-minimal',
 
+	// read-only mode...
+	// XXX at this point this needs some more tuneup, the following 
+	// 		features are completely disabled when 'edit' is not present
+	// 			- sort
+	// 			- ...
+	// 		...should be split into view/edit sub-features...
+	// XXX might also be a good idea to make basic marking and bookmarking
+	// 		editable (save to localStorage???)
+	//'-edit',
+
 	'peer',
 
 	'workspace',
@@ -73,7 +83,7 @@ core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature('viewer-testing', [
 		'-ui-partial-ribbons',
 		'-ui-partial-ribbons-2',
 	//*/
-
+	
 	'marks',
 	'ui-range',
 
@@ -82,7 +92,6 @@ core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature('viewer-testing', [
 	'ui-url-hash',
 	'url-history',
 
-
 	'external-editor',
 
 	'ui-preview-filters',
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/features/sort.js b/ui (gen4)/features/sort.js
index 962f4832..43d6d3e5 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/features/sort.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/features/sort.js	
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ var browse = require('lib/widget/browse')
 
 // XXX add sorting on load....
 // XXX keep a cached sort order for each method in .data...
+// XXX should this be split into edit/view???
 var SortActions = 
 module.SortActions = actions.Actions({
 	config: {
@@ -450,7 +451,8 @@ module.Sort = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 	tag: 'sort',
 	depends: [
 		'base',
-		'changes',
+		// XXX should we split this to edit/view???
+		'edit',
 	],
 	suggested: [
 		'ui-sort',
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/features/ui-single-image.js b/ui (gen4)/features/ui-single-image.js
index 976fcf83..2c9bdbe2 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/features/ui-single-image.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/features/ui-single-image.js	
@@ -476,6 +476,7 @@ module.SingleImageView = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 					'ribbon-focus-mode' in workspace
 						&& this.toggleRibbonFocusMode(workspace['ribbon-focus-mode'])
 					'shifts-affect-direction' in workspace
+						&& this.toggleShiftsAffectDirection
 						&& this.toggleShiftsAffectDirection(workspace['shifts-affect-direction'])
 				})],
 	],
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/features/ui-status.js b/ui (gen4)/features/ui-status.js
index fd33504d..5730340a 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/features/ui-status.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/features/ui-status.js	
@@ -297,7 +297,13 @@ var StatusBarActions = actions.Actions({
 					.attr('info', 'Unsaved changes')
 			}
 
-			item.html(this.changes !== false ? this.config['status-bar-changes-text'] || '*' : '')
+			//item.html(this.changes !== false ? 
+			//	this.config['status-bar-changes-text'] || '*' 
+			//	: '')
+			// XXX not yet sure about .hasOwnProperty(..) here...
+			item.html(this.hasOwnProperty('changes') && this.changes !== false ? 
+				this.config['status-bar-changes-text'] || '*' 
+				: '')
 
 			return item
 		},
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/features/ui.js b/ui (gen4)/features/ui.js
index b4bc36b6..fa4e71e7 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/features/ui.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/features/ui.js	
@@ -1173,7 +1173,7 @@ core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 	tag: 'ui-edit',
 
 	depends: [
-		'base-edit',
+		'edit',
 		'tags',
 		'sort',
 		'crop',