diff --git a/src/v/pandaproxy/schema_registry/configuration.cc b/src/v/pandaproxy/schema_registry/configuration.cc
index 62bf5729b23ec..68c05f2078658 100644
--- a/src/v/pandaproxy/schema_registry/configuration.cc
+++ b/src/v/pandaproxy/schema_registry/configuration.cc
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ configuration::configuration()
       {},
       {},
       config::endpoint_tls_config::validate_many)
+  , mode_mutability(*this, "mode_mutability", "Allow modifying mode", {}, false)
   , schema_registry_replication_factor(
       *this,
       "schema_registry_replication_factor",
diff --git a/src/v/pandaproxy/schema_registry/configuration.h b/src/v/pandaproxy/schema_registry/configuration.h
index b946a066270df..182582e85303d 100644
--- a/src/v/pandaproxy/schema_registry/configuration.h
+++ b/src/v/pandaproxy/schema_registry/configuration.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ struct configuration final : public config::config_store {
       schema_registry_api;
     config::one_or_many_property<config::endpoint_tls_config>
       schema_registry_api_tls;
+    config::property<bool> mode_mutability;
     config::property<std::optional<int16_t>> schema_registry_replication_factor;
     config::property<ss::sstring> api_doc_dir;
 };
diff --git a/tests/rptest/services/redpanda.py b/tests/rptest/services/redpanda.py
index 8e6e0a83e8f7d..dd2b0547ca136 100644
--- a/tests/rptest/services/redpanda.py
+++ b/tests/rptest/services/redpanda.py
@@ -885,6 +885,8 @@ class SchemaRegistryConfig(TlsConfig):
     SR_TLS_CLIENT_KEY_FILE = "/etc/redpanda/sr_client.key"
     SR_TLS_CLIENT_CRT_FILE = "/etc/redpanda/sr_client.crt"
 
+    mode_mutability = False
+
     def __init__(self):
         super(SchemaRegistryConfig, self).__init__()
 
diff --git a/tests/rptest/services/templates/redpanda.yaml b/tests/rptest/services/templates/redpanda.yaml
index ff3708d67e17b..ef7500f4b57b8 100644
--- a/tests/rptest/services/templates/redpanda.yaml
+++ b/tests/rptest/services/templates/redpanda.yaml
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ schema_registry:
     {% endif %}
 
   api_doc_dir: {{root}}/usr/share/redpanda/proxy-api-doc
+  mode_mutability: {{ schema_registry_config.mode_mutability }}
 
   {% if schema_registry_config.truststore_file is not none %}
   schema_registry_api_tls: