diff --git a/src/gui/qgstablewidgetbase.cpp b/src/gui/qgstablewidgetbase.cpp
index 9c9c342136c..f870acd5ef4 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgstablewidgetbase.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/qgstablewidgetbase.cpp
@@ -71,4 +71,15 @@ void QgsTableWidgetBase::setReadOnly( bool readOnly )
 
   addButton->setEnabled( !mReadOnly );
   removeButton->setEnabled( !mReadOnly && tableView->selectionModel()->hasSelection() );
+
+  if ( mReadOnly )
+  {
+    mWidgetActions->hide();
+    layout()->setSpacing( 0 );
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    mWidgetActions->show();
+    layout()->setSpacing( 6 );
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/ui/qgstablewidgetuibase.ui b/src/ui/qgstablewidgetuibase.ui
index 0fe7f77de48..53cff3e9bdd 100644
--- a/src/ui/qgstablewidgetuibase.ui
+++ b/src/ui/qgstablewidgetuibase.ui
@@ -58,55 +58,74 @@
     </widget>
    </item>
    <item>
-    <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="mActionLayout">
-     <item>
-      <widget class="QToolButton" name="addButton">
-       <property name="toolTip">
-        <string>Add entry</string>
-       </property>
-       <property name="text">
-        <string>…</string>
-       </property>
-       <property name="icon">
-        <iconset resource="../../images/images.qrc">
-         <normaloff>:/images/themes/default/symbologyAdd.svg</normaloff>:/images/themes/default/symbologyAdd.svg</iconset>
-       </property>
-      </widget>
-     </item>
-     <item>
-      <widget class="QToolButton" name="removeButton">
-       <property name="enabled">
-        <bool>false</bool>
-       </property>
-       <property name="toolTip">
-        <string>Remove entry</string>
-       </property>
-       <property name="text">
-        <string>…</string>
-       </property>
-       <property name="icon">
-        <iconset resource="../../images/images.qrc">
-         <normaloff>:/images/themes/default/symbologyRemove.svg</normaloff>:/images/themes/default/symbologyRemove.svg</iconset>
-       </property>
-      </widget>
-     </item>
-     <item>
-      <spacer name="verticalSpacer">
-       <property name="orientation">
-        <enum>Qt::Vertical</enum>
-       </property>
-       <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
-        <size>
-         <width>20</width>
-         <height>40</height>
-        </size>
-       </property>
-      </spacer>
-     </item>
-    </layout>
+    <widget class="QWidget" name="mWidgetActions" native="true">
+     <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout">
+      <property name="leftMargin">
+       <number>0</number>
+      </property>
+      <property name="topMargin">
+       <number>0</number>
+      </property>
+      <property name="rightMargin">
+       <number>0</number>
+      </property>
+      <property name="bottomMargin">
+       <number>0</number>
+      </property>
+      <item>
+       <widget class="QToolButton" name="addButton">
+        <property name="toolTip">
+         <string>Add entry</string>
+        </property>
+        <property name="text">
+         <string>…</string>
+        </property>
+        <property name="icon">
+         <iconset resource="../../images/images.qrc">
+          <normaloff>:/images/themes/default/symbologyAdd.svg</normaloff>:/images/themes/default/symbologyAdd.svg</iconset>
+        </property>
+       </widget>
+      </item>
+      <item>
+       <widget class="QToolButton" name="removeButton">
+        <property name="enabled">
+         <bool>false</bool>
+        </property>
+        <property name="toolTip">
+         <string>Remove entry</string>
+        </property>
+        <property name="text">
+         <string>…</string>
+        </property>
+        <property name="icon">
+         <iconset resource="../../images/images.qrc">
+          <normaloff>:/images/themes/default/symbologyRemove.svg</normaloff>:/images/themes/default/symbologyRemove.svg</iconset>
+        </property>
+       </widget>
+      </item>
+      <item>
+       <spacer name="verticalSpacer">
+        <property name="orientation">
+         <enum>Qt::Vertical</enum>
+        </property>
+        <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
+         <size>
+          <width>20</width>
+          <height>40</height>
+         </size>
+        </property>
+       </spacer>
+      </item>
+     </layout>
+    </widget>
    </item>
   </layout>
  </widget>
+ <tabstops>
+  <tabstop>tableView</tabstop>
+  <tabstop>addButton</tabstop>
+  <tabstop>removeButton</tabstop>
+ </tabstops>
  <resources>
   <include location="../../images/images.qrc"/>
  </resources>