diff --git a/python/gui/layout/qgslayoutview.sip b/python/gui/layout/qgslayoutview.sip
index 74a45119419..aca319ee7b5 100644
--- a/python/gui/layout/qgslayoutview.sip
+++ b/python/gui/layout/qgslayoutview.sip
@@ -177,6 +177,8 @@ class QgsLayoutView: QGraphicsView
  Selects all items in the view.
 .. seealso:: deselectAll()
 .. seealso:: invertSelection()
+.. seealso:: selectNextItemAbove()
+.. seealso:: selectNextItemBelow()
 %End
 
     void deselectAll();
@@ -192,6 +194,22 @@ class QgsLayoutView: QGraphicsView
  and deselecting and selected items.
 .. seealso:: selectAll()
 .. seealso:: deselectAll()
+%End
+
+    void selectNextItemAbove();
+%Docstring
+ Selects the next item above the existing selection, by item z order.
+.. seealso:: selectNextItemBelow()
+.. seealso:: selectAll()
+.. seealso:: deselectAll()
+%End
+
+    void selectNextItemBelow();
+%Docstring
+ Selects the next item below the existing selection, by item z order.
+.. seealso:: selectNextItemAbove()
+.. seealso:: selectAll()
+.. seealso:: deselectAll()
 %End
 
     void viewChanged();
diff --git a/src/app/layout/qgslayoutdesignerdialog.cpp b/src/app/layout/qgslayoutdesignerdialog.cpp
index 2f3f90ee901..effe503b4a8 100644
--- a/src/app/layout/qgslayoutdesignerdialog.cpp
+++ b/src/app/layout/qgslayoutdesignerdialog.cpp
@@ -194,9 +194,14 @@ QgsLayoutDesignerDialog::QgsLayoutDesignerDialog( QWidget *parent, Qt::WindowFla
   connect( mActionSelectAll, &QAction::triggered, mView, &QgsLayoutView::selectAll );
   connect( mActionDeselectAll, &QAction::triggered, mView, &QgsLayoutView::deselectAll );
   connect( mActionInvertSelection, &QAction::triggered, mView, &QgsLayoutView::invertSelection );
+  connect( mActionSelectNextAbove, &QAction::triggered, mView, &QgsLayoutView::selectNextItemAbove );
+  connect( mActionSelectNextBelow, &QAction::triggered, mView, &QgsLayoutView::selectNextItemBelow );
 
   connect( mActionAddPages, &QAction::triggered, this, &QgsLayoutDesignerDialog::addPages );
 
+  connect( mActionUnlockAll, &QAction::triggered, this, &QgsLayoutDesignerDialog::unlockAllItems );
+  connect( mActionLockItems, &QAction::triggered, this, &QgsLayoutDesignerDialog::lockSelectedItems );
+
   //create status bar labels
   mStatusCursorXLabel = new QLabel( mStatusBar );
   mStatusCursorXLabel->setMinimumWidth( 100 );
@@ -477,6 +482,22 @@ void QgsLayoutDesignerDialog::snapToItems( bool enabled )
   mLayout->snapper().setSnapToItems( enabled );
 }
 
+void QgsLayoutDesignerDialog::unlockAllItems()
+{
+  if ( mLayout )
+  {
+    mLayout->unlockAllItems();
+  }
+}
+
+void QgsLayoutDesignerDialog::lockSelectedItems()
+{
+  if ( mLayout )
+  {
+    mLayout->lockSelectedItems();
+  }
+}
+
 void QgsLayoutDesignerDialog::closeEvent( QCloseEvent * )
 {
   emit aboutToClose();
diff --git a/src/app/layout/qgslayoutdesignerdialog.h b/src/app/layout/qgslayoutdesignerdialog.h
index f6a8501bcb3..3a3b5de7609 100644
--- a/src/app/layout/qgslayoutdesignerdialog.h
+++ b/src/app/layout/qgslayoutdesignerdialog.h
@@ -149,6 +149,18 @@ class QgsLayoutDesignerDialog: public QMainWindow, private Ui::QgsLayoutDesigner
      */
     void snapToItems( bool enabled );
 
+    /**
+     * Unlocks all locked items in the layout.
+     * \see lockSelectedItems()
+     */
+    void unlockAllItems();
+
+    /**
+     * Locks any selected items in the layout.
+     * \see unlockAllItems()
+     */
+    void lockSelectedItems();
+
   signals:
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutview.cpp b/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutview.cpp
index fe352240515..06d75f318c8 100644
--- a/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutview.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutview.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "qgslayoutviewtooltemporarymousepan.h"
 #include "qgslayoutmousehandles.h"
 #include "qgslayoutruler.h"
+#include "qgslayoutmodel.h"
 #include "qgssettings.h"
 #include "qgsrectangle.h"
 #include "qgsapplication.h"
@@ -353,6 +354,50 @@ void QgsLayoutView::invertSelection()
     emit itemFocused( focusedItem );
 }
 
+
+void selectNextByZOrder( QgsLayout *layout, bool above )
+{
+  if ( !layout )
+    return;
+
+  QgsLayoutItem *previousSelectedItem = nullptr;
+  const QList<QgsLayoutItem *> selectedItems = layout->selectedLayoutItems();
+  if ( !selectedItems.isEmpty() )
+  {
+    previousSelectedItem = selectedItems.at( 0 );
+  }
+
+  if ( !previousSelectedItem )
+  {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  //select item with target z value
+  QgsLayoutItem *selectedItem = nullptr;
+  if ( !above )
+    selectedItem = layout->itemsModel()->findItemBelow( previousSelectedItem );
+  else
+    selectedItem = layout->itemsModel()->findItemAbove( previousSelectedItem );
+
+  if ( !selectedItem )
+  {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  //OK, found a good target item
+  layout->setSelectedItem( selectedItem );
+}
+
+void QgsLayoutView::selectNextItemAbove()
+{
+  selectNextByZOrder( currentLayout(), true );
+}
+
+void QgsLayoutView::selectNextItemBelow()
+{
+  selectNextByZOrder( currentLayout(), false );
+}
+
 void QgsLayoutView::mousePressEvent( QMouseEvent *event )
 {
   mSnapMarker->setVisible( false );
diff --git a/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutview.h b/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutview.h
index 856ff7ffe2c..717b1f43f8b 100644
--- a/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutview.h
+++ b/src/gui/layout/qgslayoutview.h
@@ -219,6 +219,8 @@ class GUI_EXPORT QgsLayoutView: public QGraphicsView
      * Selects all items in the view.
      * \see deselectAll()
      * \see invertSelection()
+     * \see selectNextItemAbove()
+     * \see selectNextItemBelow()
      */
     void selectAll();
 
@@ -237,6 +239,22 @@ class GUI_EXPORT QgsLayoutView: public QGraphicsView
      */
     void invertSelection();
 
+    /**
+     * Selects the next item above the existing selection, by item z order.
+     * \see selectNextItemBelow()
+     * \see selectAll()
+     * \see deselectAll()
+     */
+    void selectNextItemAbove();
+
+    /**
+     * Selects the next item below the existing selection, by item z order.
+     * \see selectNextItemAbove()
+     * \see selectAll()
+     * \see deselectAll()
+     */
+    void selectNextItemBelow();
+
     /**
      * Updates associated rulers and other widgets after view extent or zoom has changed.
      * This should be called after calling any of the QGraphicsView
diff --git a/src/ui/layout/qgslayoutdesignerbase.ui b/src/ui/layout/qgslayoutdesignerbase.ui
index 128cbb77a9c..96fcf6c0e62 100644
--- a/src/ui/layout/qgslayoutdesignerbase.ui
+++ b/src/ui/layout/qgslayoutdesignerbase.ui
@@ -151,9 +151,17 @@
     <addaction name="mActionSelectNextBelow"/>
     <addaction name="mActionSelectNextAbove"/>
    </widget>
+   <widget class="QMenu" name="menuLayout">
+    <property name="title">
+     <string>Layout</string>
+    </property>
+    <addaction name="mActionLockItems"/>
+    <addaction name="mActionUnlockAll"/>
+   </widget>
    <addaction name="mLayoutMenu"/>
    <addaction name="menuEdit"/>
    <addaction name="mMenuView"/>
+   <addaction name="menuLayout"/>
    <addaction name="mItemMenu"/>
   </widget>
   <widget class="QToolBar" name="mNavigationToolbar">
@@ -171,6 +179,19 @@
    <addaction name="mActionZoomActual"/>
    <addaction name="mActionZoomAll"/>
   </widget>
+  <widget class="QToolBar" name="mActionsToolbar">
+   <property name="windowTitle">
+    <string>toolBar</string>
+   </property>
+   <attribute name="toolBarArea">
+    <enum>TopToolBarArea</enum>
+   </attribute>
+   <attribute name="toolBarBreak">
+    <bool>false</bool>
+   </attribute>
+   <addaction name="mActionLockItems"/>
+   <addaction name="mActionUnlockAll"/>
+  </widget>
   <action name="mActionClose">
    <property name="text">
     <string>&amp;Close</string>
@@ -536,6 +557,33 @@
     <string>Ctrl+Alt+]</string>
    </property>
   </action>
+  <action name="mActionLockItems">
+   <property name="icon">
+    <iconset resource="../../../images/images.qrc">
+     <normaloff>:/images/themes/default/locked.svg</normaloff>:/images/themes/default/locked.svg</iconset>
+   </property>
+   <property name="text">
+    <string>Loc&amp;k Selected Items</string>
+   </property>
+   <property name="shortcut">
+    <string>Ctrl+L</string>
+   </property>
+  </action>
+  <action name="mActionUnlockAll">
+   <property name="icon">
+    <iconset resource="../../../images/images.qrc">
+     <normaloff>:/images/themes/default/unlocked.svg</normaloff>:/images/themes/default/unlocked.svg</iconset>
+   </property>
+   <property name="text">
+    <string>Unl&amp;ock All</string>
+   </property>
+   <property name="toolTip">
+    <string>Unlock All Items</string>
+   </property>
+   <property name="shortcut">
+    <string>Ctrl+Shift+L</string>
+   </property>
+  </action>
  </widget>
  <resources>
   <include location="../../../images/images.qrc"/>
diff --git a/tests/src/python/test_qgslayoutview.py b/tests/src/python/test_qgslayoutview.py
index 3587b6015a2..f3385f19c1d 100644
--- a/tests/src/python/test_qgslayoutview.py
+++ b/tests/src/python/test_qgslayoutview.py
@@ -179,6 +179,78 @@ class TestQgsLayoutView(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertFalse(item2.isSelected())
         self.assertFalse(item3.isSelected())  # locked
 
+    def testSelectNextByZOrder(self):
+        p = QgsProject()
+        l = QgsLayout(p)
+
+        # add some items
+        item1 = QgsLayoutItemMap(l)
+        l.addItem(item1)
+        item2 = QgsLayoutItemMap(l)
+        l.addItem(item2)
+        item3 = QgsLayoutItemMap(l)
+        item3.setLocked(True)
+        l.addItem(item3)
+
+        view = QgsLayoutView()
+        # no layout, no crash
+        view.selectNextItemAbove()
+        view.selectNextItemBelow()
+
+        view.setCurrentLayout(l)
+
+        focused_item_spy = QSignalSpy(view.itemFocused)
+
+        # no selection
+        view.selectNextItemAbove()
+        view.selectNextItemBelow()
+        self.assertEqual(len(focused_item_spy), 0)
+
+        l.setSelectedItem(item1)
+        self.assertEqual(len(focused_item_spy), 1)
+        # already bottom most
+        view.selectNextItemBelow()
+        self.assertTrue(item1.isSelected())
+        self.assertFalse(item2.isSelected())
+        self.assertFalse(item3.isSelected())
+        self.assertEqual(len(focused_item_spy), 1)
+
+        view.selectNextItemAbove()
+        self.assertFalse(item1.isSelected())
+        self.assertTrue(item2.isSelected())
+        self.assertFalse(item3.isSelected())
+        self.assertEqual(len(focused_item_spy), 2)
+
+        view.selectNextItemAbove()
+        self.assertFalse(item1.isSelected())
+        self.assertFalse(item2.isSelected())
+        self.assertTrue(item3.isSelected())
+        self.assertEqual(len(focused_item_spy), 3)
+
+        view.selectNextItemAbove() # already top most
+        self.assertFalse(item1.isSelected())
+        self.assertFalse(item2.isSelected())
+        self.assertTrue(item3.isSelected())
+        self.assertEqual(len(focused_item_spy), 3)
+
+        view.selectNextItemBelow()
+        self.assertFalse(item1.isSelected())
+        self.assertTrue(item2.isSelected())
+        self.assertFalse(item3.isSelected())
+        self.assertEqual(len(focused_item_spy), 4)
+
+        view.selectNextItemBelow()
+        self.assertTrue(item1.isSelected())
+        self.assertFalse(item2.isSelected())
+        self.assertFalse(item3.isSelected())
+        self.assertEqual(len(focused_item_spy), 5)
+
+        view.selectNextItemBelow() # back to bottom most
+        self.assertTrue(item1.isSelected())
+        self.assertFalse(item2.isSelected())
+        self.assertFalse(item3.isSelected())
+        self.assertEqual(len(focused_item_spy), 5)
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()