diff --git a/cmd/lab-monitoring/main.go b/cmd/lab-monitoring/main.go
index b68da9e..263d14a 100644
--- a/cmd/lab-monitoring/main.go
+++ b/cmd/lab-monitoring/main.go
@@ -88,6 +88,10 @@ func serveCommand() *cli.Command {
 				Usage: "Session TTL for HTTP transport",
 				Value: 30 * time.Minute,
 			},
+			&cli.BoolFlag{
+				Name:  "enable-silences",
+				Usage: "Enable the create_silence tool (write operation, disabled by default)",
+			},
 		},
 		Action: func(c *cli.Context) error {
 			return runServe(c)
@@ -177,7 +181,10 @@ func runServe(c *cli.Context) error {
 	}
 
 	server := mcp.NewGenericServer(logger, config)
-	monitoring.RegisterHandlers(server, prom, am)
+	opts := monitoring.HandlerOptions{
+		EnableSilences: c.Bool("enable-silences"),
+	}
+	monitoring.RegisterHandlers(server, prom, am, opts)
 
 	transport := c.String("transport")
 	switch transport {
diff --git a/internal/monitoring/handlers.go b/internal/monitoring/handlers.go
index de67c72..419c3ac 100644
--- a/internal/monitoring/handlers.go
+++ b/internal/monitoring/handlers.go
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ func AlertSummary(am *AlertmanagerClient) string {
 	silenced := false
 	inhibited := false
 	alerts, err := am.ListAlerts(context.Background(), AlertFilters{
-		Active:   &active,
-		Silenced: &silenced,
+		Active:    &active,
+		Silenced:  &silenced,
 		Inhibited: &inhibited,
 	})
 	if err != nil || len(alerts) == 0 {
@@ -54,8 +54,15 @@ func AlertSummary(am *AlertmanagerClient) string {
 		len(alerts), strings.Join(parts, ", "))
 }
 
+// HandlerOptions configures which handlers are registered.
+type HandlerOptions struct {
+	// EnableSilences enables the create_silence tool, which is a write operation.
+	// Disabled by default as a safety measure.
+	EnableSilences bool
+}
+
 // RegisterHandlers registers all monitoring tool handlers on the MCP server.
-func RegisterHandlers(server *mcp.Server, prom *PrometheusClient, am *AlertmanagerClient) {
+func RegisterHandlers(server *mcp.Server, prom *PrometheusClient, am *AlertmanagerClient, opts HandlerOptions) {
 	server.RegisterTool(listAlertsTool(), makeListAlertsHandler(am))
 	server.RegisterTool(getAlertTool(), makeGetAlertHandler(am))
 	server.RegisterTool(searchMetricsTool(), makeSearchMetricsHandler(prom))
@@ -63,7 +70,9 @@ func RegisterHandlers(server *mcp.Server, prom *PrometheusClient, am *Alertmanag
 	server.RegisterTool(queryTool(), makeQueryHandler(prom))
 	server.RegisterTool(listTargetsTool(), makeListTargetsHandler(prom))
 	server.RegisterTool(listSilencesTool(), makeListSilencesHandler(am))
-	server.RegisterTool(createSilenceTool(), makeCreateSilenceHandler(am))
+	if opts.EnableSilences {
+		server.RegisterTool(createSilenceTool(), makeCreateSilenceHandler(am))
+	}
 }
 
 // Tool definitions
diff --git a/internal/monitoring/handlers_test.go b/internal/monitoring/handlers_test.go
index 69435e8..371cc12 100644
--- a/internal/monitoring/handlers_test.go
+++ b/internal/monitoring/handlers_test.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ func setupTestServer(t *testing.T, promHandler, amHandler http.HandlerFunc) (*mc
 
 	prom := NewPrometheusClient(promSrv.URL)
 	am := NewAlertmanagerClient(amSrv.URL)
-	RegisterHandlers(server, prom, am)
+	RegisterHandlers(server, prom, am, HandlerOptions{EnableSilences: true})
 
 	cleanup := func() {
 		promSrv.Close()
@@ -304,7 +304,60 @@ func TestHandler_ToolCount(t *testing.T) {
 	)
 	defer cleanup()
 
-	// Send a tools/list request
+	tools := listTools(t, server)
+	if len(tools) != 8 {
+		t.Errorf("expected 8 tools with silences enabled, got %d", len(tools))
+		for _, tool := range tools {
+			t.Logf("  tool: %s", tool.Name)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Verify create_silence is present
+	found := false
+	for _, tool := range tools {
+		if tool.Name == "create_silence" {
+			found = true
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	if !found {
+		t.Error("expected create_silence tool when silences enabled")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestHandler_ToolCountWithoutSilences(t *testing.T) {
+	promSrv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {}))
+	amSrv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {}))
+	defer promSrv.Close()
+	defer amSrv.Close()
+
+	logger := log.New(io.Discard, "", 0)
+	config := mcp.DefaultMonitoringConfig()
+	server := mcp.NewGenericServer(logger, config)
+
+	prom := NewPrometheusClient(promSrv.URL)
+	am := NewAlertmanagerClient(amSrv.URL)
+	RegisterHandlers(server, prom, am, HandlerOptions{EnableSilences: false})
+
+	tools := listTools(t, server)
+	if len(tools) != 7 {
+		t.Errorf("expected 7 tools without silences, got %d", len(tools))
+		for _, tool := range tools {
+			t.Logf("  tool: %s", tool.Name)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Verify create_silence is NOT present
+	for _, tool := range tools {
+		if tool.Name == "create_silence" {
+			t.Error("expected create_silence tool to be absent when silences disabled")
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func listTools(t *testing.T, server *mcp.Server) []mcp.Tool {
+	t.Helper()
+
 	req := &mcp.Request{
 		JSONRPC: "2.0",
 		ID:      1,
@@ -328,12 +381,7 @@ func TestHandler_ToolCount(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("failed to unmarshal result: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	if len(listResult.Tools) != 8 {
-		t.Errorf("expected 8 tools, got %d", len(listResult.Tools))
-		for _, tool := range listResult.Tools {
-			t.Logf("  tool: %s", tool.Name)
-		}
-	}
+	return listResult.Tools
 }
 
 // callTool is a test helper that calls a tool through the MCP server.
diff --git a/nix/lab-monitoring-module.nix b/nix/lab-monitoring-module.nix
index 6a15dbe..b6f8d94 100644
--- a/nix/lab-monitoring-module.nix
+++ b/nix/lab-monitoring-module.nix
@@ -33,6 +33,12 @@ in
       description = "Alertmanager base URL.";
     };
 
+    enableSilences = lib.mkOption {
+      type = lib.types.bool;
+      default = false;
+      description = "Enable the create_silence tool (write operation, disabled by default).";
+    };
+
     http = {
       address = lib.mkOption {
         type = lib.types.str;
@@ -102,8 +108,9 @@ in
 
       script = let
         httpFlags = mkHttpFlags cfg.http;
+        silenceFlag = lib.optionalString cfg.enableSilences "--enable-silences";
       in ''
-        exec ${cfg.package}/bin/lab-monitoring serve ${httpFlags}
+        exec ${cfg.package}/bin/lab-monitoring serve ${httpFlags} ${silenceFlag}
       '';
 
       serviceConfig = {