diff --git a/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementDatabasesWorkflow.php b/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementDatabasesWorkflow.php
--- a/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementDatabasesWorkflow.php
+++ b/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementDatabasesWorkflow.php
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@
       ->setSynopsis(pht('List Phabricator databases.'));
   }
 
+  protected function isReadOnlyWorkflow() {
+    return true;
+  }
+
   public function didExecute(PhutilArgumentParser $args) {
     $api     = $this->getAPI();
     $patches = $this->getPatches();
diff --git a/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementDumpWorkflow.php b/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementDumpWorkflow.php
--- a/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementDumpWorkflow.php
+++ b/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementDumpWorkflow.php
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@
         ));
   }
 
+  protected function isReadOnlyWorkflow() {
+    return true;
+  }
+
   public function didExecute(PhutilArgumentParser $args) {
     $api = $this->getAPI();
     $patches = $this->getPatches();
diff --git a/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementProbeWorkflow.php b/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementProbeWorkflow.php
--- a/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementProbeWorkflow.php
+++ b/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementProbeWorkflow.php
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@
       ->setSynopsis(pht('Show approximate table sizes.'));
   }
 
+  protected function isReadOnlyWorkflow() {
+    return true;
+  }
+
   public function didExecute(PhutilArgumentParser $args) {
     $console = PhutilConsole::getConsole();
     $console->writeErr(
diff --git a/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementRenamespaceWorkflow.php b/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementRenamespaceWorkflow.php
--- a/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementRenamespaceWorkflow.php
+++ b/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementRenamespaceWorkflow.php
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@
         ));
   }
 
+  protected function isReadOnlyWorkflow() {
+    return true;
+  }
+
   public function didExecute(PhutilArgumentParser $args) {
     $console = PhutilConsole::getConsole();
 
diff --git a/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementShellWorkflow.php b/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementShellWorkflow.php
--- a/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementShellWorkflow.php
+++ b/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementShellWorkflow.php
@@ -10,9 +10,11 @@
       ->setSynopsis(pht('Launch an interactive shell.'));
   }
 
-  public function execute(PhutilArgumentParser $args) {
-
+  protected function isReadOnlyWorkflow() {
+    return true;
+  }
 
+  public function execute(PhutilArgumentParser $args) {
     $api = $this->getAPI();
     list($host, $port) = $this->getBareHostAndPort($api->getHost());
 
diff --git a/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementStatusWorkflow.php b/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementStatusWorkflow.php
--- a/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementStatusWorkflow.php
+++ b/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementStatusWorkflow.php
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@
       ->setSynopsis(pht('Show patch application status.'));
   }
 
+  protected function isReadOnlyWorkflow() {
+    return true;
+  }
+
   public function didExecute(PhutilArgumentParser $args) {
     $api     = $this->getAPI();
     $patches = $this->getPatches();
diff --git a/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementWorkflow.php b/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementWorkflow.php
--- a/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementWorkflow.php
+++ b/src/infrastructure/storage/management/workflow/PhabricatorStorageManagementWorkflow.php
@@ -45,19 +45,24 @@
     return $this;
   }
 
+  protected function isReadOnlyWorkflow() {
+    return false;
+  }
 
   public function execute(PhutilArgumentParser $args) {
     $this->setDryRun($args->getArg('dryrun'));
     $this->setForce($args->getArg('force'));
 
-    if (PhabricatorEnv::isReadOnly()) {
-      if ($this->isForce()) {
-        PhabricatorEnv::setReadOnly(false, null);
-      } else {
-        throw new PhutilArgumentUsageException(
-          pht(
-            'Phabricator is currently in read-only mode. Use --force to '.
-            'override this mode.'));
+    if (!$this->isReadOnlyWorkflow()) {
+      if (PhabricatorEnv::isReadOnly()) {
+        if ($this->isForce()) {
+          PhabricatorEnv::setReadOnly(false, null);
+        } else {
+          throw new PhutilArgumentUsageException(
+            pht(
+              'Phabricator is currently in read-only mode. Use --force to '.
+              'override this mode.'));
+        }
       }
     }