diff --git a/docs/tasks.md b/docs/tasks.md
index 0d8d8d8e6ff..afc50853244 100644
--- a/docs/tasks.md
+++ b/docs/tasks.md
@@ -391,6 +391,10 @@ this with `mountPath`. The value at `mountPath` can be anywhere on your pod's fi
 The path will be available via [variable substitution](#variable-substitution) with
 `$(workspaces.myworkspace.path)`.
 
+A task can declare that it will not write to the volume by adding `readOnly: true`
+to the workspace declaration. This will in turn mark the volumeMount as `readOnly`
+on the Task's underlying pod.
+
 The actual volumes must be provided at runtime
 [in the `TaskRun`](taskruns.md#workspaces).
 In a future iteration ([#1438](https://github.com/tektoncd/pipeline/issues/1438))
diff --git a/examples/taskruns/workspace-readonly.yaml b/examples/taskruns/workspace-readonly.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b50619e3766
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/taskruns/workspace-readonly.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
+metadata:
+  name: my-pvc-2
+spec:
+  resources:
+    requests:
+      storage: 5Gi
+  volumeMode: Filesystem
+  accessModes:
+    - ReadWriteOnce
+---
+apiVersion: tekton.dev/v1alpha1
+kind: TaskRun
+metadata:
+  generateName: workspaces-readonly-
+spec:
+  workspaces:
+    - name: write-allowed
+      persistentVolumeClaim:
+        claimName: my-pvc-2
+    - name: write-disallowed
+      persistentVolumeClaim:
+        claimName: my-pvc-2
+  taskSpec:
+    workspaces:
+    - name: write-allowed
+    - name: write-disallowed
+      readOnly: true
+    steps:
+    - name: write-allowed
+      image: ubuntu
+      script: echo "hello" > $(workspaces.write-allowed.path)/foo
+    - name: read-allowed
+      image: ubuntu
+      script: cat $(workspaces.write-allowed.path)/foo | grep "hello"
+    - name: write-disallowed
+      image: ubuntu
+      script:
+        echo "goodbye" > $(workspaces.write-disallowed.path)/foo || touch write-failed.txt
+        test -f write-failed.txt
+    - name: read-again
+      # We should get "hello" when reading again because writing "goodbye" to
+      # the file should have been disallowed.
+      image: ubuntu
+      script:
+        cat $(workspaces.write-disallowed.path)/foo | grep "hello"
diff --git a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1alpha1/workspace_types.go b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1alpha1/workspace_types.go
index 6c61dae2997..a10fa6483b4 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1alpha1/workspace_types.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1alpha1/workspace_types.go
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ type WorkspaceDeclaration struct {
 	// MountPath overrides the directory that the volume will be made available at.
 	// +optional
 	MountPath string `json:"mountPath,omitempty"`
+	// ReadOnly dictates whether a mounted volume is writable. By default this
+	// field is false and so mounted volumes are writable.
+	ReadOnly bool `json:"readOnly,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // GetMountPath returns the mountPath for w which is the MountPath if provided or the
diff --git a/pkg/workspace/apply.go b/pkg/workspace/apply.go
index f2df9f619a9..1755c0dab27 100644
--- a/pkg/workspace/apply.go
+++ b/pkg/workspace/apply.go
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ func Apply(ts v1alpha1.TaskSpec, wb []v1alpha1.WorkspaceBinding) (*v1alpha1.Task
 			Name:      vv.Name,
 			MountPath: w.GetMountPath(),
 			SubPath:   wb[i].SubPath,
+			ReadOnly:  w.ReadOnly,
 		})
 
 		// Only add this volume if it hasn't already been added
diff --git a/pkg/workspace/apply_test.go b/pkg/workspace/apply_test.go
index 9fd1f4057e7..12c34614fea 100644
--- a/pkg/workspace/apply_test.go
+++ b/pkg/workspace/apply_test.go
@@ -413,8 +413,44 @@ func TestApply(t *testing.T) {
 				MountPath: "/my/fancy/mount/path",
 			}},
 		},
-	},
-	} {
+	}, {
+		name: "readOnly true marks volume mount readOnly",
+		ts: v1alpha1.TaskSpec{
+			Workspaces: []v1alpha1.WorkspaceDeclaration{{
+				Name:      "custom",
+				MountPath: "/my/fancy/mount/path",
+				ReadOnly:  true,
+			}},
+		},
+		workspaces: []v1alpha1.WorkspaceBinding{{
+			Name: "custom",
+			PersistentVolumeClaim: &corev1.PersistentVolumeClaimVolumeSource{
+				ClaimName: "mypvc",
+			},
+		}},
+		expectedTaskSpec: v1alpha1.TaskSpec{
+			StepTemplate: &corev1.Container{
+				VolumeMounts: []corev1.VolumeMount{{
+					Name:      "ws-twkr2",
+					MountPath: "/my/fancy/mount/path",
+					ReadOnly:  true,
+				}},
+			},
+			Volumes: []corev1.Volume{{
+				Name: "ws-twkr2",
+				VolumeSource: corev1.VolumeSource{
+					PersistentVolumeClaim: &corev1.PersistentVolumeClaimVolumeSource{
+						ClaimName: "mypvc",
+					},
+				},
+			}},
+			Workspaces: []v1alpha1.WorkspaceDeclaration{{
+				Name:      "custom",
+				MountPath: "/my/fancy/mount/path",
+				ReadOnly:  true,
+			}},
+		},
+	}} {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			ts, err := workspace.Apply(tc.ts, tc.workspaces)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/test/builder/step.go b/test/builder/step.go
index 2b5ec0b6151..1ac47b16131 100644
--- a/test/builder/step.go
+++ b/test/builder/step.go
@@ -74,6 +74,12 @@ func StepVolumeMount(name, mountPath string, ops ...VolumeMountOp) StepOp {
 	}
 }
 
+func StepScript(script string) StepOp {
+	return func(step *v1alpha1.Step) {
+		step.Script = script
+	}
+}
+
 // StepResources adds ResourceRequirements to the Container (step).
 func StepResources(ops ...ResourceRequirementsOp) StepOp {
 	return func(step *v1alpha1.Step) {
diff --git a/test/builder/task.go b/test/builder/task.go
index 5586c4c72f1..03ab160340e 100644
--- a/test/builder/task.go
+++ b/test/builder/task.go
@@ -168,12 +168,13 @@ func Sidecar(name, image string, ops ...ContainerOp) TaskSpecOp {
 }
 
 // TaskWorkspace adds a workspace declaration.
-func TaskWorkspace(name, desc, mountPath string) TaskSpecOp {
+func TaskWorkspace(name, desc, mountPath string, readOnly bool) TaskSpecOp {
 	return func(spec *v1alpha1.TaskSpec) {
 		spec.Workspaces = append(spec.Workspaces, v1alpha1.WorkspaceDeclaration{
 			Name:        name,
 			Description: desc,
 			MountPath:   mountPath,
+			ReadOnly:    readOnly,
 		})
 	}
 }
diff --git a/test/builder/task_test.go b/test/builder/task_test.go
index b57d3da267b..72310cef541 100644
--- a/test/builder/task_test.go
+++ b/test/builder/task_test.go
@@ -55,13 +55,14 @@ func TestTask(t *testing.T) {
 		tb.Step("mycontainer", "myimage", tb.StepCommand("/mycmd"), tb.StepArgs(
 			"--my-other-arg=$(inputs.resources.workspace.url)",
 		)),
+		tb.Step("mycontainer2", "myimage2", tb.StepScript("echo foo")),
 		tb.TaskVolume("foo", tb.VolumeSource(corev1.VolumeSource{
 			HostPath: &corev1.HostPathVolumeSource{Path: "/foo/bar"},
 		})),
 		tb.TaskStepTemplate(
 			tb.EnvVar("FRUIT", "BANANA"),
 		),
-		tb.TaskWorkspace("bread", "kind of bread", "/bread/path"),
+		tb.TaskWorkspace("bread", "kind of bread", "/bread/path", false),
 	))
 	expectedTask := &v1alpha1.Task{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "test-task", Namespace: "foo"},
@@ -71,6 +72,9 @@ func TestTask(t *testing.T) {
 				Image:   "myimage",
 				Command: []string{"/mycmd"},
 				Args:    []string{"--my-other-arg=$(inputs.resources.workspace.url)"},
+			}}, {Script: "echo foo", Container: corev1.Container{
+				Name:  "mycontainer2",
+				Image: "myimage2",
 			}}},
 			Inputs: &v1alpha1.Inputs{
 				Resources: []v1alpha1.TaskResource{{
@@ -125,6 +129,7 @@ func TestTask(t *testing.T) {
 				Name:        "bread",
 				Description: "kind of bread",
 				MountPath:   "/bread/path",
+				ReadOnly:    false,
 			}},
 		},
 	}
diff --git a/test/workspace_test.go b/test/workspace_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2756c9f232d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/workspace_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+// +build e2e
+
+/*
+Copyright 2019 The Tekton Authors
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package test
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	tb "github.com/tektoncd/pipeline/test/builder"
+	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	knativetest "knative.dev/pkg/test"
+)
+
+func TestWorkspaceReadOnlyDisallowsWrite(t *testing.T) {
+	c, namespace := setup(t)
+
+	taskName := "write-disallowed"
+	taskRunName := "write-disallowed-tr"
+
+	knativetest.CleanupOnInterrupt(func() { tearDown(t, c, namespace) }, t.Logf)
+	defer tearDown(t, c, namespace)
+
+	task := tb.Task(taskName, namespace, tb.TaskSpec(
+		tb.Step("attempt-write", "alpine", tb.StepScript("echo foo > /workspace/test/file")),
+		tb.TaskWorkspace("test", "test workspace", "/workspace/test", true),
+	))
+	if _, err := c.TaskClient.Create(task); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create Task: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	taskRun := tb.TaskRun(taskRunName, namespace, tb.TaskRunSpec(
+		tb.TaskRunTaskRef(taskName), tb.TaskRunServiceAccountName("default"),
+		tb.TaskRunWorkspaceEmptyDir("test", ""),
+	))
+	if _, err := c.TaskRunClient.Create(taskRun); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create TaskRun: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	t.Logf("Waiting for TaskRun in namespace %s to finish", namespace)
+	if err := WaitForTaskRunState(c, taskRunName, TaskRunFailed(taskRunName), "error"); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Error waiting for TaskRun to finish with error: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	tr, err := c.TaskRunClient.Get(taskRunName, metav1.GetOptions{})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Error retrieving taskrun: %s", err)
+	}
+	if tr.Status.PodName == "" {
+		t.Fatal("Error getting a PodName (empty)")
+	}
+	p, err := c.KubeClient.Kube.CoreV1().Pods(namespace).Get(tr.Status.PodName, metav1.GetOptions{})
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Error getting pod `%s` in namespace `%s`", tr.Status.PodName, namespace)
+	}
+	for _, stat := range p.Status.ContainerStatuses {
+		if strings.Contains(stat.Name, "step-attempt-write") {
+			req := c.KubeClient.Kube.CoreV1().Pods(namespace).GetLogs(p.Name, &corev1.PodLogOptions{Container: stat.Name})
+			logContent, err := req.Do().Raw()
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Error getting pod logs for pod `%s` and container `%s` in namespace `%s`", tr.Status.PodName, stat.Name, namespace)
+			}
+			if !strings.Contains(string(logContent), "Read-only file system") {
+				t.Fatalf("Expected read-only file system error but received %v", logContent)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}