diff --git a/cmd/neofs-node/config/engine/config_test.go b/cmd/neofs-node/config/engine/config_test.go
index 7853c09447..e3a737663e 100644
--- a/cmd/neofs-node/config/engine/config_test.go
+++ b/cmd/neofs-node/config/engine/config_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	engineconfig "github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/cmd/neofs-node/config/engine"
 	shardconfig "github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/cmd/neofs-node/config/engine/shard"
 	configtest "github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/cmd/neofs-node/config/test"
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/pkg/local_object_storage/shard"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ func TestEngineSection(t *testing.T) {
 		require.False(t, handlerCalled)
 
 		require.EqualValues(t, engineconfig.ShardPoolSizeDefault, engineconfig.ShardPoolSize(empty))
+		require.EqualValues(t, shard.ModeReadWrite, shardconfig.From(empty).Mode())
 	})
 
 	const path = "../../../../config/example/node"
@@ -80,6 +82,7 @@ func TestEngineSection(t *testing.T) {
 				require.Equal(t, 2*time.Minute, gc.RemoverSleepInterval())
 
 				require.Equal(t, false, sc.RefillMetabase())
+				require.Equal(t, shard.ModeReadOnly, sc.Mode())
 			case 1:
 				require.Equal(t, true, sc.UseWriteCache())
 
@@ -108,6 +111,7 @@ func TestEngineSection(t *testing.T) {
 				require.Equal(t, 5*time.Minute, gc.RemoverSleepInterval())
 
 				require.Equal(t, true, sc.RefillMetabase())
+				require.Equal(t, shard.ModeReadWrite, sc.Mode())
 			}
 		})
 
diff --git a/cmd/neofs-node/config/engine/shard/config.go b/cmd/neofs-node/config/engine/shard/config.go
index 4eaded1f72..a4ce95e506 100644
--- a/cmd/neofs-node/config/engine/shard/config.go
+++ b/cmd/neofs-node/config/engine/shard/config.go
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 package shardconfig
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/cmd/neofs-node/config"
 	blobstorconfig "github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/cmd/neofs-node/config/engine/shard/blobstor"
 	gcconfig "github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/cmd/neofs-node/config/engine/shard/gc"
 	metabaseconfig "github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/cmd/neofs-node/config/engine/shard/metabase"
 	writecacheconfig "github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/cmd/neofs-node/config/engine/shard/writecache"
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/pkg/local_object_storage/shard"
 )
 
 // Config is a wrapper over the config section
@@ -68,3 +71,25 @@ func (x *Config) RefillMetabase() bool {
 		"resync_metabase",
 	)
 }
+
+// Mode return value of "mode" config parameter.
+//
+// Panics if read value is not one of predefined
+// shard modes.
+func (x *Config) Mode() (m shard.Mode) {
+	s := config.StringSafe(
+		(*config.Config)(x),
+		"mode",
+	)
+
+	switch s {
+	case "read-write", "":
+		m = shard.ModeReadWrite
+	case "read-only":
+		m = shard.ModeReadOnly
+	default:
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("unknown shard mode: %s", s))
+	}
+
+	return
+}
diff --git a/config/example/node.env b/config/example/node.env
index abb09d5df0..0ee9b28641 100644
--- a/config/example/node.env
+++ b/config/example/node.env
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ NEOFS_STORAGE_SHARD_NUM=2
 ## 0 shard
 ### Flag to refill Metabase from BlobStor
 NEOFS_STORAGE_SHARD_0_RESYNC_METABASE=false
+### Flag to set shard mode
+NEOFS_STORAGE_SHARD_0_MODE=read-only
 ### Write cache config
 NEOFS_STORAGE_SHARD_0_USE_WRITE_CACHE=false
 NEOFS_STORAGE_SHARD_0_WRITECACHE_PATH=tmp/0/cache
@@ -104,6 +106,8 @@ NEOFS_STORAGE_SHARD_0_GC_REMOVER_SLEEP_INTERVAL=2m
 ## 1 shard
 ### Flag to refill Metabase from BlobStor
 NEOFS_STORAGE_SHARD_1_RESYNC_METABASE=true
+### Flag to set shard mode
+NEOFS_STORAGE_SHARD_1_MODE=read-write
 ### Write cache config
 NEOFS_STORAGE_SHARD_1_USE_WRITE_CACHE=true
 NEOFS_STORAGE_SHARD_1_WRITECACHE_PATH=tmp/1/cache
diff --git a/config/example/node.json b/config/example/node.json
index fdb68dea4a..ca8b81122e 100644
--- a/config/example/node.json
+++ b/config/example/node.json
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@
     "shard_num": 2,
     "shard": {
       "0": {
+        "mode": "read-only",
         "resync_metabase": false,
         "use_write_cache": false,
         "writecache": {
@@ -150,6 +151,7 @@
         }
       },
       "1": {
+        "mode": "read-write",
         "resync_metabase": true,
         "use_write_cache": true,
         "writecache": {
diff --git a/config/example/node.yaml b/config/example/node.yaml
index 569b49950d..69e5f84665 100644
--- a/config/example/node.yaml
+++ b/config/example/node.yaml
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ storage:
 
   shard:
     0:
+      mode: "read-only"  # mode of the shard, must be one of the: "read-write" (default), "read-only"
       resync_metabase: false  # sync metabase with blobstor on start, expensive, leave false until complete understanding
 
       use_write_cache: false  # use write-cache