diff --git a/bundles/org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml/OSGI-INF/l10n/bundle.properties b/bundles/org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml/OSGI-INF/l10n/bundle.properties
index ac886f9..accf529 100644
--- a/bundles/org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml/OSGI-INF/l10n/bundle.properties
+++ b/bundles/org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml/OSGI-INF/l10n/bundle.properties
@@ -24,5 +24,7 @@
 command.label.relationshipTypes= Select relationship types
 command.name.depth = Set transitivity depth
 command.label.depth = Set transitivity depth
+command.name.lock = Lock current diagram
+command.label.lock = Lock current diagram
 Bundle-Vendor = Eclipse Capra
 Bundle-Name = Eclipse Capra Trace Visualisation Support (PlantUML)
diff --git a/bundles/org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml/plugin.xml b/bundles/org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml/plugin.xml
index 34b10b5..ffe6730 100644
--- a/bundles/org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml/plugin.xml
+++ b/bundles/org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml/plugin.xml
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
    <extension
          point="net.sourceforge.plantuml.eclipse.diagramTextProvider">
       <diagramTextProvider
+            id="org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml.diagramTextProviderHandler"
             providerClass="org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml.DiagramTextProviderHandler">
       </diagramTextProvider>
    </extension>
@@ -68,6 +69,14 @@
             id="org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml.transitivtyDepth"
             name="%command.name.depth">
       </command>
+      <command
+            id="org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml.lockDiagram"
+            name="%command.name.lock">
+         <state
+               class="org.eclipse.jface.commands.ToggleState"
+               id="org.eclipse.ui.commands.toggleState">
+         </state>
+      </command>
    </extension>
    <extension
          point="org.eclipse.ui.handlers">
@@ -91,6 +100,10 @@
             class="org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml.TransitivityDepthHandler"
             commandId="org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml.transitivtyDepth">
       </handler>
+      <handler
+            class="org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml.ToggleLockDiagramHandler"
+            commandId="org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml.lockDiagram">
+      </handler>
    </extension>
 	<extension
          point="org.eclipse.ui.menus">
@@ -121,6 +134,11 @@
                label="%command.label.depth"
                style="push">
          </command>
+         <command
+               commandId="org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml.lockDiagram"
+               label="%command.name.lock"
+               style="toggle">
+         </command>
       </menuContribution>
    </extension>
    
diff --git a/bundles/org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml/src/org/eclipse/capra/ui/plantuml/DiagramTextProviderHandler.java b/bundles/org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml/src/org/eclipse/capra/ui/plantuml/DiagramTextProviderHandler.java
index 0528493..1dea201 100644
--- a/bundles/org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml/src/org/eclipse/capra/ui/plantuml/DiagramTextProviderHandler.java
+++ b/bundles/org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml/src/org/eclipse/capra/ui/plantuml/DiagramTextProviderHandler.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 import org.eclipse.capra.core.helpers.EMFHelper;
 import org.eclipse.capra.core.helpers.ExtensionPointHelper;
 import org.eclipse.capra.ui.helpers.SelectionSupportHelper;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.preferences.InstanceScope;
 import org.eclipse.emf.ecore.EObject;
 import org.eclipse.emf.ecore.resource.ResourceSet;
 import org.eclipse.emf.ecore.resource.impl.ResourceSetImpl;
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@
 import org.eclipse.ui.IEditorPart;
 import org.eclipse.ui.IViewPart;
 import org.eclipse.ui.IWorkbenchPart;
+import org.osgi.service.prefs.Preferences;
 
 import net.sourceforge.plantuml.eclipse.utils.DiagramTextProvider;
 import net.sourceforge.plantuml.eclipse.views.PlantUmlView;
@@ -47,6 +49,11 @@
 public class DiagramTextProviderHandler implements DiagramTextProvider {
 	private EObject artifactModel = null;
 
+	private boolean isLockDiagram() {
+		Preferences preferences = InstanceScope.INSTANCE.getNode("org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml.lockDiagram");
+		return preferences.node("lockDiagram").getBoolean("option", false);
+	}
+
 	@Override
 	public String getDiagramText(IEditorPart editor, ISelection input) {
 		return (getDiagramText((IWorkbenchPart) editor, input));
@@ -231,11 +238,19 @@
 
 	@Override
 	public boolean supportsEditor(IEditorPart editor) {
+		// This is a work around to disable update of the diagram if the view is locked.
+		if (isLockDiagram()) {
+			return false;
+		}
 		return true;
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public boolean supportsView(IViewPart part) {
+		// This is a work around to disable update of the diagram if the view is locked.
+		if (isLockDiagram()) {
+			return false;
+		}
 		if (part instanceof PlantUmlView) {
 			return false;
 		}
@@ -244,6 +259,10 @@
 
 	@Override
 	public boolean supportsSelection(ISelection selection) {
+		// This is a work around to disable update of the diagram if the view is locked.
+		if (isLockDiagram()) {
+			return false;
+		}
 		return true;
 	}
 
diff --git a/bundles/org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml/src/org/eclipse/capra/ui/plantuml/ToggleLockDiagramHandler.java b/bundles/org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml/src/org/eclipse/capra/ui/plantuml/ToggleLockDiagramHandler.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..23f7bd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bundles/org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml/src/org/eclipse/capra/ui/plantuml/ToggleLockDiagramHandler.java
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+/*******************************************************************************
+ * Copyright (c) 2016, 2020 Chalmers | University of Gothenburg, rt-labs and others.
+ * All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials
+ * are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v2.0
+ * which accompanies this distribution, and is available at
+ * http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v20.html
+ *  
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: EPL-2.0
+ *  
+ * Contributors:
+ *      Chalmers | University of Gothenburg and rt-labs - initial API and implementation and/or initial documentation
+ *      Chalmers | University of Gothenburg - additional features, updated API
+ *******************************************************************************/
+package org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml;
+
+import org.eclipse.core.commands.AbstractHandler;
+import org.eclipse.core.commands.Command;
+import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionEvent;
+import org.eclipse.core.commands.ExecutionException;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.preferences.InstanceScope;
+import org.eclipse.ui.handlers.HandlerUtil;
+import org.osgi.service.prefs.BackingStoreException;
+import org.osgi.service.prefs.Preferences;
+
+/**
+ * Toggles between locking the view and updating it when new elements are
+ * selected.
+ * 
+ * @author Jan-Philipp Steghöfer
+ */
+public class ToggleLockDiagramHandler extends AbstractHandler {
+
+	@Override
+	public Object execute(ExecutionEvent event) throws ExecutionException {
+		Command command = event.getCommand();
+		boolean oldValue = HandlerUtil.toggleCommandState(command);
+		setlockDiagram(!oldValue);
+		return null;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Checks whether the view should be locked and thus not refreshed.
+	 * 
+	 * @return {@code true} if the lock is enabled, {@code false} otherwise
+	 */
+	public static boolean isLockDiagram() {
+		Preferences lockDiagram = getPreference();
+		return lockDiagram.getBoolean("option", false);
+	}
+
+	private static Preferences getPreference() {
+		Preferences preferences = InstanceScope.INSTANCE.getNode("org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml.lockDiagram");
+		return preferences.node("lockDiagram");
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Sets whether the trace view is locked and should thus not be refreshed when
+	 * new elements are selected.
+	 * 
+	 * @param value {@code true} if the view is locked, {@code false} otherwise
+	 * 
+	 */
+	public static void setlockDiagram(boolean value) {
+		Preferences transitivity = getPreference();
+		transitivity.putBoolean("option", value);
+
+		try {
+			// forces the application to save the preferences
+			transitivity.flush();
+		} catch (BackingStoreException e) {
+			e.printStackTrace();
+		}
+	}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bundles/org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml/src/org/eclipse/capra/ui/plantuml/views/CapraPlantUmlView.java b/bundles/org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml/src/org/eclipse/capra/ui/plantuml/views/CapraPlantUmlView.java
index 0df9b3e..6cf2bb9 100644
--- a/bundles/org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml/src/org/eclipse/capra/ui/plantuml/views/CapraPlantUmlView.java
+++ b/bundles/org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml/src/org/eclipse/capra/ui/plantuml/views/CapraPlantUmlView.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 package org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml.views;
 
 import org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml.ToggleDisplayGraphHandler;
+import org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml.ToggleLockDiagramHandler;
 import org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml.ToggleTransitivityHandler;
 import org.eclipse.core.commands.Command;
 import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Composite;
@@ -41,5 +42,11 @@
 			displayGraph.getState("org.eclipse.ui.commands.toggleState")
 					.setValue(ToggleDisplayGraphHandler.isDisplayGraph());
 		}
+		Command lockDiagram = cmdService.getCommand("org.eclipse.capra.ui.plantuml.lockDiagram");
+		if (lockDiagram != null) {
+			lockDiagram.getState("org.eclipse.ui.commands.toggleState")
+					.setValue(ToggleLockDiagramHandler.isLockDiagram());
+		}
+
 	}
 }