diff --git a/components/contentselector/model/contentmodel.cpp b/components/contentselector/model/contentmodel.cpp
index 377edc3b1c..003f2ee241 100644
--- a/components/contentselector/model/contentmodel.cpp
+++ b/components/contentselector/model/contentmodel.cpp
@@ -109,6 +109,9 @@ Qt::ItemFlags ContentSelectorModel::ContentModel::flags(const QModelIndex& index
     if (!file)
         return Qt::NoItemFlags;
 
+    if (file->builtIn() || file->fromAnotherConfigFile())
+        return Qt::NoItemFlags;
+
     // game files can always be checked
     if (file == mGameFile)
         return Qt::ItemIsEnabled | Qt::ItemIsSelectable | Qt::ItemIsUserCheckable;
@@ -130,7 +133,7 @@ Qt::ItemFlags ContentSelectorModel::ContentModel::flags(const QModelIndex& index
                 continue;
 
             noGameFiles = false;
-            if (mCheckedFiles.contains(depFile))
+            if (depFile->builtIn() || depFile->fromAnotherConfigFile() || mCheckedFiles.contains(depFile))
             {
                 gamefileChecked = true;
                 break;
@@ -217,14 +220,14 @@ QVariant ContentSelectorModel::ContentModel::data(const QModelIndex& index, int
             if (file == mGameFile)
                 return QVariant();
 
-            return mCheckedFiles.contains(file) ? Qt::Checked : Qt::Unchecked;
+            return (file->builtIn() || file->fromAnotherConfigFile() || mCheckedFiles.contains(file)) ? Qt::Checked : Qt::Unchecked;
         }
 
         case Qt::UserRole:
         {
             if (file == mGameFile)
                 return ContentType_GameFile;
-            else if (flags(index))
+            else
                 return ContentType_Addon;
 
             break;
@@ -279,7 +282,12 @@ bool ContentSelectorModel::ContentModel::setData(const QModelIndex& index, const
         {
             int checkValue = value.toInt();
             bool setState = false;
-            if (checkValue == Qt::Checked && !mCheckedFiles.contains(file))
+            if (file->builtIn() || file->fromAnotherConfigFile())
+            {
+                setState = false;
+                success = false;
+            }
+            else if (checkValue == Qt::Checked && !mCheckedFiles.contains(file))
             {
                 setState = true;
                 success = true;
@@ -374,6 +382,13 @@ bool ContentSelectorModel::ContentModel::dropMimeData(
     else if (parent.isValid())
         beginRow = parent.row();
 
+    int firstModifiable = 0;
+    while (item(firstModifiable)->builtIn() || item(firstModifiable)->fromAnotherConfigFile())
+        ++firstModifiable;
+
+    if (beginRow < firstModifiable)
+        return false;
+
     QByteArray encodedData = data->data(mMimeType);
     QDataStream stream(&encodedData, QIODevice::ReadOnly);
 
@@ -449,6 +464,9 @@ void ContentSelectorModel::ContentModel::addFiles(const QString& path, bool newf
             file->setGameFiles({});
         }
 
+        if (info.fileName().compare("builtin.omwscripts", Qt::CaseInsensitive) == 0)
+            file->setBuiltIn(true);
+
         if (info.fileName().endsWith(".omwscripts", Qt::CaseInsensitive))
         {
             file->setDate(info.lastModified());
@@ -579,15 +597,20 @@ void ContentSelectorModel::ContentModel::setCurrentGameFile(const EsmFile* file)
 void ContentSelectorModel::ContentModel::sortFiles()
 {
     emit layoutAboutToBeChanged();
+
+    int firstModifiable = 0;
+    while (mFiles.at(firstModifiable)->builtIn() || mFiles.at(firstModifiable)->fromAnotherConfigFile())
+        ++firstModifiable;
+
     // Dependency sort
     std::unordered_set<const EsmFile*> moved;
-    for (int i = mFiles.size() - 1; i > 0;)
+    for (int i = mFiles.size() - 1; i > firstModifiable;)
     {
         const auto file = mFiles.at(i);
         if (moved.find(file) == moved.end())
         {
             int index = -1;
-            for (int j = 0; j < i; ++j)
+            for (int j = firstModifiable; j < i; ++j)
             {
                 const QStringList& gameFiles = mFiles.at(j)->gameFiles();
                 // All addon files are implicitly dependent on the game file
@@ -650,6 +673,7 @@ void ContentSelectorModel::ContentModel::setContentList(const QStringList& fileL
     {
         if (setCheckState(filepath, true))
         {
+            // setCheckState already gracefully handles builtIn and fromAnotherConfigFile
             // as necessary, move plug-ins in visible list to match sequence of supplied filelist
             const EsmFile* file = item(filepath);
             int filePosition = indexFromItem(file).row();
@@ -747,7 +771,7 @@ bool ContentSelectorModel::ContentModel::setCheckState(const QString& filepath,
 
     const EsmFile* file = item(filepath);
 
-    if (!file)
+    if (!file || file->builtIn() || file->fromAnotherConfigFile())
         return false;
 
     if (checkState)
diff --git a/components/contentselector/model/esmfile.cpp b/components/contentselector/model/esmfile.cpp
index e4280baef7..02ac0efa70 100644
--- a/components/contentselector/model/esmfile.cpp
+++ b/components/contentselector/model/esmfile.cpp
@@ -41,6 +41,16 @@ void ContentSelectorModel::EsmFile::setDescription(const QString& description)
     mDescription = description;
 }
 
+void ContentSelectorModel::EsmFile::setBuiltIn(bool builtIn)
+{
+    mBuiltIn = builtIn;
+}
+
+void ContentSelectorModel::EsmFile::setFromAnotherConfigFile(bool fromAnotherConfigFile)
+{
+    mFromAnotherConfigFile = fromAnotherConfigFile;
+}
+
 bool ContentSelectorModel::EsmFile::isGameFile() const
 {
     return (mGameFiles.size() == 0)
@@ -76,6 +86,14 @@ QVariant ContentSelectorModel::EsmFile::fileProperty(const FileProperty prop) co
             return mDescription;
             break;
 
+        case FileProperty_BuiltIn:
+            return mBuiltIn;
+            break;
+
+        case FileProperty_FromAnotherConfigFile:
+            return mFromAnotherConfigFile;
+            break;
+
         case FileProperty_GameFile:
             return mGameFiles;
             break;
@@ -113,6 +131,15 @@ void ContentSelectorModel::EsmFile::setFileProperty(const FileProperty prop, con
             mDescription = value;
             break;
 
+        // todo: check these work
+        case FileProperty_BuiltIn:
+            mBuiltIn = value == "true";
+            break;
+
+        case FileProperty_FromAnotherConfigFile:
+            mFromAnotherConfigFile = value == "true";
+            break;
+
         case FileProperty_GameFile:
             mGameFiles << value;
             break;
diff --git a/components/contentselector/model/esmfile.hpp b/components/contentselector/model/esmfile.hpp
index 606cc3d319..42b6cfeff6 100644
--- a/components/contentselector/model/esmfile.hpp
+++ b/components/contentselector/model/esmfile.hpp
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@ namespace ContentSelectorModel
             FileProperty_DateModified = 3,
             FileProperty_FilePath = 4,
             FileProperty_Description = 5,
-            FileProperty_GameFile = 6
+            FileProperty_BuiltIn = 6,
+            FileProperty_FromAnotherConfigFile = 7,
+            FileProperty_GameFile = 8,
         };
 
         EsmFile(const QString& fileName = QString(), ModelItem* parent = nullptr);
@@ -40,6 +42,8 @@ namespace ContentSelectorModel
         void setFilePath(const QString& path);
         void setGameFiles(const QStringList& gameFiles);
         void setDescription(const QString& description);
+        void setBuiltIn(bool builtIn);
+        void setFromAnotherConfigFile(bool fromAnotherConfigFile);
 
         void addGameFile(const QString& name) { mGameFiles.append(name); }
         QVariant fileProperty(const FileProperty prop) const;
@@ -49,18 +53,27 @@ namespace ContentSelectorModel
         QDateTime modified() const { return mModified; }
         QString formatVersion() const { return mVersion; }
         QString filePath() const { return mPath; }
+        bool builtIn() const { return mBuiltIn; }
+        bool fromAnotherConfigFile() const { return mFromAnotherConfigFile; }
 
         /// @note Contains file names, not paths.
         const QStringList& gameFiles() const { return mGameFiles; }
         QString description() const { return mDescription; }
         QString toolTip() const
         {
-            return mTooltipTemlate.arg(mAuthor)
+            QString tooltip = mTooltipTemlate.arg(mAuthor)
                 .arg(mVersion)
                 .arg(mModified.toString(Qt::ISODate))
                 .arg(mPath)
                 .arg(mDescription)
                 .arg(mGameFiles.join(", "));
+
+            if (mBuiltIn)
+                tooltip += tr("<br/><b>This content file cannot be disabled because it is part of OpenMW.</b><br/>");
+            else if (mFromAnotherConfigFile)
+                tooltip += tr("<br/><b>This content file cannot be disabled because it is enabled in a config file other than the user one.</b><br/>");
+
+            return tooltip;
         }
 
         bool isGameFile() const;
@@ -82,6 +95,8 @@ namespace ContentSelectorModel
         QStringList mGameFiles;
         QString mDescription;
         QString mToolTip;
+        bool mBuiltIn = false;
+        bool mFromAnotherConfigFile = false;
     };
 }