diff --git a/src/lib/viewers/doc/DocBaseViewer.js b/src/lib/viewers/doc/DocBaseViewer.js
index b4a0d80b6..2a3f88048 100644
--- a/src/lib/viewers/doc/DocBaseViewer.js
+++ b/src/lib/viewers/doc/DocBaseViewer.js
@@ -667,7 +667,8 @@ class DocBaseViewer extends BaseViewer {
             (file.watermark_info && file.watermark_info.is_watermarked);
 
         // Disable text layer if user doesn't have download permissions
-        PDFJS.disableTextLayer = !checkPermission(file, PERMISSION_DOWNLOAD);
+        PDFJS.disableTextLayer = !checkPermission(file, PERMISSION_DOWNLOAD) ||
+            !!this.getViewerOption('disableTextLayer');
 
         // Decrease mobile canvas size to ~3MP (1920x1536)
         PDFJS.maxCanvasPixels = Browser.isMobile() ? MOBILE_MAX_CANVAS_SIZE : PDFJS.maxCanvasPixels;
diff --git a/src/lib/viewers/doc/__tests__/DocBaseViewer-test.js b/src/lib/viewers/doc/__tests__/DocBaseViewer-test.js
index 21c06b039..83a2e97c3 100644
--- a/src/lib/viewers/doc/__tests__/DocBaseViewer-test.js
+++ b/src/lib/viewers/doc/__tests__/DocBaseViewer-test.js
@@ -1036,6 +1036,7 @@ describe('src/lib/viewers/doc/DocBaseViewer', () => {
             stubs.urlCreator = sandbox.stub(util, 'createAssetUrlCreator').returns(() => { return 'asset'; });
             stubs.browser = sandbox.stub(Browser, 'getName').returns('Safari');
             stubs.checkPermission = sandbox.stub(file, 'checkPermission');
+            stubs.getViewerOption = sandbox.stub(docBase, 'getViewerOption');
             docBase.options = {
                 location: {
                     staticBaseURI: 'test/'
@@ -1095,6 +1096,15 @@ describe('src/lib/viewers/doc/DocBaseViewer', () => {
             expect(PDFJS.disableTextLayer).to.be.true;
         });
 
+        it('should disable the text layer if disableTextLayer viewer option is set', () => {
+            stubs.checkPermission.withArgs(docBase.options.file, PERMISSION_DOWNLOAD).returns(true);
+            stubs.getViewerOption.withArgs('disableTextLayer').returns(true);
+
+            docBase.setupPdfjs();
+
+            expect(PDFJS.disableTextLayer).to.be.true;
+        });
+
         it('should decrease max canvas size to 3MP if on mobile', () => {
             sandbox.stub(Browser, 'isMobile').returns(true);
             docBase.setupPdfjs();
diff --git a/src/lib/viewers/text/TextBaseViewer.js b/src/lib/viewers/text/TextBaseViewer.js
index ad481ed39..dff9a5af3 100644
--- a/src/lib/viewers/text/TextBaseViewer.js
+++ b/src/lib/viewers/text/TextBaseViewer.js
@@ -85,8 +85,9 @@ class TextBaseViewer extends BaseViewer {
      * @return {void}
      */
     load() {
-        // Enable text selection if user has download permissions
-        if (checkPermission(this.options.file, PERMISSION_DOWNLOAD)) {
+        // Enable text selection if user has download permissions and 'disableTextLayer' option is not true
+        if (checkPermission(this.options.file, PERMISSION_DOWNLOAD) &&
+            !this.getViewerOption('disableTextLayer')) {
             this.containerEl.classList.add(CLASS_IS_SELECTABLE);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/viewers/text/__tests__/TextBase-test.html b/src/lib/viewers/text/__tests__/TextBaseViewer-test.html
similarity index 100%
rename from src/lib/viewers/text/__tests__/TextBase-test.html
rename to src/lib/viewers/text/__tests__/TextBaseViewer-test.html
diff --git a/src/lib/viewers/text/__tests__/TextBaseViewer-test.js b/src/lib/viewers/text/__tests__/TextBaseViewer-test.js
index 8812991e9..c33615a0f 100644
--- a/src/lib/viewers/text/__tests__/TextBaseViewer-test.js
+++ b/src/lib/viewers/text/__tests__/TextBaseViewer-test.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ describe('lib/viewers/text/TextBaseViewer', () => {
     });
 
     beforeEach(() => {
-        fixture.load('viewers/text/__tests__/TextBase-test.html');
+        fixture.load('viewers/text/__tests__/TextBaseViewer-test.html');
         containerEl = document.querySelector('.container');
         textBase = new TextBaseViewer({
             file: {
@@ -91,7 +91,16 @@ describe('lib/viewers/text/TextBaseViewer', () => {
         it('should add selectable class if user has download permissions', () => {
             sandbox.stub(file, 'checkPermission').withArgs(textBase.options.file, PERMISSION_DOWNLOAD).returns(true);
             textBase.load();
-            expect(textBase.containerEl.classList.contains('bp-is-selectable')).to.be.true;
+            expect(textBase.containerEl).to.have.class('bp-is-selectable');
+        });
+
+        it('should not add selectable class if disableTextViewer option is true', () => {
+            sandbox.stub(file, 'checkPermission').withArgs(textBase.options.file, PERMISSION_DOWNLOAD).returns(true);
+            sandbox.stub(textBase, 'getViewerOption').withArgs('disableTextLayer').returns(true);
+
+            textBase.load();
+
+            expect(textBase.containerEl).to.not.have.class('bp-is-selectable');
         });
     });