diff --git a/src/mpl_widget.ts b/src/mpl_widget.ts
index 7942f89..0d396e2 100644
--- a/src/mpl_widget.ts
+++ b/src/mpl_widget.ts
@@ -85,10 +85,21 @@ export class MPLCanvasModel extends DOMWidgetModel {
                 view.update_canvas();
             });
         });
+        this.on('comm_live_update', this.update_disabled.bind(this));
+
+        this.update_disabled();
 
         this.send_initialization_message();
     }
 
+    get disabled(): boolean {
+        return !this.comm_live;
+    }
+
+    update_disabled(): void {
+        this.set('resizable', !this.disabled);
+    }
+
     sync(method: string, model: WidgetModel, options: any = {}) {
         // Make sure we don't sync the data_url, we don't need it to be synced
         if (options.attrs) {
@@ -315,6 +326,7 @@ export class MPLCanvasView extends DOMWidgetView {
     private _key: string | null;
     private _resize_event: (event: MouseEvent) => void;
     private _stop_resize_event: () => void;
+
     render() {
         this.resizing = false;
         this.resize_handle_size = 20;
diff --git a/src/toolbar_widget.ts b/src/toolbar_widget.ts
index 0acf357..6671082 100644
--- a/src/toolbar_widget.ts
+++ b/src/toolbar_widget.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ export class ToolbarView extends DOMWidgetView {
     initialize(parameters: any) {
         super.initialize(parameters);
 
-        this.once('comm_live_update', this.update_disabled.bind(this));
+        this.on('comm_live_update', this.update_disabled.bind(this));
     }
 
     render(): void {