diff --git a/controller/Notebooks.py b/controller/Notebooks.py
index 215a93f..dc776b0 100644
--- a/controller/Notebooks.py
+++ b/controller/Notebooks.py
@@ -720,9 +720,11 @@ class Notebooks( object ):
     note = self.__database.load( Note, note_id )
 
     # if the user has read-write access only to their own notes in this notebook, force the startup
-    # flag to be True for this note
+    # flag to be True for this note. also ignore note positioning parameters
     if notebook.read_write == Notebook.READ_WRITE_FOR_OWN_NOTES:
       startup = True
+      position_before = None
+      position_after = None
 
     def calculate_rank( position_after, position_before ):
       after_note = position_after and self.__database.load( Note, position_after ) or None
diff --git a/static/js/Editor.js b/static/js/Editor.js
index 3d5f9e8..65beb93 100644
--- a/static/js/Editor.js
+++ b/static/js/Editor.js
@@ -150,6 +150,8 @@ Editor.prototype.create_note_controls = function () {
   var iframe_id = "note_" + this.id;
   if ( this.read_write ) {
     this.grabber = createDOM( "td", { "id": "note_grabber_" + this.id, "class": "note_grabber" }, "....." );
+    if ( !this.read_write )
+      addElementClass( this.grabber, "invisible" );
 
     this.delete_button = createDOM( "input", {
       "type": "button",
diff --git a/view/Main_page.py b/view/Main_page.py
index 377fe40..e295b3d 100644
--- a/view/Main_page.py
+++ b/view/Main_page.py
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ class Main_page( Page ):
           Td(
             u".....",
             id = u"note_grabber_%s" % note.object_id,
-            class_ = u"note_grabber",
+            class_ = u"note_grabber" + ( read_write != Notebook.READ_WRITE and " invisible" or "" ),
           ),
         ),
         Tr(