diff --git a/webapp/src/components/workspaceComponent.tsx b/webapp/src/components/workspaceComponent.tsx
index 3e0b5566c..c17036457 100644
--- a/webapp/src/components/workspaceComponent.tsx
+++ b/webapp/src/components/workspaceComponent.tsx
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class WorkspaceComponent extends React.PureComponent<Props> {
     render(): JSX.Element {
         const {boardTree, workspaceTree, showBoard, showView, setLanguage} = this.props
 
-        Utils.assert(workspaceTree)
+        Utils.assert(workspaceTree || !this.props.readonly)
         const element = (
             <div className='WorkspaceComponent'>
                 {!this.props.readonly &&
diff --git a/webapp/src/pages/boardPage.tsx b/webapp/src/pages/boardPage.tsx
index c57fc52d4..893955e0b 100644
--- a/webapp/src/pages/boardPage.tsx
+++ b/webapp/src/pages/boardPage.tsx
@@ -202,37 +202,41 @@ class BoardPage extends React.Component<Props, State> {
     private async sync(boardId: string = this.state.boardId, viewId: string | undefined = this.state.viewId) {
         Utils.log(`sync start: ${boardId}`)
 
-        const workspace = await octoClient.getWorkspace()
-        if (!workspace) {
-            location.href = '/error?id=no_workspace'
+        if (!this.props.readonly) {
+            // Require workspace for editing, not for sharing (readonly)
+
+            const workspace = await octoClient.getWorkspace()
+            if (!workspace) {
+                location.href = '/error?id=no_workspace'
+            }
+
+            const workspaceTree = await MutableWorkspaceTree.sync()
+            const boardIds = [...workspaceTree.boards.map((o) => o.id), ...workspaceTree.boardTemplates.map((o) => o.id)]
+            this.setState({workspaceTree})
+
+            let boardIdsToListen: string[]
+            if (boardIds.length > 0) {
+                boardIdsToListen = ['', ...boardIds]
+            } else {
+                // Read-only view
+                boardIdsToListen = [this.state.boardId]
+            }
+
+            // Listen to boards plus all blocks at root (Empty string for parentId)
+            this.workspaceListener.open(
+                octoClient.workspaceId,
+                boardIdsToListen,
+                async (blocks) => {
+                    Utils.log(`workspaceListener.onChanged: ${blocks.length}`)
+                    this.incrementalUpdate(blocks)
+                },
+                () => {
+                    Utils.log('workspaceListener.onReconnect')
+                    this.sync()
+                },
+            )
         }
 
-        const workspaceTree = await MutableWorkspaceTree.sync()
-        const boardIds = [...workspaceTree.boards.map((o) => o.id), ...workspaceTree.boardTemplates.map((o) => o.id)]
-        this.setState({workspaceTree})
-
-        let boardIdsToListen: string[]
-        if (boardIds.length > 0) {
-            boardIdsToListen = ['', ...boardIds]
-        } else {
-            // Read-only view
-            boardIdsToListen = [this.state.boardId]
-        }
-
-        // Listen to boards plus all blocks at root (Empty string for parentId)
-        this.workspaceListener.open(
-            octoClient.workspaceId,
-            boardIdsToListen,
-            async (blocks) => {
-                Utils.log(`workspaceListener.onChanged: ${blocks.length}`)
-                this.incrementalUpdate(blocks)
-            },
-            () => {
-                Utils.log('workspaceListener.onReconnect')
-                this.sync()
-            },
-        )
-
         if (boardId) {
             const boardTree = await MutableBoardTree.sync(boardId, viewId)