diff --git a/modules/ve-mw/ui/widgets/ve.ui.MWCategoryItemWidget.js b/modules/ve-mw/ui/widgets/ve.ui.MWCategoryItemWidget.js
index b030a31c6e..56224e20e9 100644
--- a/modules/ve-mw/ui/widgets/ve.ui.MWCategoryItemWidget.js
+++ b/modules/ve-mw/ui/widgets/ve.ui.MWCategoryItemWidget.js
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ ve.ui.MWCategoryItemWidget = function VeUiMWCategoryItemWidget( config ) {
 		ve.init.platform.linkCache.styleElement( this.name, this.$label );
 	}
 
+	// Events
+	this.on( 'click', this.onButtonClick.bind( this ) );
+
 	this.$element.addClass( 've-ui-mwCategoryItemWidget' );
 };
 
@@ -68,15 +71,11 @@ OO.mixinClass( ve.ui.MWCategoryItemWidget, OO.ui.mixin.DraggableElement );
 /* Methods */
 
 /**
- * Handle mouse click events.
+ * Handle button widget click events.
  *
  * @method
- * @param {jQuery.Event} e Mouse click event
  * @fires togglePopupMenu on click.
  */
-ve.ui.MWCategoryItemWidget.prototype.onClick = function () {
+ve.ui.MWCategoryItemWidget.prototype.onButtonClick = function () {
 	this.emit( 'togglePopupMenu', this );
-
-	// Parent method
-	return ve.ui.MWCategoryItemWidget.super.prototype.onClick.apply( this, arguments );
 };
diff --git a/modules/ve-mw/ui/widgets/ve.ui.MWCategoryWidget.js b/modules/ve-mw/ui/widgets/ve.ui.MWCategoryWidget.js
index f92d448251..8485d07efa 100644
--- a/modules/ve-mw/ui/widgets/ve.ui.MWCategoryWidget.js
+++ b/modules/ve-mw/ui/widgets/ve.ui.MWCategoryWidget.js
@@ -230,6 +230,29 @@ ve.ui.MWCategoryWidget.prototype.setDefaultSortKey = function ( value ) {
 	this.popup.setDefaultSortKey( value );
 };
 
+/**
+ * @inheritdoc
+ */
+ve.ui.MWCategoryWidget.prototype.setDisabled = function () {
+	var isDisabled;
+	// Parent method
+	ve.ui.MWCategoryWidget.super.prototype.setDisabled.apply( this, arguments );
+
+	isDisabled = this.isDisabled();
+
+	if ( this.input ) {
+		this.input.setDisabled( isDisabled );
+	}
+	if ( this.items ) {
+		this.items.forEach( function ( item ) {
+			item.setDisabled( isDisabled );
+		} );
+	}
+	if ( this.popup ) {
+		this.popup.closePopup();
+	}
+};
+
 /**
  * Get list of category names.
  *
@@ -362,6 +385,7 @@ ve.ui.MWCategoryWidget.prototype.addItems = function ( items, index ) {
 			}
 			config.hidden = cachedData.hidden;
 			config.missing = cachedData.missing;
+			config.disabled = widget.disabled;
 
 			categoryItem = new ve.ui.MWCategoryItemWidget( config );
 			categoryItem.connect( widget, {