diff --git a/src/commands/config.rs b/src/commands/config.rs
index 63c3f2f40..d4444b1b6 100644
--- a/src/commands/config.rs
+++ b/src/commands/config.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use crate::{Application, RUSTIC_APP, status_err};
 
 use abscissa_core::{Command, Runnable, Shutdown};
 
-use anyhow::Result;
+use anyhow::{Result, bail};
 
 use rustic_core::ConfigOptions;
 
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@ impl ConfigCmd {
     fn inner_run(&self) -> Result<()> {
         let config = RUSTIC_APP.config();
 
+        // Handle dry-run mode
+        if config.global.dry_run {
+            bail!("cannot modify config in dry-run mode!",);
+        }
+
         let changed = config
             .repository
             .run_open(|mut repo| Ok(repo.apply_config(&self.config_opts)?))?;
diff --git a/src/commands/merge.rs b/src/commands/merge.rs
index f5bd45f45..aadb6b55f 100644
--- a/src/commands/merge.rs
+++ b/src/commands/merge.rs
@@ -53,8 +53,13 @@ impl MergeCmd {
             repo.get_snapshots(&self.ids)?
         };
 
-        let snap = SnapshotFile::from_options(&self.snap_opts)?;
+        // Handle dry-run mode
+        if config.global.dry_run {
+            println!("would have modified the following snapshots:\n {snapshots:?}");
+            return Ok(());
+        }
 
+        let snap = SnapshotFile::from_options(&self.snap_opts)?;
         let snap = repo.merge_snapshots(&snapshots, &last_modified_node, snap)?;
 
         if self.json {