diff --git a/neovim/.config/nvim/after/plugin/lsp/config.lua b/neovim/.config/nvim/after/plugin/lsp/config.lua
index d51a5f0..554e32e 100644
--- a/neovim/.config/nvim/after/plugin/lsp/config.lua
+++ b/neovim/.config/nvim/after/plugin/lsp/config.lua
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ null_ls.setup({
       pattern = "*",
       group = group,
       callback = function()
+        if not require("formatting").is_enabled(vim.api.nvim_get_current_buf()) then
+          return
+        end
+
         vim.lsp.buf.format({
           filter = function(client)
             return not vim.tbl_contains(servers_with_annoying_formatters, client.name)
diff --git a/neovim/.config/nvim/after/plugin/lualine.lua b/neovim/.config/nvim/after/plugin/lualine.lua
index 13be524..60b654d 100644
--- a/neovim/.config/nvim/after/plugin/lualine.lua
+++ b/neovim/.config/nvim/after/plugin/lualine.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 local lualine = require("lualine")
 local devicons = require("nvim-web-devicons")
+local formatting = require("formatting")
 
 local mode = {
   "mode",
@@ -22,6 +23,17 @@ local relative_filename = {
   path = 1,
 }
 
+local formatting_status = {
+  function()
+    local is_formatting_enabled = formatting.is_enabled(vim.api.nvim_get_current_buf())
+    if is_formatting_enabled then
+      return "[f+]"
+    else
+      return "[f-]"
+    end
+  end,
+}
+
 local searchcount = {
   "searchcount",
 }
@@ -128,7 +140,7 @@ lualine.setup({
     lualine_a = { mode },
     lualine_b = { branch },
     lualine_c = { diagnostics, relative_filename },
-    lualine_x = { macro_recording, searchcount, location, tabstop, fileformat },
+    lualine_x = { macro_recording, searchcount, formatting_status, location, tabstop, fileformat },
     lualine_y = { filetype },
     lualine_z = {},
   },
diff --git a/neovim/.config/nvim/init.lua b/neovim/.config/nvim/init.lua
index 46f45d2..3c8b615 100644
--- a/neovim/.config/nvim/init.lua
+++ b/neovim/.config/nvim/init.lua
@@ -62,3 +62,5 @@ pack.add({
 require("catppuccin").setup({})
 
 pack.register_user_commands()
+
+require("formatting").register_user_commands()
diff --git a/neovim/.config/nvim/lua/formatting.lua b/neovim/.config/nvim/lua/formatting.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..57d80ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/neovim/.config/nvim/lua/formatting.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+--[[
+-- this file breaks my brain with all of these booleans, but it seems to work
+--]]
+
+local M = {
+  -- false    = formatting enabled for all buffers
+  -- true     = formatting disabled for all buffers
+  -- number[] = formatting disabled for only these buffers
+  ---@type true | false | number[]
+  _disabled_buffers = false,
+}
+
+---@param buf number
+---@return boolean, boolean
+--- returns 2 booleans: enabled for all buffers, enabled for this buffer
+function M._is_enabled(buf)
+  if M._disabled_buffers == true then
+    return false, false
+  end
+
+  if type(M._disabled_buffers) == "table" then
+    local enabled = not vim.tbl_contains(M._disabled_buffers, buf)
+    return true, enabled
+  end
+
+  return true, true
+end
+
+---@param buf number
+function M.is_enabled(buf)
+  local _, enabled = M._is_enabled(buf)
+  return enabled
+end
+
+function M.register_user_commands()
+  vim.api.nvim_create_user_command("FormattingEnable", function()
+    M._disabled_buffers = false
+  end, {})
+
+  vim.api.nvim_create_user_command("FormattingEnableBuf", function()
+    local current_buf = vim.api.nvim_get_current_buf()
+
+    if type(M._disabled_buffers) == "table" then
+      local new_table = {}
+      for _, b in ipairs(M._disabled_buffers) do
+        if b ~= current_buf then
+          table.insert(new_table, b)
+        end
+      end
+      M._disabled_buffers = new_table
+    else
+      M._disabled_buffers = false
+    end
+  end, {})
+
+  vim.api.nvim_create_user_command("FormattingDisable", function()
+    M._disabled_buffers = true
+  end, {})
+
+  vim.api.nvim_create_user_command("FormattingDisableBuf", function()
+    local current_buf = vim.api.nvim_get_current_buf()
+    if type(M._disabled_buffers) == "table" then
+      table.insert(M._disabled_buffers, current_buf)
+    else
+      M._disabled_buffers = { current_buf }
+    end
+  end, {})
+end
+
+return M