diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 783995ab..147418e4 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
 
 - Fixed visiting commit in a browser.  8f9e94949
 
+- Added new variable ~forge-bug-reference-remote-files~.  #703
+
 * v0.4.4    2024-10-01
 
 Thoughts and whitespace.
diff --git a/lisp/forge-topic.el b/lisp/forge-topic.el
index cf0655c5..85b85016 100644
--- a/lisp/forge-topic.el
+++ b/lisp/forge-topic.el
@@ -1712,6 +1712,10 @@ alist, containing just `text' and `position'.")
 
 ;;; Bug-Reference
 
+(defvar forge-bug-reference-remote-files t
+  "Whether forge may enable `bug-reference-mode' in remote files.
+See also `forge-bug-reference-setup'.")
+
 (defun forge-bug-reference-setup ()
   "Setup `bug-reference' in the current buffer.
 If forge data has been fetched for the current repository, then
@@ -1719,6 +1723,9 @@ enable `bug-reference-mode' or `bug-reference-prog-mode' and
 modify `bug-reference-bug-regexp' if appropriate."
   (unless (or bug-reference-url-format
               (not (forge-db t))
+              (and buffer-file-name
+                   (not forge-bug-reference-remote-files)
+                   (file-remote-p buffer-file-name))
               ;; TODO Allow use in these modes again.
               (derived-mode-p 'forge-topics-mode 'forge-notifications-mode))
     (magit--with-safe-default-directory nil