diff --git a/compiler/docgen.nim b/compiler/docgen.nim
index 90e0f54b3d..2359223491 100644
--- a/compiler/docgen.nim
+++ b/compiler/docgen.nim
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ proc newDocumentor*(filename: AbsoluteFile; cache: IdentCache; conf: ConfigRef,
   result.cache = cache
   result.outDir = conf.outDir.string
   result.isPureRst = isPureRst
-  var options= {roSupportRawDirective, roSupportMarkdown, roPreferMarkdown}
+  var options= {roSupportRawDirective, roSupportMarkdown, roPreferMarkdown, roSandboxDisabled}
   if not isPureRst: options.incl roNimFile
   result.sharedState = newRstSharedState(
       options, filename.string,
diff --git a/lib/packages/docutils/rst.nim b/lib/packages/docutils/rst.nim
index 7919537673..93c2231dc6 100644
--- a/lib/packages/docutils/rst.nim
+++ b/lib/packages/docutils/rst.nim
@@ -235,6 +235,12 @@ type
                               ## to Markdown) -- implies `roSupportMarkdown`
     roNimFile                 ## set for Nim files where default interpreted
                               ## text role should be :nim:
+    roSandboxDisabled         ## this option enables certain options
+                              ## (e.g. raw, include)
+                              ## which are disabled by default as they can
+                              ## enable users to read arbitrary data and
+                              ## perform XSS if the parser is used in a web
+                              ## app.
 
   RstParseOptions* = set[RstParseOption]
 
@@ -260,7 +266,8 @@ type
     mwBrokenLink = "broken link '$1'",
     mwUnsupportedLanguage = "language '$1' not supported",
     mwUnsupportedField = "field '$1' not supported",
-    mwRstStyle = "RST style: $1"
+    mwRstStyle = "RST style: $1",
+    meSandboxedDirective = "disabled directive: '$1'",
 
   MsgHandler* = proc (filename: string, line, col: int, msgKind: MsgKind,
                        arg: string) {.closure, gcsafe.} ## what to do in case of an error
@@ -315,6 +322,7 @@ const
     ":geek:": "icon_e_geek",
     ":ugeek:": "icon_e_ugeek"
   }
+  SandboxDirAllowlist = ["image", "code", "code-block"]
 
 type
   TokType = enum
@@ -2987,10 +2995,14 @@ proc dirCodeBlock(p: var RstParser, nimExtension = false): PRstNode =
   ##
   ## As an extension this proc will process the ``file`` extension field and if
   ## present will replace the code block with the contents of the referenced
-  ## file.
+  ## file. This behaviour is disabled in sandboxed mode and can be re-enabled
+  ## with the `roSandboxDisabled` flag.
   result = parseDirective(p, rnCodeBlock, {hasArg, hasOptions}, parseLiteralBlock)
   var filename = strip(getFieldValue(result, "file"))
   if filename != "":
+    if roSandboxDisabled notin p.s.options:
+      let tok = p.tok[p.idx-2]
+      rstMessage(p, meSandboxedDirective, "file", tok.line, tok.col)
     var path = p.findRelativeFile(filename)
     if path == "": rstMessage(p, meCannotOpenFile, filename)
     var n = newRstNode(rnLiteralBlock)
@@ -3086,6 +3098,11 @@ proc dirRaw(p: var RstParser): PRstNode =
 
 proc selectDir(p: var RstParser, d: string): PRstNode =
   result = nil
+  let tok = p.tok[p.idx-2] # report on directive in ".. directive::"
+  if roSandboxDisabled notin p.s.options:
+    if d notin SandboxDirAllowlist:
+      rstMessage(p, meSandboxedDirective, d, tok.line, tok.col)
+
   case d
   of "admonition", "attention", "caution": result = dirAdmonition(p, d)
   of "code": result = dirCodeBlock(p)
@@ -3112,7 +3129,6 @@ proc selectDir(p: var RstParser, d: string): PRstNode =
   of "title": result = dirTitle(p)
   of "warning": result = dirAdmonition(p, d)
   else:
-    let tok = p.tok[p.idx-2]  # report on directive in ".. directive::"
     rstMessage(p, meInvalidDirective, d, tok.line, tok.col)
 
 proc prefix(ftnType: FootnoteType): string =
diff --git a/tests/stdlib/trstgen.nim b/tests/stdlib/trstgen.nim
index 2be65b35b3..995c0a1519 100644
--- a/tests/stdlib/trstgen.nim
+++ b/tests/stdlib/trstgen.nim
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ proc optionListLabel(opt: string): string =
   opt &
   "</span></tt></div>"
 
+const
+  NoSandboxOpts = {roPreferMarkdown, roSupportMarkdown, roNimFile, roSandboxDisabled}
+
+
 suite "YAML syntax highlighting":
   test "Basics":
     let input = """.. code-block:: yaml
@@ -631,7 +635,9 @@ let x = 1
     let p3 = """<p>Par3 <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">""" & id"value3" & "</span></tt>.</p>"
     let p4 = """<p>Par4 <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">value4</span></tt>.</p>"""
     let expected = p1 & p2 & "\n" & p3 & "\n" & p4
-    check(input.toHtml == expected)
+    check(
+      input.toHtml(NoSandboxOpts) == expected
+    )
 
   test "role directive":
     let input = dedent"""
@@ -642,7 +648,10 @@ let x = 1
          :language: brainhelp
     """
     var warnings = new seq[string]
-    let output = input.toHtml(warnings=warnings)
+    let output = input.toHtml(
+      NoSandboxOpts,
+      warnings=warnings
+    )
     check(warnings[].len == 1 and "language 'brainhelp' not supported" in warnings[0])
 
   test "RST comments":
@@ -1187,7 +1196,9 @@ Test1
       .. tip:: endOf tip
       .. warning:: endOf warning
     """
-    let output0 = input0.toHtml
+    let output0 = input0.toHtml(
+      NoSandboxOpts
+    )
     for a in ["admonition", "attention", "caution", "danger", "error", "hint",
         "important", "note", "tip", "warning" ]:
       doAssert "endOf " & a & "</div>" in output0
@@ -1198,7 +1209,9 @@ Test1
 
       Test paragraph.
     """
-    let output1 = input1.toHtml
+    let output1 = input1.toHtml(
+      NoSandboxOpts
+    )
     doAssert "endOfError</div>" in output1
     doAssert "<p>Test paragraph. </p>" in output1
     doAssert "class=\"admonition admonition-error\"" in output1
@@ -1210,7 +1223,9 @@ Test1
 
       Test paragraph.
     """
-    let output2 = input2.toHtml
+    let output2 = input2.toHtml(
+      NoSandboxOpts
+    )
     doAssert "endOfError Test2p.</div>" in output2
     doAssert "<p>Test paragraph. </p>" in output2
     doAssert "class=\"admonition admonition-error\"" in output2
@@ -1218,7 +1233,9 @@ Test1
     let input3 = dedent """
       .. note:: endOfNote
     """
-    let output3 = input3.toHtml
+    let output3 = input3.toHtml(
+      NoSandboxOpts
+    )
     doAssert "endOfNote</div>" in output3
     doAssert "class=\"admonition admonition-info\"" in output3
 
@@ -1303,7 +1320,9 @@ Test1
 
       That was a transition.
     """
-    let output1 = input1.toHtml
+    let output1 = input1.toHtml(
+      NoSandboxOpts
+    )
     doAssert "<p id=\"target000\""     in output1
     doAssert "<ul id=\"target001\""    in output1
     doAssert "<ol id=\"target002\""    in output1
@@ -1576,3 +1595,15 @@ suite "invalid targets":
         """((<a class="reference external" href="https://nim-lang.org/">Nim</a>))""")
     check("(([Nim](javascript://nim-lang.org/)))".toHtml ==
         """((<a class="reference external" href="">Nim</a>))""")
+
+suite "local file inclusion":
+  test "cannot include files in sandboxed mode":
+    var error = new string
+    discard ".. include:: ./readme.md".toHtml(error=error)
+    check(error[] == "input(1, 11) Error: disabled directive: 'include'")
+
+  test "code-block file directive is disabled":
+    var error = new string
+    discard ".. code-block:: nim\n    :file: ./readme.md".toHtml(error=error)
+    check(error[] == "input(2, 20) Error: disabled directive: 'file'")
+