diff --git a/cpp/src/arrow/ipc/ipc-memory-test.cc b/cpp/src/arrow/ipc/ipc-memory-test.cc
index 19339212225..a2dbd35728c 100644
--- a/cpp/src/arrow/ipc/ipc-memory-test.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/arrow/ipc/ipc-memory-test.cc
@@ -26,9 +26,6 @@
 
 #include "arrow/ipc/memory.h"
 #include "arrow/ipc/test-common.h"
-#include "arrow/test-util.h"
-#include "arrow/util/buffer.h"
-#include "arrow/util/status.h"
 
 namespace arrow {
 namespace ipc {
@@ -67,6 +64,57 @@ TEST_F(TestMemoryMappedSource, WriteRead) {
   }
 }
 
+TEST_F(TestMemoryMappedSource, ReadOnly) {
+  const int64_t buffer_size = 1024;
+  std::vector<uint8_t> buffer(buffer_size);
+
+  test::random_bytes(1024, 0, buffer.data());
+
+  const int reps = 5;
+
+  std::string path = "ipc-read-only-test";
+  CreateFile(path, reps * buffer_size);
+
+  std::shared_ptr<MemoryMappedSource> rwmmap;
+  ASSERT_OK(MemoryMappedSource::Open(path, MemorySource::READ_WRITE, &rwmmap));
+
+  int64_t position = 0;
+  for (int i = 0; i < reps; ++i) {
+    ASSERT_OK(rwmmap->Write(position, buffer.data(), buffer_size));
+
+    position += buffer_size;
+  }
+  rwmmap->Close();
+
+  std::shared_ptr<MemoryMappedSource> rommap;
+  ASSERT_OK(MemoryMappedSource::Open(path, MemorySource::READ_ONLY, &rommap));
+
+  position = 0;
+  std::shared_ptr<Buffer> out_buffer;
+  for (int i = 0; i < reps; ++i) {
+    ASSERT_OK(rommap->ReadAt(position, buffer_size, &out_buffer));
+
+    ASSERT_EQ(0, memcmp(out_buffer->data(), buffer.data(), buffer_size));
+    position += buffer_size;
+  }
+  rommap->Close();
+}
+
+TEST_F(TestMemoryMappedSource, InvalidMode) {
+  const int64_t buffer_size = 1024;
+  std::vector<uint8_t> buffer(buffer_size);
+
+  test::random_bytes(1024, 0, buffer.data());
+
+  std::string path = "ipc-invalid-mode-test";
+  CreateFile(path, buffer_size);
+
+  std::shared_ptr<MemoryMappedSource> rommap;
+  ASSERT_OK(MemoryMappedSource::Open(path, MemorySource::READ_ONLY, &rommap));
+
+  ASSERT_RAISES(IOError, rommap->Write(0, buffer.data(), buffer_size));
+}
+
 TEST_F(TestMemoryMappedSource, InvalidFile) {
   std::string non_existent_path = "invalid-file-name-asfd";
 
diff --git a/cpp/src/arrow/ipc/memory.cc b/cpp/src/arrow/ipc/memory.cc
index caff2c610b9..a6c56d64f4a 100644
--- a/cpp/src/arrow/ipc/memory.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/arrow/ipc/memory.cc
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ MemorySource::~MemorySource() {}
 
 class MemoryMappedSource::Impl {
  public:
-  Impl() : file_(nullptr), is_open_(false), data_(nullptr) {}
+  Impl() : file_(nullptr), is_open_(false), is_writable_(false), data_(nullptr) {}
 
   ~Impl() {
     if (is_open_) {
@@ -53,10 +53,12 @@ class MemoryMappedSource::Impl {
   Status Open(const std::string& path, MemorySource::AccessMode mode) {
     if (is_open_) { return Status::IOError("A file is already open"); }
 
-    path_ = path;
+    int prot_flags = PROT_READ;
 
     if (mode == MemorySource::READ_WRITE) {
       file_ = fopen(path.c_str(), "r+b");
+      prot_flags |= PROT_WRITE;
+      is_writable_ = true;
     } else {
       file_ = fopen(path.c_str(), "rb");
     }
@@ -73,14 +75,13 @@ class MemoryMappedSource::Impl {
     fseek(file_, 0L, SEEK_SET);
     is_open_ = true;
 
-    // TODO(wesm): Add read-only version of this
-    data_ = reinterpret_cast<uint8_t*>(
-        mmap(nullptr, size_, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED, fileno(file_), 0));
-    if (data_ == nullptr) {
+    void* result = mmap(nullptr, size_, prot_flags, MAP_SHARED, fileno(file_), 0);
+    if (result == MAP_FAILED) {
       std::stringstream ss;
       ss << "Memory mapping file failed, errno: " << errno;
       return Status::IOError(ss.str());
     }
+    data_ = reinterpret_cast<uint8_t*>(result);
 
     return Status::OK();
   }
@@ -89,11 +90,15 @@ class MemoryMappedSource::Impl {
 
   uint8_t* data() { return data_; }
 
+  bool writable() { return is_writable_; }
+
+  bool opened() { return is_open_; }
+
  private:
-  std::string path_;
   FILE* file_;
   int64_t size_;
   bool is_open_;
+  bool is_writable_;
 
   // The memory map
   uint8_t* data_;
@@ -134,6 +139,9 @@ Status MemoryMappedSource::ReadAt(
 }
 
 Status MemoryMappedSource::Write(int64_t position, const uint8_t* data, int64_t nbytes) {
+  if (!impl_->opened() || !impl_->writable()) {
+    return Status::IOError("Unable to write");
+  }
   if (position < 0 || position >= impl_->size()) {
     return Status::Invalid("position is out of bounds");
   }