diff --git a/curator/static/js/study-editor.js b/curator/static/js/study-editor.js
index 773cb8189..c29cf5794 100644
--- a/curator/static/js/study-editor.js
+++ b/curator/static/js/study-editor.js
@@ -752,12 +752,16 @@ function loadSelectedStudy() {
                 },
                 'tree': {
                     highestOrdinalNumber: null,
-                    gatherAll: function(nexml) {
+                    gatherAll: function(nexml, options) {
                         // return an array of all matching elements
+                        if (!options) options = {INCLUDE_SCRIPT_MANAGED_TREES: true};
                         var allTrees = [];
                         var allTreesCollections = viewModel.elementTypes.trees.gatherAll(nexml);
                         $.each(allTreesCollections, function(i, treesCollection) {
                             $.each(treesCollection.tree, function(i, tree) {
+                                if (!options.INCLUDE_SCRIPT_MANAGED_TREES) {
+                                    if (isScriptManagedTree(tree)) return true;
+                                }
                                 allTrees.push( tree );
                             });
                         });
@@ -1167,6 +1171,10 @@ function loadSelectedStudy() {
                 if ($.isArray(chosenTrees)) {
                     // it's a list of zero or more trees
                     $.each( chosenTrees, function(i, tree) {
+                        if (isScriptManagedTree(tree)) {
+                            // ignore "empty" (script-managed) trees
+                            return;
+                        }
                         // check this tree's nodes for this OTU id
                         $.each( tree.node, function( i, node ) {
                             if (node['@otu']) {
@@ -3033,6 +3041,10 @@ function getRootedStatusForTree( tree ) {
 // Let's check for some/all/none with separate functions.
 function anyBranchLengthsFoundInTree( tree ) {
     var foundBranchWithLength = false;
+    if (isScriptManagedTree(tree)) {
+        // ignore "empty" (script-managed) trees
+        return false;
+    }
     $.each(tree.edge, function(i, edge) {
         if ('@length' in edge) {
             foundBranchWithLength = true;
@@ -3043,6 +3055,10 @@ function anyBranchLengthsFoundInTree( tree ) {
 }
 function allBranchLengthsFoundInTree( tree ) {
     var foundBranchWithoutLength = false;
+    if (isScriptManagedTree(tree)) {
+        // ignore "empty" (script-managed) trees
+        return false;
+    }
     $.each(tree.edge, function(i, edge) {
         if (!('@length' in edge)) {
             foundBranchWithoutLength = true;
@@ -8974,6 +8990,11 @@ function getAmbiguousLabelsInTree(tree) {
         return labelData;
     }
 
+    if (isScriptManagedTree(tree)) {
+        // ignore "empty" (script-managed) trees
+        return labelData;
+    }
+
     $.each( tree.node, function(i, node) {
         if (node['^ot:isLeaf'] === true) {
             /* We sometimes save a misspelled taxon name as `node[@label]` so
@@ -8986,6 +9007,7 @@ function getAmbiguousLabelsInTree(tree) {
             labelData[ nodeID ] = node['@label'];
         }
     });
+
     return labelData;
 }
 function showAmbiguousLabelsInTreeViewer(tree) {
@@ -9139,6 +9161,20 @@ function currentStudyVersionContributedToLatestSynthesis() {
     return (viewModel.startingCommitSHA === latestSynthesisSHA);
 }
 
+function studyContainsScriptManagedTrees() {
+    // check for signature for this in Nexson (to modify UI, hide/block some features?)
+    var allTrees = viewModel.elementTypes.tree.gatherAll(viewModel.nexml);
+    var bigTrees = ko.utils.arrayFilter(
+        allTrees,
+        isScriptManagedTree
+    );
+    return (bigTrees.length > 0);
+}
+function isScriptManagedTree(tree) {
+    // if this property is found (even if it's an empty object), assume it's a huge script-managed tree
+    return (tree["^ot:external_data"] !== undefined);
+}
+
 function getNormalizedStudyPublicationURL() {
     // just the bare URL, or '' if not found
     var url = $.trim(viewModel.nexml['^ot:studyPublication']['@href']);
diff --git a/curator/views/study/edit.html b/curator/views/study/edit.html
index 3eae4a72c..2410d7ca0 100644
--- a/curator/views/study/edit.html
+++ b/curator/views/study/edit.html
@@ -374,6 +374,20 @@ <h4 class="pull-left" style="margin: 5px 1em 0 0">Trees in this study</h4>
                </div>
               </div>
 
+               <!-- ko if: studyContainsScriptManagedTrees() -->
+                <div class="empty-list-prompt">
+                    This study contains 
+                    <a target="_blank"
+                       href="https://github.com/OpenTreeOfLife/script-managed-trees/blob/master/README.md">script-managed trees</a> 
+                    that are too large to store in phylesystem.
+                    These cannot be managed in the curation web app, nor can
+                    this study's OTUs, but you can edit the study's metadata
+                    and see its revision history.
+                </div>
+
+               <!-- /ko -->
+
+               <!-- ko if: ! studyContainsScriptManagedTrees() -->
                 <div class="empty-list-prompt" data-bind="visible: viewModel.filteredTrees().pagedItems().length === 0">
                     No matching trees found! Add new trees or clear the
                     filter above to see trees in this study.
@@ -525,6 +539,7 @@ <h4 class="pull-left" style="margin: 5px 1em 0 0">Trees in this study</h4>
                     </li>
                   </ul>
                 </div>
+               <!-- /ko -->
 
             </div>
 
@@ -1612,11 +1627,17 @@ <h4 style="margin-top: 0;">Adding new taxa</h4>
           <div class="tab-pane" id="Analyses">
            <div class="span8"><!-- main column... -->
 
+            <!-- ko if: viewModel.elementTypes.tree.gatherAll(viewModel.nexml, {INCLUDE_SCRIPT_MANAGED_TREES: false}).length === 0 -->
+             <div class="empty-list-prompt">
+               <em>This study has no eligible trees.</em>
+             </div>
+            <!-- /ko -->
+            <!-- ko if: viewModel.elementTypes.tree.gatherAll(viewModel.nexml, {INCLUDE_SCRIPT_MANAGED_TREES: false}).length > 0 -->
              <form class="form-inline">
                  <label>Analyze tree</label>
                  <select id="tree-select"
                          onchange="(this); return false;"
-                         data-bind="options: viewModel.elementTypes.tree.gatherAll(viewModel.nexml),
+                         data-bind="options: viewModel.elementTypes.tree.gatherAll(viewModel.nexml, {INCLUDE_SCRIPT_MANAGED_TREES: false}),
                                     optionsValue: '@id',
                                     optionsText: '@label',
                                     optionsCaption: 'Choose a tree from this study...',
@@ -1632,9 +1653,11 @@ <h4 style="margin-top: 0;">Adding new taxa</h4>
                  <button class="btn btn-info" data-bind="click: fetchAndShowTreeConflictSummary">GO!</button>
              </form>
 
-            <div id="analysis-results">
-              <em>Analysis results will appear here...</em>
-            </div>
+             <div id="analysis-results">
+               <em>Analysis results will appear here...</em>
+             </div>
+
+            <!-- /ko -->
 
            </div><!-- end of main column... -->
            <div class="span4"><!-- right col -->