diff --git a/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/explorer/hooks/useCreateMenuItems.tsx b/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/explorer/hooks/useCreateMenuItems.tsx
index 3a7aeb7a..2e857375 100644
--- a/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/explorer/hooks/useCreateMenuItems.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/apps/drive/src/features/explorer/hooks/useCreateMenuItems.tsx
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ import { ExplorerCreateFolderModal } from "../components/modals/ExplorerCreateFo
 import { useState } from "react";
 import { useRouter } from "next/router";
 import { isMyFilesRoute } from "@/utils/defaultRoutes";
+import { useEntitlements } from "@/features/entitlement-disclaimers/hooks/useEntitlements";
+import { getCannotUploadReasonDescription } from "@/features/entitlement-disclaimers/disclaimers/CannotUploadDisclaimer";
 
 type UseCreateMenuItemsProps = {
   includeImport?: boolean;
@@ -47,6 +49,18 @@ export const useCreateMenuItems = ({
   // it in the current view — no redirect needed.
   const shouldRedirectToCreated = !canCreateHere && !isOnMyFiles;
 
+  // Creating a document writes a real file to storage, so it is gated on the
+  // same entitlement as an upload. Assume it is allowed while the query is in
+  // flight: the backend rejects the creation anyway, and greying the entries
+  // out on every page load would be worse than a rare late disable.
+  const { data: entitlements } = useEntitlements();
+  const canUpload = entitlements?.can_upload.result ?? true;
+  const cannotUploadReason = canUpload
+    ? undefined
+    : (entitlements?.can_upload.message ??
+      getCannotUploadReasonDescription(entitlements?.can_upload.reason) ??
+      t("entitlements.can_upload.cannot_upload"));
+
   const createFolderModal = useModal();
   const [createFileModalType, setCreateFileModalType] =
     useState<ExplorerCreateFileType>(ExplorerCreateFileType.DOC);
@@ -97,6 +111,8 @@ export const useCreateMenuItems = ({
         }),
         label: t("explorer.tree.create.file.doc"),
         callback: () => openCreateFileModal(ExplorerCreateFileType.DOC),
+        isDisabled: !canUpload,
+        subText: cannotUploadReason,
       },
       {
         icon: renderFileIcon({
@@ -107,6 +123,8 @@ export const useCreateMenuItems = ({
         }),
         label: t("explorer.tree.create.file.powerpoint"),
         callback: () => openCreateFileModal(ExplorerCreateFileType.POWERPOINT),
+        isDisabled: !canUpload,
+        subText: cannotUploadReason,
       },
       {
         icon: renderFileIcon({
@@ -117,6 +135,8 @@ export const useCreateMenuItems = ({
         }),
         label: t("explorer.tree.create.file.calc"),
         callback: () => openCreateFileModal(ExplorerCreateFileType.CALC),
+        isDisabled: !canUpload,
+        subText: cannotUploadReason,
       },
     );
   }
diff --git a/src/frontend/apps/e2e/__tests__/app-drive/create-file-from-template.spec.ts b/src/frontend/apps/e2e/__tests__/app-drive/create-file-from-template.spec.ts
index 13d6c86e..ecf769a1 100644
--- a/src/frontend/apps/e2e/__tests__/app-drive/create-file-from-template.spec.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/apps/e2e/__tests__/app-drive/create-file-from-template.spec.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import test, { expect } from "@playwright/test";
+import test, { expect, Page } from "@playwright/test";
 import { clearDb, login } from "./utils-common";
 import { expectRowItem } from "./utils-embedded-grid";
 import { createFolderInCurrentFolder } from "./utils-item";
@@ -89,3 +89,48 @@ test.describe("Create file from template in a folder", () => {
     await expectRowItem(page, "My presentation");
   });
 });
+
+test.describe("Create file from template without the upload entitlement", () => {
+  const mockEntitlements = async (page: Page) => {
+    await page.route("**/api/v1.0/entitlements/", async (route) => {
+      await route.fulfill({
+        status: 200,
+        contentType: "application/json",
+        body: JSON.stringify({
+          can_access: { result: true },
+          can_upload: { result: false, reason: "user_quota_exceeded" },
+          context: {},
+        }),
+      });
+    });
+  };
+
+  test.beforeEach(async ({ page }) => {
+    await clearDb();
+    await login(page, "drive@example.com");
+    await mockEntitlements(page);
+    await page.goto("/");
+  });
+
+  test("disables the document entries and explains why", async ({ page }) => {
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: "New" }).click();
+
+    for (const name of ["New text document", "New spreadsheet", "New slides"]) {
+      const entry = page.getByRole("menuitem", { name });
+      await expect(entry).toBeVisible();
+      await expect(entry).toBeDisabled();
+    }
+
+    await expect(
+      page.getByText(/your personal quota has been reached/i).first(),
+    ).toBeVisible();
+  });
+
+  test("keeps New folder available", async ({ page }) => {
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: "New" }).click();
+
+    await expect(
+      page.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "New folder" }),
+    ).toBeEnabled();
+  });
+});