diff --git a/app/dictionaries/dictionary.rb b/app/dictionaries/dictionary.rb
index fa71f9253..70bb91051 100644
--- a/app/dictionaries/dictionary.rb
+++ b/app/dictionaries/dictionary.rb
@@ -78,7 +78,11 @@ def keys
   private
 
   def load_dictionary
-    YAML.safe_load(File.read(dictionary_filepath)).with_indifferent_access
+    if File.exist?(dictionary_filepath)
+      YAML.safe_load(File.read(dictionary_filepath)).with_indifferent_access
+    else
+      {}
+    end
   end
 
   def get_file_path(config_file, default_file)
diff --git a/app/dictionaries/keywords_dictionary.rb b/app/dictionaries/keywords_dictionary.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..17f9236f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/dictionaries/keywords_dictionary.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# Dictionary of Keywords
+class KeywordsDictionary < Dictionary
+
+  DEFAULT_FILE = 'keywords.yml'
+
+  def dictionary_filepath
+    get_file_path 'keywords', DEFAULT_FILE
+  end
+
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/dictionaries/target_audience_dictionary.rb b/app/dictionaries/target_audience_dictionary.rb
index daa1d21e2..aa37b6805 100644
--- a/app/dictionaries/target_audience_dictionary.rb
+++ b/app/dictionaries/target_audience_dictionary.rb
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ class TargetAudienceDictionary < Dictionary
 
   DEFAULT_FILE = 'target_audience.yml'
 
-  private
-
   def dictionary_filepath
     get_file_path 'target_audience', DEFAULT_FILE
   end
diff --git a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
index 8c1ef2d02..d7a2483bd 100644
--- a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
@@ -362,6 +362,7 @@ def field_lock(name, _options = {})
     def dropdown(name, options = {})
       existing_values = object.send(name.to_sym)
       existing = options[:options].select { |_label, value| existing_values.include?(value) }
+      visibility_toggle = options[:visibility_toggle] || []
       @template.render(partial: 'common/dropdown', locals: { field_name: name, f: self,
                                                              model_name: options[:model_name],
                                                              resource: object,
@@ -370,7 +371,8 @@ def dropdown(name, options = {})
                                                              field_label: options[:label],
                                                              required: options[:required],
                                                              errors: options[:errors],
-                                                             title: options[:title] })
+                                                             title: options[:title],
+                                                             hidden: hidden?(name, visibility_toggle) })
     end
 
     def hidden?(name, visibility_toggle)
diff --git a/app/views/common/_dropdown.html.erb b/app/views/common/_dropdown.html.erb
index fb5401501..2b96604cf 100644
--- a/app/views/common/_dropdown.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/common/_dropdown.html.erb
@@ -25,13 +25,6 @@ render :partial => 'common/dropdown',
   options ||= format_for_dropdown(field_name.capitalize.constantize.all)
   existing ||= format_for_dropdown(resource.send(field_name.pluralize))
 
-  # Remove existing objects from the pool of options
-  options = options - existing
-  dropdown_toggle_button_name ||= ''
-  if dropdown_toggle_button_name.blank?
-    dropdown_toggle_button_name = "Add #{field_name.to_s.sub(/_ids?\z/, '').humanize}"
-  end
-
   # show the required label?
   required ||= false
 
@@ -43,9 +36,17 @@ render :partial => 'common/dropdown',
 
   # check title
   title ||= ''
+
+  # Remove existing objects from the pool of options
+  options = options - existing
+  dropdown_toggle_button_name ||= ''
+  if dropdown_toggle_button_name.blank?
+    dropdown_toggle_button_name = "Add #{field_label.to_s.sub(/_ids?\z/, '').humanize}"
+  end
+
 %>
 
-<div class="form-group<%= ' has-error' if errors.size > 0 %>">
+<div class="form-group<%= ' has-error' if errors.size > 0 %><%= ' hidden' if hidden %>">
 
   <% if required %><label class="control-label string required"><abbr title="required">*</abbr></label><% end %>
   <%= f.label field_label, class: 'control-label' %>
diff --git a/app/views/events/_form.html.erb b/app/views/events/_form.html.erb
index b74a07d25..51066ac8a 100644
--- a/app/views/events/_form.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/events/_form.html.erb
@@ -90,8 +90,16 @@
                     title: t('events.hints.hosts') %>
 
   <!-- Field: Keywords -->
-  <%= f.multi_input :keywords, errors: @event.errors[:keywords],
-                    title: t('events.hints.keywords') %>
+  <% if TeSS::Config.feature['controlled_vocabulary_vars'].include? 'keywords' && File.exist?(KeywordsDictionary.instance.dictionary_filepath) %>
+    <%= f.dropdown :keywords,
+                  options: KeywordsDictionary.instance.options_for_select,
+                  label: t('activerecord.attributes.event.keywords', default: 'Keywords'),
+                  errors: @event.errors[:keywords],
+                  title: t('events.hints.keywords') %>
+  <% else %>
+    <%= f.multi_input :keywords, errors: @event.errors[:keywords],
+                      title: t('events.hints.keywords') %>
+  <% end %>
 
   <!-- Field: Fields -->
   <% if !TeSS::Config.feature['disabled'].include? 'ardc_fields_of_research' %>
@@ -105,7 +113,7 @@
   <% end %>
 
   <!-- Field: Target Audience -->
-  <% if TeSS::Config.feature['controlled_vocabulary_vars'].include? 'target_audience' %>
+  <% if TeSS::Config.feature['controlled_vocabulary_vars'].include? 'target_audience' && File.exist?(TargetAudienceDictionary.instance.dictionary_filepath) %>
     <%= f.dropdown :target_audience,
                   options: TargetAudienceDictionary.instance.options_for_select,
                   label: 'Target audiences',
diff --git a/app/views/materials/_form.html.erb b/app/views/materials/_form.html.erb
index 22eb23b4e..002fb45d1 100644
--- a/app/views/materials/_form.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/materials/_form.html.erb
@@ -37,7 +37,16 @@
   <hr>
 
   <!-- Field: Keywords -->
-  <%= f.multi_input :keywords, title: t('materials.hints.keywords'), visibility_toggle: TeSS::Config.feature['materials_disabled'] %>
+  <% if TeSS::Config.feature['controlled_vocabulary_vars'].include? 'keywords' %>
+    <%= f.dropdown :keywords,
+                  options: KeywordsDictionary.instance.options_for_select,
+                  label: t('activerecord.attributes.event.keywords', default: 'Keywords'),
+                  errors: @material.errors[:keywords],
+                  title: t('materials.hints.keywords'),
+                  visibility_toggle: TeSS::Config.feature['materials_disabled'] %>
+  <% else %>
+    <%= f.multi_input :keywords, title: t('materials.hints.keywords'), visibility_toggle: TeSS::Config.feature['materials_disabled'] %>
+  <% end %>
 
   <!-- Field: Licence -->
   <%= f.input :licence, collection: licence_options_for_select, as: :grouped_select, group_method: :last, group_label_method: :first,
diff --git a/config/tess.example.yml b/config/tess.example.yml
index 70560649e..a3c642f48 100644
--- a/config/tess.example.yml
+++ b/config/tess.example.yml
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ default: &default
     bioschemas_testing: false
     collection_curation: true
     auto_parse_vars: [] # available features to auto parse from description: ['keywords', 'target_audience']
-    controlled_vocabulary_vars: [] # available features: ['target_audience']
+    controlled_vocabulary_vars: [] # available features: ['keywords', 'target_audience']
 
     # User login
     invitation: false