diff --git a/esphome/dashboard/dashboard.py b/esphome/dashboard/dashboard.py
index 60acc1edf3..5382ef855c 100644
--- a/esphome/dashboard/dashboard.py
+++ b/esphome/dashboard/dashboard.py
@@ -530,9 +530,12 @@ class EditRequestHandler(BaseHandler):
     @authenticated
     @bind_config
     def get(self, configuration=None):
-        # pylint: disable=no-value-for-parameter
-        with open(settings.rel_path(configuration), 'r') as f:
-            content = f.read()
+        filename = settings.rel_path(configuration)
+        content = ''
+        if os.path.isfile(filename):
+            # pylint: disable=no-value-for-parameter
+            with open(filename, 'r') as f:
+                content = f.read()
         self.write(content)
 
     @authenticated
diff --git a/esphome/dashboard/static/esphome.js b/esphome/dashboard/static/esphome.js
index 2fb61be9cc..e56521c945 100644
--- a/esphome/dashboard/static/esphome.js
+++ b/esphome/dashboard/static/esphome.js
@@ -574,6 +574,7 @@ const editModalElem = document.getElementById("modal-editor");
 const editorElem = editModalElem.querySelector("#editor");
 const editor = ace.edit(editorElem);
 let activeEditorConfig = null;
+let activeEditorSecrets = false;
 let aceWs = null;
 let aceValidationScheduled = false;
 let aceValidationRunning = false;
@@ -685,7 +686,7 @@ editor.commands.addCommand({
 });
 
 editor.session.on('change', debounce(() => {
-  aceValidationScheduled = true;
+  aceValidationScheduled = !activeEditorSecrets;
 }, 250));
 
 setInterval(() => {
@@ -708,9 +709,13 @@ editorUploadButton.addEventListener('click', saveEditor);
 document.querySelectorAll(".action-edit").forEach((btn) => {
   btn.addEventListener('click', (e) => {
     activeEditorConfig = e.target.getAttribute('data-node');
+    activeEditorSecrets = activeEditorConfig === 'secrets.yaml';
     const modalInstance = M.Modal.getInstance(editModalElem);
     const filenameField = editModalElem.querySelector('.filename');
     editorUploadButton.setAttribute('data-node', activeEditorConfig);
+    if (activeEditorSecrets) {
+      editorUploadButton.classList.add('disabled');
+    }
     filenameField.innerHTML = activeEditorConfig;
 
     editor.setValue("Loading configuration yaml...");
diff --git a/esphome/dashboard/templates/index.html b/esphome/dashboard/templates/index.html
index fe80392fe6..077cc7a3ba 100644
--- a/esphome/dashboard/templates/index.html
+++ b/esphome/dashboard/templates/index.html
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@
   </div>
 
   <ul id="dropdown-nav-actions" class="select-action dropdown-content card-dropdown-action">
-    <li><a id="update-all-button" class="modal-close waves-effect waves-green btn-flat"
-           data-node="{{ escape(config_dir) }}">Update All</a></li>
+    <li><a id="update-all-button" data-node="{{ escape(config_dir) }}">Update All</a></li>
+    <li><a id="secrets-button" class="action-edit" data-node="secrets.yaml">Secrets</a></li>
   </ul>
 </nav>