diff --git a/ebean-api/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/DatabaseConfig.java b/ebean-api/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/DatabaseConfig.java
index bf4c61675..be2ac6c1f 100644
--- a/ebean-api/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/DatabaseConfig.java
+++ b/ebean-api/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/DatabaseConfig.java
@@ -232,6 +232,12 @@ public class DatabaseConfig {
    */
   private String historyTableSuffix = "_history";
 
+  /**
+   * When true explicit transactions beans that have been made dirty will be
+   * automatically persisted via update on flush.
+   */
+  private boolean autoPersistUpdates;
+
   /**
    * Use for transaction scoped batch mode.
    */
@@ -905,6 +911,20 @@ public class DatabaseConfig {
     this.tenantCatalogProvider = tenantCatalogProvider;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Return true if dirty beans are automatically persisted.
+   */
+  public boolean isAutoPersistUpdates() {
+    return autoPersistUpdates;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Set to true if dirty beans are automatically persisted.
+   */
+  public void setAutoPersistUpdates(boolean autoPersistUpdates) {
+    this.autoPersistUpdates = autoPersistUpdates;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Return the PersistBatch mode to use by default at the transaction level.
    * <p>
@@ -2807,6 +2827,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfig {
     loadDocStoreSettings(p);
 
     defaultServer = p.getBoolean("defaultServer", defaultServer);
+    autoPersistUpdates = p.getBoolean("autoPersistUpdates", autoPersistUpdates);
     loadModuleInfo = p.getBoolean("loadModuleInfo", loadModuleInfo);
     maxCallStack = p.getInt("maxCallStack", maxCallStack);
     dumpMetricsOnShutdown = p.getBoolean("dumpMetricsOnShutdown", dumpMetricsOnShutdown);
@@ -3348,7 +3369,7 @@ public class DatabaseConfig {
     this.loadModuleInfo = loadModuleInfo;
   }
 
-  public enum UuidVersion {
+    public enum UuidVersion {
     VERSION4,
     VERSION1,
     VERSION1RND
diff --git a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/transaction/JdbcTransaction.java b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/transaction/JdbcTransaction.java
index bb672cd33..411331aef 100644
--- a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/transaction/JdbcTransaction.java
+++ b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/transaction/JdbcTransaction.java
@@ -211,11 +211,12 @@ class JdbcTransaction implements SpiTransaction, TxnProfileEventCodes {
         this.batchOnCascadeMode = false;
         this.onQueryOnly = OnQueryOnly.ROLLBACK;
       } else {
+        this.transparentPersistence = explicit && manager.isAutoPersistUpdates();
         this.logSql = manager.isLogSql();
         this.logSummary = manager.isLogSummary();
         this.skipCacheAfterWrite = manager.isSkipCacheAfterWrite();
-        this.batchMode = manager.getPersistBatch();
-        this.batchOnCascadeMode = manager.getPersistBatchOnCascade();
+        this.batchMode = manager.isPersistBatch();
+        this.batchOnCascadeMode = manager.isPersistBatchOnCascade();
         this.onQueryOnly = manager.getOnQueryOnly();
       }
 
diff --git a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/transaction/TransactionManager.java b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/transaction/TransactionManager.java
index 45885ad2a..b71868e5d 100644
--- a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/transaction/TransactionManager.java
+++ b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/transaction/TransactionManager.java
@@ -104,6 +104,8 @@ public class TransactionManager implements SpiTransactionManager {
    */
   final DocStoreUpdateProcessor docStoreUpdateProcessor;
 
+  private final boolean autoPersistUpdates;
+
   private final boolean persistBatch;
 
   private final boolean persistBatchOnCascade;
@@ -165,6 +167,7 @@ public class TransactionManager implements SpiTransactionManager {
     this.supportsSavepointId = databasePlatform.isSupportsSavepointId();
     this.skipCacheAfterWrite = options.config.isSkipCacheAfterWrite();
     this.notifyL2CacheInForeground = options.notifyL2CacheInForeground;
+    this.autoPersistUpdates = options.config.isAutoPersistUpdates();
     this.persistBatch = PersistBatch.ALL == options.config.getPersistBatch();
     this.persistBatchOnCascade = PersistBatch.ALL == options.config.appliedPersistBatchOnCascade();
     this.rollbackOnChecked = options.config.isTransactionRollbackOnChecked();
@@ -283,11 +286,15 @@ public class TransactionManager implements SpiTransactionManager {
     return bulkEventListenerMap;
   }
 
-  boolean getPersistBatch() {
+  boolean isAutoPersistUpdates() {
+    return autoPersistUpdates;
+  }
+
+  boolean isPersistBatch() {
     return persistBatch;
   }
 
-  public boolean getPersistBatchOnCascade() {
+  boolean isPersistBatchOnCascade() {
     return persistBatchOnCascade;
   }
 
diff --git a/ebean-core/src/test/java/io/ebean/config/ServerConfigTest.java b/ebean-core/src/test/java/io/ebean/config/ServerConfigTest.java
index f93c18d26..4e92798d6 100644
--- a/ebean-core/src/test/java/io/ebean/config/ServerConfigTest.java
+++ b/ebean-core/src/test/java/io/ebean/config/ServerConfigTest.java
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ public class ServerConfigTest {
     ServerConfig serverConfig = new ServerConfig();
     assertTrue(serverConfig.isIdGeneratorAutomatic());
     assertTrue(serverConfig.isDefaultServer());
+    assertFalse(serverConfig.isAutoPersistUpdates());
 
     serverConfig.setIdGeneratorAutomatic(false);
     assertFalse(serverConfig.isIdGeneratorAutomatic());
@@ -166,6 +167,8 @@ public class ServerConfigTest {
 
     serverConfig.setLoadModuleInfo(false);
     assertFalse(serverConfig.isAutoLoadModuleInfo());
+    serverConfig.setAutoPersistUpdates(true);
+    assertTrue(serverConfig.isAutoPersistUpdates());
   }
 
   @Test