diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index e26f44f9a..fc2ac19d2 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>io.ebean</groupId>
       <artifactId>ebean-datasource</artifactId>
-      <version>4.7.3</version>
+      <version>4.9.1</version>
     </dependency>
 
     <dependency>
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/InitDataSource.java b/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/InitDataSource.java
index b1ceb6a76..70f280765 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/InitDataSource.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/InitDataSource.java
@@ -62,10 +62,7 @@ class InitDataSource {
    */
   private DataSource initReadOnlyDataSource() {
     DataSourceConfig roConfig = readOnlyConfig();
-    if (roConfig == null) {
-      return null;
-    }
-    return createFromConfig(roConfig, true);
+    return roConfig == null ? null : createFromConfig(roConfig, true);
   }
 
   DataSourceConfig readOnlyConfig() {
@@ -74,20 +71,25 @@ class InitDataSource {
       // it has explicitly been set to null, not expected but ok
       return null;
     }
-    final String readOnlyUrl = roConfig.getUrl();
-    if ("none".equalsIgnoreCase(readOnlyUrl) || notAutoReadOnly(readOnlyUrl)) {
-      // no read-only DataSource will be used
+    if (urlSet(roConfig.getUrl())) {
+      return roConfig;
+    }
+    // convenient alternate place to set the read-only url
+    final String readOnlyUrl = config.getDataSourceConfig().getReadOnlyUrl();
+    if (urlSet(readOnlyUrl)) {
+      roConfig.setUrl(readOnlyUrl);
+      return roConfig;
+    }
+    if (config.isAutoReadOnlyDataSource()) {
+      roConfig.setUrl(null); // blank out in case it is "none"
+      return roConfig;
+    } else {
       return null;
     }
-    return roConfig;
   }
 
-  private boolean notAutoReadOnly(String readOnlyUrl) {
-    return isEmpty(readOnlyUrl) && !config.isAutoReadOnlyDataSource();
-  }
-
-  private boolean isEmpty(String url) {
-    return url == null || url.trim().isEmpty();
+  private boolean urlSet(String url) {
+    return url != null && !"none".equalsIgnoreCase(url) && !url.trim().isEmpty();
   }
 
   private DataSource createFromConfig(DataSourceConfig dsConfig, boolean readOnly) {
@@ -107,7 +109,7 @@ class InitDataSource {
     if (readOnly) {
       // setup to use AutoCommit such that we skip explicit commit
       dsConfig.setAutoCommit(true);
-      //dsConfig.setReadOnly(true);
+      dsConfig.setReadOnly(true);
       dsConfig.setDefaults(config.getDataSourceConfig());
       dsConfig.setIsolationLevel(config.getDataSourceConfig().getIsolationLevel());
     }
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/InitDataSourceTest.java b/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/InitDataSourceTest.java
index 288833cd9..5065d17e5 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/InitDataSourceTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/InitDataSourceTest.java
@@ -52,6 +52,15 @@ public class InitDataSourceTest {
     assertNotNull(new InitDataSource(config).readOnlyConfig());
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void readOnlyConfig_when_autoReadOnlyDataSource_expect_setToNull() {
+    ServerConfig config = newConfig("none");
+    config.setAutoReadOnlyDataSource(true);
+
+    final DataSourceConfig readOnlyConfig = new InitDataSource(config).readOnlyConfig();
+    assertNull(readOnlyConfig.getUrl());
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void readOnlyConfig_when_urlSet() {
     ServerConfig config = newConfig("foo");
@@ -61,6 +70,48 @@ public class InitDataSourceTest {
     assertEquals("foo", roConfig.getUrl());
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void readOnlyConfig_when_readOnlyUrlSetOnMain() {
+    ServerConfig config = newConfig(null);
+    // alternate location to set read-only url for developer convenience
+    config.getDataSourceConfig().setReadOnlyUrl("bar");
+
+    final DataSourceConfig roConfig = new InitDataSource(config).readOnlyConfig();
+    assertNotNull(roConfig);
+    assertEquals("bar", roConfig.getUrl());
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void readOnlyConfig_when_readOnlyUrlSetOnMain_withNone() {
+    ServerConfig config = newConfig("None");
+    // alternate location to set read-only url for developer convenience
+    config.getDataSourceConfig().setReadOnlyUrl("bar");
+
+    final DataSourceConfig roConfig = new InitDataSource(config).readOnlyConfig();
+    assertNotNull(roConfig);
+    assertEquals("bar", roConfig.getUrl());
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void readOnlyConfig_when_bothReadOnlyUrlsSet() {
+    ServerConfig config = newConfig("one");
+    config.getDataSourceConfig().setReadOnlyUrl("two");
+
+    final DataSourceConfig roConfig = new InitDataSource(config).readOnlyConfig();
+    assertNotNull(roConfig);
+    assertEquals("one", roConfig.getUrl());
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void readOnlyConfig_when_readOnlyUrlSetOnMain_withNoneNone() {
+    ServerConfig config = newConfig("none");
+    // alternate location to set read-only url for developer convenience
+    config.getDataSourceConfig().setReadOnlyUrl("none");
+
+    final DataSourceConfig roConfig = new InitDataSource(config).readOnlyConfig();
+    assertNull(roConfig);
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void readOnlyConfig_when_urlSet_2() {
     ServerConfig config = new ServerConfig();