diff --git a/packages/api/src/data_source.ts b/packages/api/src/data_source.ts
index c5c8e92bf..d18eda8f8 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/data_source.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/data_source.ts
@@ -23,26 +23,27 @@ export const appDataSource = new DataSource({
     max: env.pg.pool.max,
     idleTimeoutMillis: 10000, // 10 seconds
   },
-  replication: env.pg.slave
-    ? {
-        // set the default destination for read queries as the master instance
-        defaultMode: 'master',
-        master: {
-          host: env.pg.host,
-          port: env.pg.port,
-          username: env.pg.userName,
-          password: env.pg.password,
-          database: env.pg.dbName,
-        },
-        slaves: [
-          {
-            host: env.pg.slave.host,
-            port: env.pg.slave.port,
-            username: env.pg.slave.userName,
-            password: env.pg.slave.password,
-            database: env.pg.slave.dbName,
-          },
-        ],
-      }
-    : undefined,
 })
+
+if (env.pg.replication) {
+  appDataSource.setOptions({
+    replication: {
+      master: {
+        host: env.pg.host,
+        port: env.pg.port,
+        username: env.pg.userName,
+        password: env.pg.password,
+        database: env.pg.dbName,
+      },
+      slaves: [
+        {
+          host: env.pg.slave.host,
+          port: env.pg.slave.port,
+          username: env.pg.slave.userName,
+          password: env.pg.slave.password,
+          database: env.pg.slave.dbName,
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+  })
+}
diff --git a/packages/api/src/util.ts b/packages/api/src/util.ts
index 1742f1771..4e32d5406 100755
--- a/packages/api/src/util.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/util.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ export interface BackendEnv {
     pool: {
       max: number
     }
-    slave?: {
+    replication: boolean
+    slave: {
       host: string
       port: number
       userName: string
@@ -186,6 +187,12 @@ const nullableEnvVars = [
   'NOTION_CLIENT_SECRET',
   'NOTION_AUTH_URL',
   'SCORE_API_URL',
+  'PG_REPLICATION',
+  'PG_SLAVE_HOST',
+  'PG_SLAVE_PORT',
+  'PG_SLAVE_USER',
+  'PG_SLAVE_PASSWORD',
+  'PG_SLAVE_DB',
 ] // Allow some vars to be null/empty
 
 const envParser =
@@ -225,15 +232,14 @@ export function getEnv(): BackendEnv {
     pool: {
       max: parseInt(parse('PG_POOL_MAX'), 10),
     },
-    slave: parse('PG_SLAVE_HOST')
-      ? {
-          host: parse('PG_SLAVE_HOST'),
-          port: parseInt(parse('PG_SLAVE_PORT'), 10),
-          userName: parse('PG_SLAVE_USER'),
-          password: parse('PG_SLAVE_PASSWORD'),
-          dbName: parse('PG_SLAVE_DB'),
-        }
-      : undefined,
+    replication: parse('PG_REPLICATION') === 'true',
+    slave: {
+      host: parse('PG_SLAVE_HOST'),
+      port: parseInt(parse('PG_SLAVE_PORT'), 10),
+      userName: parse('PG_SLAVE_USER'),
+      password: parse('PG_SLAVE_PASSWORD'),
+      dbName: parse('PG_SLAVE_DB'),
+    },
   }
   const server = {
     jwtSecret: parse('JWT_SECRET'),