diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/Connections/PrimaryReplicaConnection.php b/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/Connections/PrimaryReplicaConnection.php
index d8df4c51c6c..1b54e2a26b1 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/Connections/PrimaryReplicaConnection.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/Connections/PrimaryReplicaConnection.php
@@ -70,20 +70,15 @@
  */
 class PrimaryReplicaConnection extends Connection
 {
-    /**
-     * Primary and Replica connection (one of the randomly picked replicas).
-     *
-     * @var DriverConnection[]|null[]
-     */
-    private $connections = ['primary' => null, 'replica' => null];
+    /** @var DriverConnection|null */
+    private $primary;
 
     /**
-     * You can keep the replica connection and then switch back to it
-     * during the request if you know what you are doing.
+     * One replica picked at random
      *
-     * @var bool
+     * @var DriverConnection|null
      */
-    private $keepReplica = false;
+    private $replica;
 
     /**
      * Creates Primary Replica Connection.
@@ -111,32 +106,42 @@ public function __construct(
             $params['replica'][$replicaKey]['driver'] = $params['driver'];
         }
 
-        $this->keepReplica = (bool) ($params['keepReplica'] ?? false);
 
         parent::__construct($params, $driver, $config, $eventManager);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Checks if the connection is currently towards the primary or not.
-     */
-    public function isConnectedToPrimary(): bool
+    private function switchToPrimary(): bool
     {
-        return $this->_conn !== null && $this->_conn === $this->connections['primary'];
-    }
+        $forcePrimaryAsReplica = $this->getTransactionNestingLevel() > 0;
 
-    public function connect(?string $connectionName = null): bool
-    {
-        $requestedConnectionChange = ($connectionName !== null);
-        $connectionName            = $connectionName ?: 'replica';
+        if (isset($this->primary)) {
+            $this->_conn = $this->primary;
+
+            if ($forcePrimaryAsReplica) {
+                $this->replica = $this->_conn;
+            }
 
-        if ($connectionName !== 'replica' && $connectionName !== 'primary') {
-            throw new InvalidArgumentException('Invalid option to connect(), only primary or replica allowed.');
+            return false;
         }
 
-        // If we have a connection open, and this is not an explicit connection
-        // change request, then abort right here, because we are already done.
-        // This prevents writes to the replica in case of "keepReplica" option enabled.
-        if ($this->_conn !== null && ! $requestedConnectionChange) {
+        $this->primary = $this->_conn = $this->connectTo('primary');
+
+        // Set replica connection to primary to avoid invalid reads
+        $this->replica = $this->primary;
+
+        if ($this->_eventManager->hasListeners(Events::postConnect)) {
+            $eventArgs = new ConnectionEventArgs($this);
+            $this->_eventManager->dispatchEvent(Events::postConnect, $eventArgs);
+        }
+
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    public function connect(): bool
+    {
+        $connectionName = 'replica';
+
+        if ($this->_conn !== null) {
             return false;
         }
 
@@ -147,25 +152,23 @@ public function connect(?string $connectionName = null): bool
             $forcePrimaryAsReplica = true;
         }
 
-        if (isset($this->connections[$connectionName])) {
-            $this->_conn = $this->connections[$connectionName];
+        if (isset($this->$connectionName)) {
+            $this->_conn = $this->$connectionName;
 
-            if ($forcePrimaryAsReplica && ! $this->keepReplica) {
-                $this->connections['replica'] = $this->_conn;
+            if ($forcePrimaryAsReplica) {
+                $this->replica = $this->_conn;
             }
 
             return false;
         }
 
         if ($connectionName === 'primary') {
-            $this->connections['primary'] = $this->_conn = $this->connectTo($connectionName);
+            $this->primary = $this->_conn = $this->connectTo($connectionName);
 
             // Set replica connection to primary to avoid invalid reads
-            if (! $this->keepReplica) {
-                $this->connections['replica'] = $this->connections['primary'];
-            }
+            $this->replica = $this->primary;
         } else {
-            $this->connections['replica'] = $this->_conn = $this->connectTo($connectionName);
+            $this->replica = $this->_conn = $this->connectTo($connectionName);
         }
 
         if ($this->_eventManager->hasListeners(Events::postConnect)) {
@@ -218,28 +221,28 @@ private function chooseConnectionConfiguration(string $connectionName, array $pa
      */
     public function executeUpdate($query, array $params = [], array $types = []): int
     {
-        $this->connect('primary');
+        $this->switchToPrimary();
 
         return parent::executeUpdate($query, $params, $types);
     }
 
     public function beginTransaction(): bool
     {
-        $this->connect('primary');
+        $this->switchToPrimary();
 
         return parent::beginTransaction();
     }
 
     public function commit(): bool
     {
-        $this->connect('primary');
+        $this->switchToPrimary();
 
         return parent::commit();
     }
 
     public function rollBack(): bool
     {
-        $this->connect('primary');
+        $this->switchToPrimary();
 
         return parent::rollBack();
     }
@@ -249,19 +252,18 @@ public function rollBack(): bool
      */
     public function delete($tableName, array $identifier, array $types = []): int
     {
-        $this->connect('primary');
+        $this->switchToPrimary();
 
         return parent::delete($tableName, $identifier, $types);
     }
 
     public function close(): void
     {
-        unset($this->connections['primary'], $this->connections['replica']);
+        unset($this->primary, $this->replica);
 
         parent::close();
 
-        $this->_conn       = null;
-        $this->connections = ['primary' => null, 'replica' => null];
+        $this->_conn = null;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -269,7 +271,7 @@ public function close(): void
      */
     public function update($tableName, array $data, array $identifier, array $types = []): int
     {
-        $this->connect('primary');
+        $this->switchToPrimary();
 
         return parent::update($tableName, $data, $identifier, $types);
     }
@@ -279,7 +281,7 @@ public function update($tableName, array $data, array $identifier, array $types
      */
     public function insert($tableName, array $data, array $types = []): int
     {
-        $this->connect('primary');
+        $this->switchToPrimary();
 
         return parent::insert($tableName, $data, $types);
     }
@@ -289,7 +291,7 @@ public function insert($tableName, array $data, array $types = []): int
      */
     public function exec($statement): int
     {
-        $this->connect('primary');
+        $this->switchToPrimary();
 
         return parent::exec($statement);
     }
@@ -299,7 +301,7 @@ public function exec($statement): int
      */
     public function createSavepoint($savepoint): void
     {
-        $this->connect('primary');
+        $this->switchToPrimary();
 
         parent::createSavepoint($savepoint);
     }
@@ -309,7 +311,7 @@ public function createSavepoint($savepoint): void
      */
     public function releaseSavepoint($savepoint): void
     {
-        $this->connect('primary');
+        $this->switchToPrimary();
 
         parent::releaseSavepoint($savepoint);
     }
@@ -319,14 +321,14 @@ public function releaseSavepoint($savepoint): void
      */
     public function rollbackSavepoint($savepoint): void
     {
-        $this->connect('primary');
+        $this->switchToPrimary();
 
         parent::rollbackSavepoint($savepoint);
     }
 
     public function query(): Statement
     {
-        $this->connect('primary');
+        $this->switchToPrimary();
         assert($this->_conn instanceof DriverConnection);
 
         $args = func_get_args();
@@ -352,7 +354,7 @@ public function query(): Statement
      */
     public function prepare($statement): Statement
     {
-        $this->connect('primary');
+        $this->switchToPrimary();
 
         return parent::prepare($statement);
     }
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/DBAL/Functional/PrimaryReplicaConnectionTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/DBAL/Functional/PrimaryReplicaConnectionTest.php
index 4ddabeb8336..64f12e3b318 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/DBAL/Functional/PrimaryReplicaConnectionTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/DBAL/Functional/PrimaryReplicaConnectionTest.php
@@ -55,12 +55,11 @@ private function createPrimaryReplicaConnection(bool $keepReplica = false): Prim
     /**
      * @return mixed[]
      */
-    private function createPrimaryReplicaConnectionParams(bool $keepReplica = false): array
+    private function createPrimaryReplicaConnectionParams(): array
     {
         $params                 = $this->connection->getParams();
         $params['primary']      = $params;
         $params['replica']      = [$params, $params];
-        $params['keepReplica']  = $keepReplica;
         $params['wrapperClass'] = PrimaryReplicaConnection::class;
 
         return $params;
@@ -87,9 +86,7 @@ public function testInheritCharsetFromPrimary(): void
 
             $conn = DriverManager::getConnection($params);
             self::assertInstanceOf(PrimaryReplicaConnection::class, $conn);
-            $conn->connect('replica');
-
-            self::assertFalse($conn->isConnectedToPrimary());
+            $conn->connect();
 
             $clientCharset = $conn->fetchColumn('select @@character_set_client as c');
 
@@ -100,18 +97,7 @@ public function testInheritCharsetFromPrimary(): void
         }
     }
 
-    public function testPrimaryOnConnect(): void
-    {
-        $conn = $this->createPrimaryReplicaConnection();
-
-        self::assertFalse($conn->isConnectedToPrimary());
-        $conn->connect('replica');
-        self::assertFalse($conn->isConnectedToPrimary());
-        $conn->connect('primary');
-        self::assertTrue($conn->isConnectedToPrimary());
-    }
-
-    public function testNoPrimaryrOnExecuteQuery(): void
+    public function testNoPrimaryOnExecuteQuery(): void
     {
         $conn = $this->createPrimaryReplicaConnection();