diff --git a/app/models/global_setting.rb b/app/models/global_setting.rb
index 10866f8e8bd..b1bf927f2f0 100644
--- a/app/models/global_setting.rb
+++ b/app/models/global_setting.rb
@@ -18,11 +18,14 @@ class GlobalSetting
 
   def self.database_config
     hash = {"adapter" => "postgresql"}
-    %w{pool timeout socket host port username password}.each do |s|
+    %w{pool timeout socket host port username password replica_host replica_port}.each do |s|
       if val = self.send("db_#{s}")
         hash[s] = val
       end
     end
+
+    hash["adapter"] = "postgresql_fallback" if hash["replica_host"]
+
     hostnames = [ hostname ]
     hostnames << backup_hostname if backup_hostname.present?
 
diff --git a/config/database.yml b/config/database.yml
index fb6d923aea2..19da362a0dd 100644
--- a/config/database.yml
+++ b/config/database.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 development:
   prepared_statements: false
-  adapter: postgresql
+  adapter: postgresql_fallback
+  host: 172.17.0.2
+  port: 6432
   database: discourse_development
+  username: tgxworld
+  password: test
+  replica_host: 172.17.0.3
+  replica_port: 6432
   min_messages: warning
   pool: 5
   timeout: 5000
diff --git a/config/discourse_defaults.conf b/config/discourse_defaults.conf
index 19c1ce63d1b..0ff3b8af814 100644
--- a/config/discourse_defaults.conf
+++ b/config/discourse_defaults.conf
@@ -43,6 +43,12 @@ db_password =
 # see: https://github.com/rails/rails/issues/21992
 db_prepared_statements = false
 
+# host address for db replica server
+db_replica_host =
+
+# port running replica db server, defaults to 5432 if not set
+db_replica_port =
+
 # hostname running the forum
 hostname = "www.example.com"
 
diff --git a/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql_fallback_adapter.rb b/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql_fallback_adapter.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..18f76d6ec57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql_fallback_adapter.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+require 'active_record/connection_adapters/abstract_adapter'
+require 'active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql_adapter'
+require 'discourse'
+require 'concurrent'
+
+class TaskObserver
+  def update(time, result, ex)
+    if result
+      logger.info { "PG connection heartbeat successfully returned #{result}" }
+    elsif ex.is_a?(Concurrent::TimeoutError)
+      logger.warning { "PG connection heartbeat timed out".freeze }
+    else
+      if ex.message.include?("PG::UnableToSend")
+        logger.info { "PG connection heartbeat: Master connection is not active.".freeze }
+      else
+        logger.error { "PG connection heartbeat failed with error: \"#{ex}\"" }
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  private
+
+  def logger
+    Rails.logger
+  end
+end
+
+module ActiveRecord
+  module ConnectionHandling
+    def postgresql_fallback_connection(config)
+      master_connection = postgresql_connection(config)
+
+      replica_connection = postgresql_connection(config.dup.merge({
+        host: config[:replica_host], port: config[:replica_port]
+      }))
+      verify_replica(replica_connection)
+
+      klass = ConnectionAdapters::PostgreSQLFallbackAdapter.proxy_pass(master_connection.class)
+      klass.new(master_connection, replica_connection, logger, config)
+    end
+
+    private
+
+    def verify_replica(connection)
+      value = connection.raw_connection.exec("SELECT pg_is_in_recovery()").values[0][0]
+      raise "Replica database server is not in recovery mode." if value == 'f'
+    end
+  end
+
+  module ConnectionAdapters
+    class PostgreSQLFallbackAdapter < AbstractAdapter
+      ADAPTER_NAME = "PostgreSQLFallback".freeze
+      MAX_FAILURE = 5
+      HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL = 5
+
+      attr_reader :main_connection
+
+      def self.all_methods(klass)
+        methods = []
+
+        (klass.ancestors - AbstractAdapter.ancestors).each do |_klass|
+          %w(public protected private).map do |level|
+            methods << _klass.send("#{level}_instance_methods", false)
+          end
+        end
+
+        methods.flatten.uniq.sort
+      end
+
+      def self.proxy_pass(klass)
+        Class.new(self) do
+          (self.all_methods(klass) - self.all_methods(self)).each do |method|
+            self.class_eval <<-EOF
+              def #{method}(*args, &block)
+                proxy_method(:#{method}, *args, &block)
+              end
+            EOF
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
+      def initialize(master_connection, replica_connection, logger, config)
+        super(nil, logger, config)
+
+        @master_connection = master_connection
+        @main_connection = @master_connection
+        @replica_connection = replica_connection
+        @failure_count = 0
+        load!
+      end
+
+      def proxy_method(method, *args, &block)
+        @main_connection.send(method, *args, &block)
+      rescue ActiveRecord::StatementInvalid => e
+        if e.message.include?("PG::UnableToSend") && @main_connection == @master_connection
+          @failure_count += 1
+
+          if @failure_count == MAX_FAILURE
+            Discourse.enable_readonly_mode if !Discourse.readonly_mode?
+            @main_connection = @replica_connection
+            load!
+            connection_heartbeart(@master_connection)
+            @failure_count = 0
+          else
+            proxy_method(method, *args, &block)
+          end
+        end
+
+        raise e
+      end
+
+      private
+
+      def load!
+        @visitor = @main_connection.visitor
+        @connection = @main_connection.raw_connection
+      end
+
+      def connection_heartbeart(connection, interval = HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL)
+        timer_task = Concurrent::TimerTask.new(execution_interval: interval) do |task|
+          connection.reconnect!
+
+          if connection.active?
+            @main_connection = connection
+            load!
+            Discourse.disable_readonly_mode if Discourse.readonly_mode?
+            task.shutdown
+          end
+        end
+
+        timer_task.add_observer(TaskObserver.new)
+        timer_task.execute
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/components/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql_fallback_adapter_spec.rb b/spec/components/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql_fallback_adapter_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e0195e7d821
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/components/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql_fallback_adapter_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+require 'rails_helper'
+require_dependency 'active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql_fallback_adapter'
+
+describe ActiveRecord::ConnectionAdapters::PostgreSQLFallbackAdapter do
+  let(:master_connection) { ActiveRecord::Base.connection }
+  let(:replica_connection) { master_connection.dup }
+  let(:adapter) { described_class.new(master_connection, replica_connection, nil, nil) }
+
+  before :each do
+    ActiveRecord::Base.clear_all_connections!
+  end
+
+  describe "proxy_method" do
+    context "when master connection is not active" do
+      before do
+        replica_connection.stubs(:send)
+        master_connection.stubs(:send).raises(ActiveRecord::StatementInvalid.new('PG::UnableToSend'))
+        master_connection.stubs(:reconnect!)
+        master_connection.stubs(:active?).returns(false)
+
+        @old_const = described_class::HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL
+        described_class.const_set("HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL", 0.1)
+      end
+
+      after do
+        Discourse.disable_readonly_mode
+        described_class.const_set("HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL", @old_const)
+      end
+
+      it "should set site to readonly mode and carry out failover and switch back procedures" do
+        expect(adapter.main_connection).to eq(master_connection)
+        adapter.proxy_method('some method')
+        expect(Discourse.readonly_mode?).to eq(true)
+        expect(adapter.main_connection).to eq(replica_connection)
+
+        master_connection.stubs(:active?).returns(true)
+        sleep 0.15
+
+        expect(Discourse.readonly_mode?).to eq(false)
+        expect(adapter.main_connection).to eq(master_connection)
+      end
+    end
+
+    it 'should raise errors not related to the database connection' do
+      master_connection.stubs(:send).raises(StandardError.new)
+      expect { adapter.proxy_method('some method') }.to raise_error(StandardError)
+    end
+
+    it 'should proxy methods successfully' do
+      expect(adapter.proxy_method(:execute, 'SELECT 1').values[0][0]).to eq("1")
+      expect(adapter.proxy_method(:active?)).to eq(true)
+      expect(adapter.proxy_method(:raw_connection)).to eq(master_connection.raw_connection)
+    end
+  end
+end