diff --git a/UPGRADE.md b/UPGRADE.md
index e07c5279c56..b0d559e0a3f 100644
--- a/UPGRADE.md
+++ b/UPGRADE.md
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ Before:
         ),
         'keepSlave' => true,
     ));
+    $connection->connect('slave');
+    $connection->connect('master');
+    $connection->isConnectedToMaster();
 
 After:
 
@@ -30,6 +33,9 @@ After:
         )
         'keepReplica' => true,
     ));
+    $connection->ensureConnectedToReplica();
+    $connection->ensureConnectedToPrimary();
+    $connection->isConnectedToPrimary();
 
 ## Deprecated `ArrayStatement` and `ResultCacheStatement` classes.
 
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/Connections/PrimaryReplicaConnection.php b/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/Connections/PrimaryReplicaConnection.php
index 7b702095ccc..35ae867f4e4 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/Connections/PrimaryReplicaConnection.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/Connections/PrimaryReplicaConnection.php
@@ -126,11 +126,15 @@ public function isConnectedToPrimary()
      *
      * @return bool
      */
-    public function connect($connectionName = null)
+    public function connect($connectionName = null, bool $triggerDeprecationWhenConnectionNameUsed = true)
     {
         $requestedConnectionChange = ($connectionName !== null);
         $connectionName            = $connectionName ?: 'replica';
 
+        if ($requestedConnectionChange && $triggerDeprecationWhenConnectionNameUsed) {
+            @trigger_error("PrimaryReplicaConnection::connect() with connection name argument is deprecated, use ensureConnectedToPrimary/Replica() instead", E_USER_DEPRECATED);
+        }
+
         if ($connectionName !== 'replica' && $connectionName !== 'primary') {
             throw new InvalidArgumentException('Invalid option to connect(), only primary or replica allowed.');
         }
@@ -178,6 +182,28 @@ public function connect($connectionName = null)
         return true;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Connects to the primary node of the database cluster.
+     *
+     * All following statements after this will be executed against the primary node.
+     */
+    public function ensureConnectedToPrimary(): bool
+    {
+        return $this->connect('primary', false);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Connects to a replica node of the database cluster.
+     *
+     * All following statements after this will be executed against the replica node,
+     * unless the keepReplica option is set to false and a primary connection
+     * was already opened.
+     */
+    public function ensureConnectedToReplica(): bool
+    {
+        return $this->connect('replica', false);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Connects to a specific connection.
      *
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/DBAL/Functional/PrimaryReplicaConnectionTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/DBAL/Functional/PrimaryReplicaConnectionTest.php
index 4ddabeb8336..e5175dcf61b 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/DBAL/Functional/PrimaryReplicaConnectionTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/DBAL/Functional/PrimaryReplicaConnectionTest.php
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ public function testInheritCharsetFromPrimary(): void
 
             $conn = DriverManager::getConnection($params);
             self::assertInstanceOf(PrimaryReplicaConnection::class, $conn);
-            $conn->connect('replica');
+            $conn->ensureConnectedToReplica();
 
             self::assertFalse($conn->isConnectedToPrimary());
 
@@ -105,9 +105,9 @@ public function testPrimaryOnConnect(): void
         $conn = $this->createPrimaryReplicaConnection();
 
         self::assertFalse($conn->isConnectedToPrimary());
-        $conn->connect('replica');
+        $conn->ensureConnectedToReplica();
         self::assertFalse($conn->isConnectedToPrimary());
-        $conn->connect('primary');
+        $conn->ensureConnectedToPrimary();
         self::assertTrue($conn->isConnectedToPrimary());
     }
 
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ public function testPrimaryOnWriteOperation(): void
     public function testKeepReplicaBeginTransactionStaysOnPrimary(): void
     {
         $conn = $this->createPrimaryReplicaConnection($keepReplica = true);
-        $conn->connect('replica');
+        $conn->ensureConnectedToReplica();
 
         $conn->beginTransaction();
         $conn->insert('primary_replica_table', ['test_int' => 30]);
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ public function testKeepReplicaBeginTransactionStaysOnPrimary(): void
         $conn->connect();
         self::assertTrue($conn->isConnectedToPrimary());
 
-        $conn->connect('replica');
+        $conn->ensureConnectedToReplica();
         self::assertFalse($conn->isConnectedToPrimary());
     }
 
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ public function testKeepReplicaBeginTransactionStaysOnPrimary(): void
     public function testKeepReplicaInsertStaysOnPrimary(): void
     {
         $conn = $this->createPrimaryReplicaConnection($keepReplica = true);
-        $conn->connect('replica');
+        $conn->ensureConnectedToReplica();
 
         $conn->insert('primary_replica_table', ['test_int' => 30]);
 
@@ -174,20 +174,20 @@ public function testKeepReplicaInsertStaysOnPrimary(): void
         $conn->connect();
         self::assertTrue($conn->isConnectedToPrimary());
 
-        $conn->connect('replica');
+        $conn->ensureConnectedToReplica();
         self::assertFalse($conn->isConnectedToPrimary());
     }
 
     public function testPrimaryReplicaConnectionCloseAndReconnect(): void
     {
         $conn = $this->createPrimaryReplicaConnection();
-        $conn->connect('primary');
+        $conn->ensureConnectedToPrimary();
         self::assertTrue($conn->isConnectedToPrimary());
 
         $conn->close();
         self::assertFalse($conn->isConnectedToPrimary());
 
-        $conn->connect('primary');
+        $conn->ensureConnectedToPrimary();
         self::assertTrue($conn->isConnectedToPrimary());
     }
 
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ public function testQueryOnPrimary(): void
     public function testQueryOnReplica(): void
     {
         $conn = $this->createPrimaryReplicaConnection();
-        $conn->connect('replica');
+        $conn->ensureConnectedToReplica();
 
         $query = 'SELECT count(*) as num FROM primary_replica_table';