diff --git a/google/cloud/spanner_dbapi/connection.py b/google/cloud/spanner_dbapi/connection.py
index b02d62ea27..e8676c4291 100644
--- a/google/cloud/spanner_dbapi/connection.py
+++ b/google/cloud/spanner_dbapi/connection.py
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ def read_only(self, value):
         Args:
             value (bool): True for ReadOnly mode, False for ReadWrite.
         """
-        if self._spanner_transaction_started:
+        if self._read_only != value and self._spanner_transaction_started:
             raise ValueError(
                 "Connection read/write mode can't be changed while a transaction is in progress. "
                 "Commit or rollback the current transaction and try again."
diff --git a/tests/unit/spanner_dbapi/test_connection.py b/tests/unit/spanner_dbapi/test_connection.py
index d0fa521f8f..16ab6984a4 100644
--- a/tests/unit/spanner_dbapi/test_connection.py
+++ b/tests/unit/spanner_dbapi/test_connection.py
@@ -138,6 +138,10 @@ def test_read_only_connection(self):
         ):
             connection.read_only = False
 
+        # Verify that we can set the value to the same value as it already has.
+        connection.read_only = True
+        self.assertTrue(connection.read_only)
+
         connection._spanner_transaction_started = False
         connection.read_only = False
         self.assertFalse(connection.read_only)