diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/Context.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/Context.java
index 82b39dd2df..09b9c4a32d 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/Context.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/Context.java
@@ -810,6 +810,15 @@ public class Context implements AutoCloseable {
             readOnlyCache.clear();
         }
 
+        // When going to READ_ONLY, flush database changes to ensure that the current data is retrieved
+        if (newMode == Mode.READ_ONLY && mode != Mode.READ_ONLY) {
+            try {
+                dbConnection.flushSession();
+            } catch (SQLException ex) {
+                log.warn("Unable to flush database changes after switching to READ_ONLY mode", ex);
+            }
+        }
+
         //save the new mode
         mode = newMode;
     }
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/DBConnection.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/DBConnection.java
index cb5825eec1..66e4a65dbf 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/DBConnection.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/DBConnection.java
@@ -148,4 +148,12 @@ public interface DBConnection<T> {
      * @throws java.sql.SQLException passed through.
      */
     public <E extends ReloadableEntity> void uncacheEntity(E entity) throws SQLException;
+
+    /**
+     * Do a manual flush. This synchronizes the in-memory state of the Session
+     * with the database (write changes to the database)
+     *
+     * @throws SQLException passed through.
+     */
+    public void flushSession() throws SQLException;
 }
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/HibernateDBConnection.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/HibernateDBConnection.java
index 3321e4d837..b371af80ee 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/HibernateDBConnection.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/HibernateDBConnection.java
@@ -337,4 +337,17 @@ public class HibernateDBConnection implements DBConnection<Session> {
             }
         }
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Do a manual flush. This synchronizes the in-memory state of the Session
+     * with the database (write changes to the database)
+     *
+     * @throws SQLException passed through.
+     */
+    @Override
+    public void flushSession() throws SQLException {
+        if (getSession().isDirty()) {
+            getSession().flush();
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/discovery/IndexEventConsumer.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/discovery/IndexEventConsumer.java
index bf1c7da4e1..80602ac804 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/discovery/IndexEventConsumer.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/discovery/IndexEventConsumer.java
@@ -205,6 +205,10 @@ public class IndexEventConsumer implements Consumer {
     @Override
     public void end(Context ctx) throws Exception {
 
+        // Change the mode to readonly to improve performance
+        Context.Mode originalMode = ctx.getCurrentMode();
+        ctx.setMode(Context.Mode.READ_ONLY);
+
         try {
             for (String uid : uniqueIdsToDelete) {
                 try {
@@ -234,6 +238,8 @@ public class IndexEventConsumer implements Consumer {
                 uniqueIdsToDelete.clear();
                 createdItemsToUpdate.clear();
             }
+
+            ctx.setMode(originalMode);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/core/ContextIT.java b/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/core/ContextIT.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6cf8336171
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/core/ContextIT.java
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+/**
+ * The contents of this file are subject to the license and copyright
+ * detailed in the LICENSE and NOTICE files at the root of the source
+ * tree and available online at
+ *
+ * http://www.dspace.org/license/
+ */
+package org.dspace.core;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.dspace.AbstractIntegrationTestWithDatabase;
+import org.dspace.authorize.ResourcePolicy;
+import org.dspace.authorize.factory.AuthorizeServiceFactory;
+import org.dspace.authorize.service.AuthorizeService;
+import org.dspace.builder.CommunityBuilder;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+public class ContextIT extends AbstractIntegrationTestWithDatabase {
+
+    AuthorizeService authorizeService = AuthorizeServiceFactory.getInstance().getAuthorizeService();
+
+    @Test
+    public void testGetPoliciesNewCommunityAfterReadOnlyModeChange() throws Exception {
+
+        context.turnOffAuthorisationSystem();
+
+        // First disable the index consumer. The indexing process calls the authorizeService
+        // function used in this test and may affect the test
+        context.setDispatcher("noindex");
+
+        parentCommunity = CommunityBuilder.createCommunity(context)
+            .withName("Parent Community")
+            .build();
+        context.restoreAuthSystemState();
+
+        context.setMode(Context.Mode.READ_ONLY);
+
+        List<ResourcePolicy> policies = authorizeService.getPoliciesActionFilter(context, parentCommunity,
+            Constants.READ);
+
+        assertEquals("Should return the default anonymous group read policy", 1, policies.size());
+    }
+
+}