diff --git a/.changeset/cyan-guests-lie.md b/.changeset/cyan-guests-lie.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1dee217c6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/cyan-guests-lie.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@core/sync-service": patch
+---
+
+Add `CLEANUP_REPLICATION_SLOTS_ON_SHUTDOWN` env var option to configure whether temporary replication slots are used, to allow easier cleanups on test deploys
diff --git a/packages/sync-service/config/runtime.exs b/packages/sync-service/config/runtime.exs
index 1e08d6a7a7..509d8f885d 100644
--- a/packages/sync-service/config/runtime.exs
+++ b/packages/sync-service/config/runtime.exs
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ config :electric,
   telemetry_statsd_host: statsd_host,
   db_pool_size: env!("DB_POOL_SIZE", :integer, 20),
   replication_stream_id: replication_stream_id,
+  replication_slot_temporary?: env!("CLEANUP_REPLICATION_SLOTS_ON_SHUTDOWN", :boolean, false),
   service_port: env!("PORT", :integer, 3000),
   prometheus_port: prometheus_port,
   storage: storage,
diff --git a/packages/sync-service/lib/electric/application.ex b/packages/sync-service/lib/electric/application.ex
index efb2f7974f..fe16ec77c9 100644
--- a/packages/sync-service/lib/electric/application.ex
+++ b/packages/sync-service/lib/electric/application.ex
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ defmodule Electric.Application do
         publication_name: config.replication_opts.publication_name,
         try_creating_publication?: true,
         slot_name: config.replication_opts.slot_name,
+        slot_temporary?: config.replication_opts.slot_temporary?,
         transaction_received:
           {Electric.Replication.ShapeLogCollector, :store_transaction, [shape_log_collector]},
         relation_received:
@@ -102,6 +103,7 @@ defmodule Electric.Application do
     replication_stream_id = Application.fetch_env!(:electric, :replication_stream_id)
     publication_name = "electric_publication_#{replication_stream_id}"
     slot_name = "electric_slot_#{replication_stream_id}"
+    slot_temporary? = Application.get_env(:electric, :replication_slot_temporary?, false)
 
     get_pg_version_fn = fn ->
       Electric.Connection.Manager.get_pg_version(Electric.Connection.Manager)
@@ -133,7 +135,8 @@ defmodule Electric.Application do
       replication_opts: %{
         stream_id: replication_stream_id,
         publication_name: publication_name,
-        slot_name: slot_name
+        slot_name: slot_name,
+        slot_temporary?: slot_temporary?
       },
       pool_opts: %{
         size: Application.fetch_env!(:electric, :db_pool_size)
diff --git a/packages/sync-service/lib/electric/postgres/replication_client.ex b/packages/sync-service/lib/electric/postgres/replication_client.ex
index 639e2db26a..2e06e122a2 100644
--- a/packages/sync-service/lib/electric/postgres/replication_client.ex
+++ b/packages/sync-service/lib/electric/postgres/replication_client.ex
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ defmodule Electric.Postgres.ReplicationClient do
       :try_creating_publication?,
       :start_streaming?,
       :slot_name,
+      :slot_temporary?,
       :display_settings,
       origin: "postgres",
       txn_collector: %Collector{},
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ defmodule Electric.Postgres.ReplicationClient do
             try_creating_publication?: boolean(),
             start_streaming?: boolean(),
             slot_name: String.t(),
+            slot_temporary?: boolean(),
             origin: String.t(),
             txn_collector: Collector.t(),
             step: Electric.Postgres.ReplicationClient.step(),
@@ -70,7 +72,8 @@ defmodule Electric.Postgres.ReplicationClient do
                    publication_name: [required: true, type: :string],
                    try_creating_publication?: [required: true, type: :boolean],
                    start_streaming?: [type: :boolean, default: true],
-                   slot_name: [required: true, type: :string]
+                   slot_name: [required: true, type: :string],
+                   slot_temporary?: [type: :boolean, default: false]
                  )
 
     @spec new(Access.t()) :: t()
diff --git a/packages/sync-service/lib/electric/postgres/replication_client/connection_setup.ex b/packages/sync-service/lib/electric/postgres/replication_client/connection_setup.ex
index 7d97e412cd..f4f02b5eb7 100644
--- a/packages/sync-service/lib/electric/postgres/replication_client/connection_setup.ex
+++ b/packages/sync-service/lib/electric/postgres/replication_client/connection_setup.ex
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ defmodule Electric.Postgres.ReplicationClient.ConnectionSetup do
   module focused on the handling of logical messages.
   """
   alias Electric.Utils
+  alias Electric.Postgres.ReplicationClient.State
 
   require Logger
 
@@ -100,9 +101,15 @@ defmodule Electric.Postgres.ReplicationClient.ConnectionSetup do
 
   ###
 
-  defp create_slot_query(state) do
-    query =
-      "CREATE_REPLICATION_SLOT #{Utils.quote_name(state.slot_name)} LOGICAL pgoutput NOEXPORT_SNAPSHOT"
+  @slot_options "LOGICAL pgoutput NOEXPORT_SNAPSHOT"
+  @temp_slot_options "TEMPORARY #{@slot_options}"
+  defp create_slot_query(%State{slot_name: slot_name, slot_temporary?: true} = state) do
+    query = "CREATE_REPLICATION_SLOT #{Utils.quote_name(slot_name)} #{@temp_slot_options}"
+    {:query, query, state}
+  end
+
+  defp create_slot_query(%State{slot_name: slot_name} = state) do
+    query = "CREATE_REPLICATION_SLOT #{Utils.quote_name(slot_name)} #{@slot_options}"
 
     {:query, query, state}
   end