diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 09ac767..d6c447f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -101,13 +101,15 @@ foreach ($categories as $category) {
 
 - **Batch Size:** Set a custom batch size for preloading to optimize memory usage.
 - **Max Fetch Join Same Field Count:** Define the maximum number of join fetches allowed per field.
+- **Read Only:** Mark preloaded entities as read-only to disable change tracking and improve performance (only supported for `#[OneToMany]` and `#[ManyToMany]` associations).
 
 ```php
 $preloader->preload(
     $articles,
     'category',
     batchSize: 20,
-    maxFetchJoinSameFieldCount: 5
+    maxFetchJoinSameFieldCount: 5,
+    readOnly: true,
 );
 ```
 
diff --git a/src/EntityPreloader.php b/src/EntityPreloader.php
index ed6f3ed..a52b1c6 100644
--- a/src/EntityPreloader.php
+++ b/src/EntityPreloader.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\ClassMetadata;
 use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\PropertyAccessors\PropertyAccessor;
 use Doctrine\ORM\PersistentCollection;
+use Doctrine\ORM\Query;
 use Doctrine\ORM\QueryBuilder;
 use LogicException;
 use ReflectionProperty;
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ public function preload(
         string $sourcePropertyName,
         ?int $batchSize = null,
         ?int $maxFetchJoinSameFieldCount = null,
+        bool $readOnly = false,
     ): array
     {
         $sourceEntitiesCommonAncestor = $this->getCommonAncestor($sourceEntities);
@@ -62,16 +64,26 @@ public function preload(
             throw new LogicException('Preloading of indexed associations is not supported');
         }
 
+        $isToOne = $associationMapping['type'] === ClassMetadata::ONE_TO_ONE
+            || $associationMapping['type'] === ClassMetadata::MANY_TO_ONE;
+
+        if ($readOnly && $isToOne) {
+            throw new LogicException('The readOnly option is not supported for toOne associations');
+        }
+
         $maxFetchJoinSameFieldCount ??= 1;
-        $sourceEntities = $this->loadProxies($sourceClassMetadata, $sourceEntities, $batchSize ?? self::PRELOAD_ENTITY_DEFAULT_BATCH_SIZE, $maxFetchJoinSameFieldCount);
+        $sourceEntities = $this->loadProxies(
+            $sourceClassMetadata,
+            $sourceEntities,
+            $batchSize ?? self::PRELOAD_ENTITY_DEFAULT_BATCH_SIZE,
+            $maxFetchJoinSameFieldCount,
+        );
 
-        $preloader = match ($associationMapping['type']) {
-            ClassMetadata::ONE_TO_ONE, ClassMetadata::MANY_TO_ONE => $this->preloadToOne(...),
-            ClassMetadata::ONE_TO_MANY, ClassMetadata::MANY_TO_MANY => $this->preloadToMany(...),
-            default => throw new LogicException("Unsupported association mapping type {$associationMapping['type']}"),
-        };
+        if ($isToOne) {
+            return $this->preloadToOne($sourceEntities, $sourceClassMetadata, $sourcePropertyName, $targetClassMetadata, $batchSize, $maxFetchJoinSameFieldCount);
+        }
 
-        return $preloader($sourceEntities, $sourceClassMetadata, $sourcePropertyName, $targetClassMetadata, $batchSize, $maxFetchJoinSameFieldCount);
+        return $this->preloadToMany($sourceEntities, $sourceClassMetadata, $sourcePropertyName, $targetClassMetadata, $batchSize, $maxFetchJoinSameFieldCount, $readOnly);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -158,6 +170,7 @@ private function preloadToMany(
         ClassMetadata $targetClassMetadata,
         ?int $batchSize,
         int $maxFetchJoinSameFieldCount,
+        bool $readOnly,
     ): array
     {
         $sourceIdentifierAccessor = $this->getSingleIdPropertyAccessor($sourceClassMetadata); // e.g. Order::$id reflection
@@ -213,6 +226,7 @@ private function preloadToMany(
                 uninitializedSourceEntityIdsChunk: array_values($uninitializedSourceEntityIdsChunk),
                 uninitializedCollections: $uninitializedCollections,
                 maxFetchJoinSameFieldCount: $maxFetchJoinSameFieldCount,
+                readOnly: $readOnly,
             );
 
             foreach ($targetEntitiesChunk as $targetEntityKey => $targetEntity) {
@@ -247,6 +261,7 @@ private function preloadOneToManyInner(
         array $uninitializedSourceEntityIdsChunk,
         array $uninitializedCollections,
         int $maxFetchJoinSameFieldCount,
+        bool $readOnly,
     ): array
     {
         $targetPropertyName = $sourceClassMetadata->getAssociationMappedByTargetField($sourcePropertyName); // e.g. 'order'
@@ -264,6 +279,7 @@ private function preloadOneToManyInner(
             $uninitializedSourceEntityIdsChunk,
             $maxFetchJoinSameFieldCount,
             $associationMapping['orderBy'] ?? [],
+            $readOnly,
         );
 
         foreach ($targetEntitiesList as $targetEntity) {
@@ -297,6 +313,7 @@ private function preloadManyToManyInner(
         array $uninitializedSourceEntityIdsChunk,
         array $uninitializedCollections,
         int $maxFetchJoinSameFieldCount,
+        bool $readOnly,
     ): array
     {
         if (count($associationMapping['orderBy'] ?? []) > 0) {
@@ -319,6 +336,7 @@ private function preloadManyToManyInner(
                 $this->deduceArrayParameterType($sourceIdentifierType),
             )
             ->getQuery()
+            ->setHint(Query::HINT_READ_ONLY, $readOnly)
             ->getResult();
 
         $targetEntities = [];
@@ -339,7 +357,7 @@ private function preloadManyToManyInner(
             $uninitializedTargetEntityIds[$targetEntityKey] = $targetEntityId;
         }
 
-        foreach ($this->loadEntitiesBy($targetClassMetadata, $targetIdentifierName, $sourceClassMetadata, array_values($uninitializedTargetEntityIds), $maxFetchJoinSameFieldCount) as $targetEntity) {
+        foreach ($this->loadEntitiesBy($targetClassMetadata, $targetIdentifierName, $sourceClassMetadata, array_values($uninitializedTargetEntityIds), $maxFetchJoinSameFieldCount, readOnly: $readOnly) as $targetEntity) {
             $targetEntityKey = (string) $targetIdentifierAccessor->getValue($targetEntity);
             $targetEntities[$targetEntityKey] = $targetEntity;
         }
@@ -407,6 +425,7 @@ private function loadEntitiesBy(
         array $fieldValues,
         int $maxFetchJoinSameFieldCount,
         array $orderBy = [],
+        bool $readOnly = false,
     ): array
     {
         if (count($fieldValues) === 0) {
@@ -432,7 +451,10 @@ private function loadEntitiesBy(
             $queryBuilder->addOrderBy("{$rootLevelAlias}.{$field}", $direction);
         }
 
-        return $queryBuilder->getQuery()->getResult();
+        return $queryBuilder
+            ->getQuery()
+            ->setHint(Query::HINT_READ_ONLY, $readOnly)
+            ->getResult();
     }
 
     private function deduceArrayParameterType(Type $dbalType): ArrayParameterType|int|null // @phpstan-ignore return.unusedType (old dbal compat)
diff --git a/tests/EntityPreloadBlogManyHasManyTest.php b/tests/EntityPreloadBlogManyHasManyTest.php
index 0869ca9..bded0c0 100644
--- a/tests/EntityPreloadBlogManyHasManyTest.php
+++ b/tests/EntityPreloadBlogManyHasManyTest.php
@@ -115,6 +115,29 @@ public function testManyHasManyWithPreload(DbalType $primaryKey): void
         ]);
     }
 
+    #[DataProvider('providePrimaryKeyTypes')]
+    public function testManyHasManyWithPreloadReadOnly(DbalType $primaryKey): void
+    {
+        $this->createDummyBlogData($primaryKey, articleInEachCategoryCount: 5, tagForEachArticleCount: 5);
+
+        $articles = $this->getEntityManager()->getRepository(Article::class)->findAll();
+        $tags = $this->getEntityPreloader()->preload($articles, 'tags', readOnly: true);
+
+        self::assertCount(25, $tags);
+
+        // Verify that preloaded tags are marked as read-only
+        $unitOfWork = $this->getEntityManager()->getUnitOfWork();
+        foreach ($tags as $tag) {
+            self::assertTrue($unitOfWork->isReadOnly($tag), 'Tag should be marked as read-only');
+        }
+
+        self::assertAggregatedQueries([
+            ['count' => 1, 'query' => 'SELECT * FROM article t0'],
+            ['count' => 1, 'query' => 'SELECT * FROM article a0_ INNER JOIN article_tag a2_ ON a0_.id = a2_.article_id INNER JOIN tag t1_ ON t1_.id = a2_.tag_id WHERE a0_.id IN (?, ?, ?, ?, ?)'],
+            ['count' => 1, 'query' => 'SELECT * FROM tag t0_ WHERE t0_.id IN (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)'],
+        ]);
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param array<Article> $articles
      */
diff --git a/tests/EntityPreloadBlogManyHasOneTest.php b/tests/EntityPreloadBlogManyHasOneTest.php
index 1e0082d..e751024 100644
--- a/tests/EntityPreloadBlogManyHasOneTest.php
+++ b/tests/EntityPreloadBlogManyHasOneTest.php
@@ -118,6 +118,20 @@ public function testManyHasOneWithPreload(DbalType $primaryKey): void
         ]);
     }
 
+    #[DataProvider('providePrimaryKeyTypes')]
+    public function testManyHasOneWithPreloadReadOnlyThrowsException(DbalType $primaryKey): void
+    {
+        $this->createDummyBlogData($primaryKey, categoryCount: 5, articleInEachCategoryCount: 5);
+
+        $articles = $this->getEntityManager()->getRepository(Article::class)->findAll();
+
+        self::assertException(
+            \LogicException::class,
+            'The readOnly option is not supported for toOne associations',
+            fn () => $this->getEntityPreloader()->preload($articles, 'category', readOnly: true),
+        );
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param array<Article> $articles
      */
diff --git a/tests/EntityPreloadBlogOneHasManyTest.php b/tests/EntityPreloadBlogOneHasManyTest.php
index ac02ffd..c8ed116 100644
--- a/tests/EntityPreloadBlogOneHasManyTest.php
+++ b/tests/EntityPreloadBlogOneHasManyTest.php
@@ -139,6 +139,28 @@ public function testOneHasManyWithPreload(DbalType $primaryKey): void
         ]);
     }
 
+    #[DataProvider('providePrimaryKeyTypes')]
+    public function testOneHasManyWithPreloadReadOnly(DbalType $primaryKey): void
+    {
+        $this->createDummyBlogData($primaryKey, categoryCount: 5, articleInEachCategoryCount: 5);
+
+        $categories = $this->getEntityManager()->getRepository(Category::class)->findAll();
+        $articles = $this->getEntityPreloader()->preload($categories, 'articles', readOnly: true);
+
+        self::assertCount(25, $articles);
+
+        // Verify that preloaded articles are marked as read-only
+        $unitOfWork = $this->getEntityManager()->getUnitOfWork();
+        foreach ($articles as $article) {
+            self::assertTrue($unitOfWork->isReadOnly($article), 'Article should be marked as read-only');
+        }
+
+        self::assertAggregatedQueries([
+            ['count' => 1, 'query' => 'SELECT * FROM category t0'],
+            ['count' => 1, 'query' => 'SELECT * FROM article a0_ WHERE a0_.category_id IN (?, ?, ?, ?, ?)'],
+        ]);
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param array<Category> $categories
      */