diff --git a/aurora-mysql.cfhighlander.rb b/aurora-mysql.cfhighlander.rb
index 4aa57b2..98c5905 100644
--- a/aurora-mysql.cfhighlander.rb
+++ b/aurora-mysql.cfhighlander.rb
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
     ComponentParam 'StorageType', 'aurora', allowedValues: ['aurora', 'aurora-iopt1']
     ComponentParam 'EnableHttpEndpoint', 'false', allowedValues: ['true', 'false']
     ComponentParam 'EnableReader', 'false'
+    ComponentParam 'ReaderOwnParameterGroup', 'false'
     ComponentParam 'ReaderPromotionTier', 1, allowedValues: [0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15]
     ComponentParam 'BacktrackWindow', 0
 
diff --git a/aurora-mysql.cfndsl.rb b/aurora-mysql.cfndsl.rb
index 172dbf4..06cdc00 100644
--- a/aurora-mysql.cfndsl.rb
+++ b/aurora-mysql.cfndsl.rb
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
   Condition("EnableCloudwatchLogsExports", FnNot(FnEquals(Ref(:EnableCloudwatchLogsExports), '')))
   Condition("EnableLocalWriteForwarding", FnEquals(Ref(:EnableLocalWriteForwarding), 'true'))
   Condition("EnableReader", FnEquals(Ref(:EnableReader), 'true'))
+  Condition("EnableReaderOwnParameterGroup", FnAnd([FnEquals(Ref(:ReaderOwnParameterGroup), 'true'), FnEquals(Ref(:EnableReader), 'true')]))
   
   Condition("IsWriterServerless", FnEquals(Ref(:WriterInstanceType), 'db.serverless'))
   Output('IsWriterServerless') { 
@@ -92,11 +93,17 @@
   RDS_DBParameterGroup(:DBInstanceParameterGroup) {
     Description FnJoin(' ', [ Ref(:EnvironmentName), external_parameters[:component_name], 'instance parameter group' ])
     Family external_parameters[:family]
-    Parameters external_parameters[:instance_parameters]
+    Parameters external_parameters.fetch(:instance_parameters, {})
     Tags tags + [{ Key: 'Name', Value: FnJoin('-', [ Ref(:EnvironmentName), external_parameters[:component_name], 'instance-parameter-group' ])}]
   }
 
-  
+  RDS_DBParameterGroup(:DBReaderInstanceParameterGroup) {
+    Condition(:EnableReaderOwnParameterGroup)
+    Description FnJoin(' ', [ Ref(:EnvironmentName), external_parameters[:component_name], 'reader instance parameter group' ])
+    Family external_parameters[:family]
+    Parameters external_parameters.fetch(:reader_instance_parameters, {})
+    Tags tags + [{ Key: 'Name', Value: FnJoin('-', [ Ref(:EnvironmentName), external_parameters[:component_name], 'reader-instance-parameter-group' ])}]
+  }  
 
   RDS_DBCluster(:DBCluster) {
     Engine external_parameters[:engine]
@@ -153,7 +160,7 @@
     RDS_DBInstance(:ServerlessDBInstanceReader) {
       Condition(:EnableReader)
       DBSubnetGroupName Ref(:DBClusterSubnetGroup)
-      DBParameterGroupName Ref(:DBInstanceParameterGroup)
+      DBParameterGroupName FnIf(:EnableReaderOwnParameterGroup, Ref(:DBReaderInstanceParameterGroup), Ref(:DBInstanceParameterGroup))
       Engine external_parameters[:engine]
       DBClusterIdentifier Ref(:DBCluster)
       AutoMinorVersionUpgrade minor_upgrade unless minor_upgrade.nil?
@@ -181,7 +188,7 @@
     RDS_DBInstance(:DBClusterInstanceReader) {
       Condition(:EnableReader)
       DBSubnetGroupName Ref(:DBClusterSubnetGroup)
-      DBParameterGroupName Ref(:DBInstanceParameterGroup)
+      DBParameterGroupName FnIf(:EnableReaderOwnParameterGroup, Ref(:DBReaderInstanceParameterGroup), Ref(:DBInstanceParameterGroup))
       Engine external_parameters[:engine]
       DBClusterIdentifier Ref(:DBCluster)
       AutoMinorVersionUpgrade minor_upgrade unless minor_upgrade.nil?