diff --git a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/ServerConfig.java b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/ServerConfig.java
index 0d0ec8d7a..3c1ce319c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/ServerConfig.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/ServerConfig.java
@@ -198,9 +198,11 @@ public class ServerConfig {
   private PersistBatch persistBatch = PersistBatch.NONE;
 
   /**
-   * Use for per request batch mode.
+   * Use for cascade persist JDBC batch mode. INHERIT means use the platform default
+   * which is ALL except for SQL Server where it is NONE (as getGeneratedKeys isn't
+   * supported on SQL Server with JDBC batch).
    */
-  private PersistBatch persistBatchOnCascade = PersistBatch.NONE;
+  private PersistBatch persistBatchOnCascade = PersistBatch.INHERIT;
 
   private int persistBatchSize = 20;
 
@@ -2530,13 +2532,14 @@ public class ServerConfig {
   /**
    * Return the PersistBatch mode to use for 'batchOnCascade' taking into account if the database
    * platform supports getGeneratedKeys in batch mode.
-   * <p>
-   * Used to effectively turn off batchOnCascade for SQL Server - still allows explicit batch mode.
-   * </p>
    */
   public PersistBatch appliedPersistBatchOnCascade() {
 
-    return databasePlatform.isDisallowBatchOnCascade() ? PersistBatch.NONE : persistBatchOnCascade;
+    if (persistBatchOnCascade == PersistBatch.INHERIT) {
+      // use the platform default (ALL except SQL Server which has NONE)
+      return databasePlatform.getPersistBatchOnCascade();
+    }
+    return persistBatchOnCascade;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/dbplatform/DatabasePlatform.java b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/dbplatform/DatabasePlatform.java
index 14351dd54..16aac20d5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/dbplatform/DatabasePlatform.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/dbplatform/DatabasePlatform.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package com.avaje.ebean.config.dbplatform;
 
 import com.avaje.ebean.BackgroundExecutor;
 import com.avaje.ebean.Query;
+import com.avaje.ebean.config.PersistBatch;
 import com.avaje.ebean.config.ServerConfig;
 import com.avaje.ebean.dbmigration.ddlgeneration.DdlHandler;
 import com.avaje.ebean.dbmigration.ddlgeneration.platform.PlatformDdl;
@@ -155,11 +156,9 @@ public class DatabasePlatform {
   protected boolean forwardOnlyHintOnFindIterate;
 
   /**
-   * Flag set for SQL Server due to lack of support of getGeneratedKeys in
-   * batch mode (meaning for batch inserts you should explicitly turn off
-   * getGeneratedKeys - joy).
+   * By default we use JDBC batch when cascading (except for SQL Server).
    */
-  protected boolean disallowBatchOnCascade;
+  protected PersistBatch persistBatchOnCascade = PersistBatch.ALL;
 
   protected PlatformDdl platformDdl;
 
@@ -542,14 +541,10 @@ public class DatabasePlatform {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Return true if the persistBatchOnCascade setting should be ignored.
-   * <p>
-   * This is primarily for SQL Server which does not support getGeneratedKeys with jdbc batch mode
-   * so can't really be transparently used.
-   * </p>
+   * Return the platform default JDBC batch mode for persist cascade.
    */
-  public boolean isDisallowBatchOnCascade() {
-    return disallowBatchOnCascade;
+  public PersistBatch getPersistBatchOnCascade() {
+    return persistBatchOnCascade;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/dbplatform/MsSqlServer2000Platform.java b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/dbplatform/MsSqlServer2000Platform.java
index afcb42a8b..5fd072352 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/dbplatform/MsSqlServer2000Platform.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/dbplatform/MsSqlServer2000Platform.java
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package com.avaje.ebean.config.dbplatform;
 
+import com.avaje.ebean.config.PersistBatch;
+
 import java.sql.Types;
 
 /**
@@ -18,6 +20,7 @@ public class MsSqlServer2000Platform extends DatabasePlatform {
   public MsSqlServer2000Platform() {
     super();
     this.name = "mssqlserver2000";
+    this.persistBatchOnCascade = PersistBatch.NONE;
     this.dbIdentity.setIdType(IdType.IDENTITY);
     this.dbIdentity.setSupportsGetGeneratedKeys(false);
     this.dbIdentity.setSelectLastInsertedIdTemplate("select @@IDENTITY as X");
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/dbplatform/MsSqlServer2005Platform.java b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/dbplatform/MsSqlServer2005Platform.java
index a71372c78..8a0882bb6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/dbplatform/MsSqlServer2005Platform.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/avaje/ebean/config/dbplatform/MsSqlServer2005Platform.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package com.avaje.ebean.config.dbplatform;
 
+import com.avaje.ebean.config.PersistBatch;
 import com.avaje.ebean.dbmigration.ddlgeneration.platform.MsSqlServerDdl;
 
 import java.sql.Types;
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@ public class MsSqlServer2005Platform extends DatabasePlatform {
     this.name = "mssqlserver2005";
     // effectively disable persistBatchOnCascade mode for SQL Server
     // due to lack of support for getGeneratedKeys in batch mode
-    this.disallowBatchOnCascade = true;
+    this.persistBatchOnCascade = PersistBatch.NONE;
     this.idInExpandedForm = true;
     this.selectCountWithAlias = true;
     this.sqlLimiter = new MsSqlServer2005SqlLimiter();
diff --git a/src/test/resources/ebean.properties b/src/test/resources/ebean.properties
index e5fa48cef..28c472181 100644
--- a/src/test/resources/ebean.properties
+++ b/src/test/resources/ebean.properties
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@ ebean.ddl.generate=true
 ebean.ddl.run=true
 datasource.default=h2
 
-ebean.persistBatch=NONE
-ebean.persistBatchOnCascade=ALL
+#ebean.persistBatch=NONE
 
 ebean.currentUserProvider=com.avaje.ebean.MyCurrentUserProvider
 #ebean.expressionNativeIlike=true