diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/core/lightning.py b/pytorch_lightning/core/lightning.py
index bc1b5b9547771..b62fd57e8debf 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/core/lightning.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/core/lightning.py
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self._running_manual_backward = False
         self._current_hook_fx_name = None
         self._current_dataloader_idx = None
+        self._automatic_optimization: bool = True
 
     def optimizers(self, use_pl_optimizer: bool = True) -> Union[Optimizer, List[Optimizer], List[LightningOptimizer]]:
         if use_pl_optimizer:
@@ -163,7 +164,12 @@ def automatic_optimization(self) -> bool:
         """
         If False you are responsible for calling .backward, .step, zero_grad.
         """
-        return True
+        return self._automatic_optimization
+
+    @automatic_optimization.setter
+    def automatic_optimization(self, automatic_optimization: bool) -> None:
+        self._automatic_optimization = automatic_optimization
+
 
     def print(self, *args, **kwargs) -> None:
         r"""
diff --git a/tests/trainer/optimization/test_manual_optimization.py b/tests/trainer/optimization/test_manual_optimization.py
index f0d7c6d96914e..338769f2ee40f 100644
--- a/tests/trainer/optimization/test_manual_optimization.py
+++ b/tests/trainer/optimization/test_manual_optimization.py
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@ def test_multiple_optimizers_manual(tmpdir):
     Tests that only training_step can be used
     """
     class TestModel(BoringModel):
+
+        def __init__(self):
+            super().__init__()
+            self.automatic_optimization = False
+
         def training_step(self, batch, batch_idx, optimizer_idx):
             # manual
             (opt_a, opt_b) = self.optimizers()
@@ -69,10 +74,6 @@ def configure_optimizers(self):
             optimizer_2 = torch.optim.SGD(self.layer.parameters(), lr=0.1)
             return optimizer, optimizer_2
 
-        @property
-        def automatic_optimization(self) -> bool:
-            return False
-
     model = TestModel()
     model.val_dataloader = None