diff --git a/pydm/widgets/line_edit.py b/pydm/widgets/line_edit.py
index 8fc04e4c0..7ff97a85b 100755
--- a/pydm/widgets/line_edit.py
+++ b/pydm/widgets/line_edit.py
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@
 from qtpy.QtCore import Property, Qt
 from qtpy.QtGui import QFocusEvent
 from .base import PyDMWritableWidget, TextFormatter, str_types, PostParentClassInitSetup
-from pydm import utilities
+from pydm import utilities, config
 from .display_format import DisplayFormat, parse_value_for_display
-from pydm.utilities import ACTIVE_QT_WRAPPER, QtWrapperTypes
+from pydm.utilities import ACTIVE_QT_WRAPPER, QtWrapperTypes, is_qt_designer
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -162,7 +162,14 @@ def send_value(self):
 
     def setReadOnly(self, readOnly):
         self._user_set_read_only = readOnly
-        super().setReadOnly(True if self._user_set_read_only else not self._write_access)
+        # When in designer and reading in live data (DESIGNER_ONLINE), don't set and therefore save to
+        # the ui file readOnly=True setting. While we do want widgets to act in read-only way in designer
+        # (so don't accidentally write data during editing), this is handled in the data_plugins themselves.
+        if is_qt_designer() and config.DESIGNER_ONLINE:
+            shouldSetReadOnly = False
+        else:
+            shouldSetReadOnly = self._user_set_read_only or not self._write_access
+        super().setReadOnly(shouldSetReadOnly)
 
     def write_access_changed(self, new_write_access):
         """
@@ -170,7 +177,14 @@ def write_access_changed(self, new_write_access):
         """
         super().write_access_changed(new_write_access)
         if not self._user_set_read_only:
-            super().setReadOnly(not new_write_access)
+            # When in designer and reading in live data (DESIGNER_ONLINE), don't set and therefore save to
+            # the ui file readOnly=True setting. While we do want widgets to act in read-only way in designer
+            # (so don't accidentally write data during editing), this is handled in the data_plugins themselves.
+            if is_qt_designer() and config.DESIGNER_ONLINE:
+                shouldSetReadOnly = False
+            else:
+                shouldSetReadOnly = not new_write_access
+            super().setReadOnly(shouldSetReadOnly)
 
     def unit_changed(self, new_unit):
         """