diff --git a/core/modules/workspaces/src/WorkspaceManager.php b/core/modules/workspaces/src/WorkspaceManager.php
index 4ec554c..fb609f1 100644
--- a/core/modules/workspaces/src/WorkspaceManager.php
+++ b/core/modules/workspaces/src/WorkspaceManager.php
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ public function getActiveWorkspace() {
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
-  public function setActiveWorkspace(WorkspaceInterface $workspace) {
+  public function setActiveWorkspace(WorkspaceInterface $workspace, $persist = TRUE) {
     // If the current user doesn't have access to view the workspace, they
     // shouldn't be allowed to switch to it.
     if (!$workspace->access('view') && !$workspace->isDefaultWorkspace()) {
@@ -180,12 +180,14 @@ public function setActiveWorkspace(WorkspaceInterface $workspace) {
     $this->activeWorkspace = $workspace;
 
     // Set the workspace on the proper negotiator.
-    $request = $this->requestStack->getCurrentRequest();
-    foreach ($this->negotiatorIds as $negotiator_id) {
-      $negotiator = $this->classResolver->getInstanceFromDefinition($negotiator_id);
-      if ($negotiator->applies($request)) {
-        $negotiator->setActiveWorkspace($workspace);
-        break;
+    if ($persist) {
+      $request = $this->requestStack->getCurrentRequest();
+      foreach ($this->negotiatorIds as $negotiator_id) {
+        $negotiator = $this->classResolver->getInstanceFromDefinition($negotiator_id);
+        if ($negotiator->applies($request)) {
+          $negotiator->setActiveWorkspace($workspace);
+          break;
+        }
       }
     }
 
@@ -201,17 +203,17 @@ public function setActiveWorkspace(WorkspaceInterface $workspace) {
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function executeInWorkspace($workspace_id, callable $function) {
-    /** @var \Drupal\workspace\WorkspaceInterface $workspace */
+    /** @var \Drupal\workspaces\WorkspaceInterface $workspace */
     $workspace = $this->entityTypeManager->getStorage('workspace')->load($workspace_id);
 
-    if (!$workspace || (!$workspace->isDefaultWorkspace() && !$workspace->access('view'))) {
-      throw new WorkspaceAccessException('The user does not have permission to view that workspace.');
+    if (!$workspace) {
+      throw new \InvalidArgumentException('The ' . $workspace_id . ' workspace does not exist.');
     }
 
-    $previous_active_workspace = $this->activeWorkspace;
-    $this->activeWorkspace = $workspace;
+    $previous_active_workspace = $this->getActiveWorkspace();
+    $this->setActiveWorkspace($workspace, FALSE);
     $function();
-    $this->activeWorkspace = $previous_active_workspace;
+    $this->setActiveWorkspace($previous_active_workspace, FALSE);
 
     return $this;
   }
diff --git a/core/modules/workspaces/src/WorkspaceManagerInterface.php b/core/modules/workspaces/src/WorkspaceManagerInterface.php
index 5ef9fbf..7cc3494 100644
--- a/core/modules/workspaces/src/WorkspaceManagerInterface.php
+++ b/core/modules/workspaces/src/WorkspaceManagerInterface.php
@@ -41,13 +41,16 @@ public function getActiveWorkspace();
    *
    * @param \Drupal\workspaces\WorkspaceInterface $workspace
    *   The workspace to set as active.
+   * @param bool $persist
+   *   (optional) Whether the new active workspace should be persisted by the
+   *   workspace negotiator. Defaults to TRUE.
    *
    * @return $this
    *
    * @throws \Drupal\workspaces\WorkspaceAccessException
    *   Thrown when the current user doesn't have access to view the workspace.
    */
-  public function setActiveWorkspace(WorkspaceInterface $workspace);
+  public function setActiveWorkspace(WorkspaceInterface $workspace, $persist = TRUE);
 
   /**
    * Executes the given callback function in the context of a workspace.
diff --git a/core/modules/workspaces/tests/src/Kernel/WorkspaceIntegrationTest.php b/core/modules/workspaces/tests/src/Kernel/WorkspaceIntegrationTest.php
index 7854402..d61d378 100644
--- a/core/modules/workspaces/tests/src/Kernel/WorkspaceIntegrationTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/workspaces/tests/src/Kernel/WorkspaceIntegrationTest.php
@@ -35,6 +35,13 @@ class WorkspaceIntegrationTest extends KernelTestBase {
   protected $entityTypeManager;
 
   /**
+   * The workspaces manager.
+   *
+   * @var \Drupal\workspaces\WorkspaceManagerInterface
+   */
+  protected $workspacesManager;
+
+  /**
    * An array of test workspaces, keyed by workspace ID.
    *
    * @var \Drupal\workspaces\WorkspaceInterface[]
@@ -100,6 +107,7 @@ protected function initializeWorkspacesModule() {
     $this->enableModules(['workspaces']);
     $this->container = \Drupal::getContainer();
     $this->entityTypeManager = \Drupal::entityTypeManager();
+    $this->workspacesManager = \Drupal::service('workspaces.manager');
 
     $this->installEntitySchema('workspace');
     $this->installEntitySchema('workspace_association');
@@ -491,6 +499,57 @@ public function testDisallowedEntityCRUDInNonDefaultWorkspace() {
   }
 
   /**
+   * @covers \Drupal\workspaces\WorkspaceManager::executeInWorkspace
+   */
+  public function testExecuteInWorkspaceContext() {
+    $this->initializeWorkspacesModule();
+
+    // Create an entity in the default workspace.
+    $this->switchToWorkspace('live');
+    $node = $this->createNode([
+      'title' => 'live node 1',
+    ]);
+    $node->save();
+
+    // Switch to the 'stage' workspace and change some values for the referenced
+    // entities.
+    $this->switchToWorkspace('stage');
+    $node->title->value = 'stage node 1';
+    $node->save();
+
+    // Switch back to the default workspace and run the baseline assertions.
+    $this->switchToWorkspace('live');
+    $storage = $this->entityTypeManager->getStorage('node');
+
+    $this->assertEquals('live', $this->workspacesManager->getActiveWorkspace()->id());
+
+    $live_node = $storage->loadUnchanged($node->id());
+    $this->assertEquals('live node 1', $live_node->title->value);
+
+    $result = $storage->getQuery()
+      ->condition('title', 'live node 1')
+      ->execute();
+    $this->assertEquals([3 => 3], $result);
+
+    // Try the same assertions in the context of the 'stage' workspace.
+    $this->workspacesManager->executeInWorkspace('stage', function () use ($node, $storage) {
+      $this->assertEquals('stage', $this->workspacesManager->getActiveWorkspace()->id());
+
+      $stage_node = $storage->loadUnchanged($node->id());
+      $this->assertEquals('stage node 1', $stage_node->title->value);
+
+      $result = $storage->getQuery()
+        ->condition('title', 'stage node 1')
+        ->execute();
+      $this->assertEquals([4 => 3], $result);
+    });
+
+    // Check that the 'stage' workspace was not persisted by the workspace
+    // manager.
+    $this->assertEquals('live', $this->workspacesManager->getActiveWorkspace()->id());
+  }
+
+  /**
    * Checks entity load, entity queries and views results for a test scenario.
    *
    * @param array $expected