An electrode configuration for a battery cell includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and a low counter-ion permeability layer interposed between the separator and the positive electrode. The separator has a first permeability to counter-ions, which do not participate in the battery electrode reactions, and the low counter-ion permeability layer has a second permeability to the counter-ions that is less than the first permeability. The separator includes a first salt concentration adjacent to the low counter-ion permeability layer and a second salt concentration adjacent to the negative electrode, and the second salt concentration is greater than the first salt concentration.