diff --git a/repmgr-action-standby.c b/repmgr-action-standby.c
index 9fa8699d..11ac68ec 100644
--- a/repmgr-action-standby.c
+++ b/repmgr-action-standby.c
@@ -1905,7 +1905,10 @@ do_standby_follow_internal(PGconn *primary_conn, t_node_info *primary_node_recor
 		char		server_command[MAXLEN] = "";
 		bool		server_up = is_server_available(config_file_options.conninfo);
 		char	   *action = NULL;
-		int			r;
+		bool		success;
+
+		PQExpBufferData output_buf;
+		initPQExpBuffer(&output_buf);
 
 		if (server_up == true)
 		{
@@ -1923,8 +1926,9 @@ do_standby_follow_internal(PGconn *primary_conn, t_node_info *primary_node_recor
 				   action,
 				   server_command);
 
-		r = system(server_command);
-		if (r != 0)
+		success = local_command(server_command, &output_buf);
+
+		if (success == false)
 		{
 			log_error(_("unable to %s server"), action);
 			PQfinish(primary_conn);
@@ -2735,7 +2739,8 @@ do_standby_switchover(void)
 			termPQExpBuffer(&command_output);
 		}
 
-		log_debug("sleeping %i seconds until next check", config_file_options.reconnect_interval);
+		log_debug("sleeping %i seconds (\"reconnect_interval\") until next check",
+				  config_file_options.reconnect_interval);
 		sleep(config_file_options.reconnect_interval);
 	}
 
@@ -2845,13 +2850,10 @@ do_standby_switchover(void)
 
 	/* TODO: verify this node's record was updated correctly */
 
-	if (command_success == false || command_output.data[0] == '0')
+	if (command_success == false)
 	{
 		log_error(_("rejoin failed %i"), r);
 
-		if (strlen(command_output.data) > 2)
-			log_detail("%s", command_output.data);
-
 		create_event_notification_extended(local_conn,
 										   &config_file_options,
 										   config_file_options.node_id,
diff --git a/repmgr-client.c b/repmgr-client.c
index 36efd787..f8a179f9 100644
--- a/repmgr-client.c
+++ b/repmgr-client.c
@@ -2101,9 +2101,12 @@ test_ssh_connection(char *host, char *remote_user)
 bool
 local_command(const char *command, PQExpBufferData *outputbuf)
 {
-	FILE	   *fp;
+	FILE	   *fp = NULL;
 	char		output[MAXLEN];
 	int			retval = 0;
+	bool		success;
+
+	log_verbose(LOG_DEBUG, "executing:\n  %s", command);
 
 	if (outputbuf == NULL)
 	{
@@ -2119,20 +2122,28 @@ local_command(const char *command, PQExpBufferData *outputbuf)
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	/* TODO: better error handling */
+
 	while (fgets(output, MAXLEN, fp) != NULL)
 	{
 		appendPQExpBuffer(outputbuf, "%s", output);
+		if (!feof(fp))
+		{
+			break;
+		}
 	}
 
-	pclose(fp);
+	retval = pclose(fp);
+
+	success = (WEXITSTATUS(retval) == 0) ? true : false;
+
+	log_verbose(LOG_DEBUG, "result of command was %i (%i)", WEXITSTATUS(retval), retval);
 
 	if (outputbuf->data != NULL)
 		log_verbose(LOG_DEBUG, "local_command(): output returned was:\n%s", outputbuf->data);
 	else
 		log_verbose(LOG_DEBUG, "local_command(): no output returned");
 
-	return true;
+	return success;
 }
 
 
@@ -2394,7 +2405,12 @@ remote_command(const char *host, const char *user, const char *command, PQExpBuf
 	pclose(fp);
 
 	if (outputbuf != NULL)
-		log_verbose(LOG_DEBUG, "remote_command(): output returned was:\n  %s", outputbuf->data);
+	{
+		if (strlen(outputbuf->data))
+			log_verbose(LOG_DEBUG, "remote_command(): output returned was:\n  %s", outputbuf->data);
+		else
+			log_verbose(LOG_DEBUG, "remote_command(): no output returned");
+	}
 
 	return true;
 }