diff --git a/dbutils.c b/dbutils.c
index f06f17cd..115c37d8 100644
--- a/dbutils.c
+++ b/dbutils.c
@@ -825,14 +825,16 @@ get_server_version(PGconn *conn, char *server_version)
 	return atoi(PQgetvalue(res, 0, 0));
 }
 
-int
-is_standby(PGconn *conn)
+
+t_recovery_type
+get_recovery_type(PGconn *conn)
 {
 	PGresult   *res;
-	int			result = 0;
+	t_recovery_type recovery_type = RECTYPE_MASTER;
+
 	char	   *sqlquery = "SELECT pg_catalog.pg_is_in_recovery()";
 
-	log_verbose(LOG_DEBUG, "is_standby(): %s", sqlquery);
+	log_verbose(LOG_DEBUG, "get_recovery_type(): %s", sqlquery);
 
 	res = PQexec(conn, sqlquery);
 
@@ -840,15 +842,15 @@ is_standby(PGconn *conn)
 	{
 		log_error(_("unable to determine if server is in recovery:\n  %s"),
 				PQerrorMessage(conn));
-		result = -1;
+		recovery_type = RECTYPE_UNKNOWN;
 	}
 	else if (PQntuples(res) == 1 && strcmp(PQgetvalue(res, 0, 0), "t") == 0)
 	{
-		result = 1;
+		recovery_type = RECTYPE_STANDBY;
 	}
 
 	PQclear(res);
-	return result;
+	return recovery_type;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -916,7 +918,7 @@ get_master_connection(PGconn *conn,
 
 	for (i = 0; i < PQntuples(res); i++)
 	{
-		int is_node_standby;
+		t_recovery_type recovery_type;
 
 		/* initialize with the values of the current node being processed */
 		node_id = atoi(PQgetvalue(res, i, 0));
@@ -929,9 +931,9 @@ get_master_connection(PGconn *conn,
 		if (PQstatus(remote_conn) != CONNECTION_OK)
 			continue;
 
-		is_node_standby = is_standby(remote_conn);
+		recovery_type = get_recovery_type(remote_conn);
 
-		if (is_node_standby == -1)
+		if (recovery_type == RECTYPE_UNKNOWN)
 		{
 			log_error(_("unable to retrieve recovery state from node %i:\n	%s"),
 					  node_id,
@@ -940,8 +942,7 @@ get_master_connection(PGconn *conn,
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		/* if is_standby() returns 0, queried node is the master */
-		if (is_node_standby == 0)
+		if (recovery_type == RECTYPE_MASTER)
 		{
 			PQclear(res);
 			log_debug(_("get_master_connection(): current master node is %i"), node_id);
diff --git a/dbutils.h b/dbutils.h
index 396b92c6..ad399449 100644
--- a/dbutils.h
+++ b/dbutils.h
@@ -33,6 +33,12 @@ typedef enum {
     REPMGR_UNKNOWN
 } t_extension_status;
 
+typedef enum {
+	RECTYPE_UNKNOWN = 0,
+	RECTYPE_MASTER,
+	RECTYPE_STANDBY
+} t_recovery_type;
+
 /*
  * Struct to store node information
  */
@@ -165,7 +171,7 @@ bool		get_pg_setting(PGconn *conn, const char *setting, char *output);
 /* server information functions */
 bool		get_cluster_size(PGconn *conn, char *size);
 int			get_server_version(PGconn *conn, char *server_version);
-int			is_standby(PGconn *conn);
+t_recovery_type get_recovery_type(PGconn *conn);
 int			get_master_node_id(PGconn *conn);
 
 /* extension functions */
diff --git a/repmgr-action-master.c b/repmgr-action-master.c
index 086df23a..26b90798 100644
--- a/repmgr-action-master.c
+++ b/repmgr-action-master.c
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@ do_master_register(void)
 	PGconn	   *conn = NULL;
 	PGconn	   *master_conn = NULL;
 	int			current_master_id = UNKNOWN_NODE_ID;
-	int			ret;
-
+	t_recovery_type recovery_type;
 	t_node_info node_info = T_NODE_INFO_INITIALIZER;
 	int			record_found;
 	bool		record_created;
@@ -35,14 +34,22 @@ do_master_register(void)
 	check_server_version(conn, "master", true, NULL);
 
 	/* check that node is actually a master */
-	ret = is_standby(conn);
-	if (ret)
-	{
-		log_error(_(ret == 1 ? "server is in standby mode and cannot be registered as a master" :
-					"connection to node lost!"));
+	recovery_type = get_recovery_type(conn);
 
-		PQfinish(conn);
-		exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
+	if (recovery_type != RECTYPE_STANDBY)
+	{
+		if (recovery_type == RECTYPE_MASTER)
+		{
+			log_error(_("server is in standby mode and cannot be registered as a master"));
+			PQfinish(conn);
+			exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			log_error(_("connection to node lost"));
+			PQfinish(conn);
+			exit(ERR_DB_CONN);
+		}
 	}
 
 	log_verbose(LOG_INFO, _("server is not in recovery"));
@@ -204,3 +211,4 @@ do_master_register(void)
 
 	return;
 }
+
diff --git a/repmgr-action-standby.c b/repmgr-action-standby.c
index 70aa6324..5e25a31c 100644
--- a/repmgr-action-standby.c
+++ b/repmgr-action-standby.c
@@ -525,7 +525,6 @@ do_standby_register(void)
 {
 	PGconn	   *conn;
 	PGconn	   *master_conn;
-	int			ret;
 
 	bool		record_created;
 	t_node_info node_record = T_NODE_INFO_INITIALIZER;
@@ -560,15 +559,24 @@ do_standby_register(void)
 
 	if (PQstatus(conn) == CONNECTION_OK)
 	{
-		ret = is_standby(conn);
+		t_recovery_type recovery_type = get_recovery_type(conn);
 
-		if (ret == 0 || ret == -1)
+		if (recovery_type != RECTYPE_STANDBY)
 		{
-			log_error(_(ret == 0 ? "this node should be a standby (%s)" :
-						"connection to node (%s) lost"), config_file_options.conninfo);
-
-			PQfinish(conn);
-			exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
+			if (recovery_type == RECTYPE_MASTER)
+			{
+				log_error(_("this node should be a standby (%s)"),
+						  config_file_options.conninfo);
+				PQfinish(conn);
+				exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				log_error(_("connection to node (%s) lost"),
+						  config_file_options.conninfo);
+				PQfinish(conn);
+				exit(ERR_DB_CONN);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -997,9 +1005,8 @@ do_standby_promote(void)
 
 	char		script[MAXLEN];
 
-
-	int			r,
-				retval;
+	t_recovery_type recovery_type;
+	int			r;
 	char		data_dir[MAXLEN];
 
 	int			i,
@@ -1018,18 +1025,22 @@ do_standby_promote(void)
 	check_server_version(conn, "standby", true, NULL);
 
 	/* Check we are in a standby node */
-	retval = is_standby(conn);
+	recovery_type = get_recovery_type(conn);
 
-	switch (retval)
+	if (recovery_type != RECTYPE_STANDBY)
 	{
-		case 0:
+		if (recovery_type == RECTYPE_MASTER)
+		{
 			log_error(_("STANDBY PROMOTE can only be executed on a standby node"));
 			PQfinish(conn);
 			exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
-		case -1:
+		}
+		else
+		{
 			log_error(_("connection to node lost"));
 			PQfinish(conn);
 			exit(ERR_DB_CONN);
+		}
 	}
 
 
@@ -1094,8 +1105,9 @@ do_standby_promote(void)
 
 	for (i = 0; i < promote_check_timeout; i += promote_check_interval)
 	{
-		retval = is_standby(conn);
-		if (!retval)
+
+		recovery_type = get_recovery_type(conn);
+		if (recovery_type == RECTYPE_MASTER)
 		{
 			promote_success = true;
 			break;
@@ -1105,16 +1117,17 @@ do_standby_promote(void)
 
 	if (promote_success == false)
 	{
-		switch (retval)
+		if (recovery_type == RECTYPE_STANDBY)
 		{
-			case 1:
-				log_error(_("STANDBY PROMOTE failed, node is still a standby"));
-				PQfinish(conn);
-				exit(ERR_PROMOTION_FAIL);
-			default:
-				log_error(_("connection to node lost"));
-				PQfinish(conn);
-				exit(ERR_DB_CONN);
+			log_error(_("STANDBY PROMOTE failed, node is still a standby"));
+			PQfinish(conn);
+			exit(ERR_PROMOTION_FAIL);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			log_error(_("connection to node lost"));
+			PQfinish(conn);
+			exit(ERR_DB_CONN);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1258,7 +1271,7 @@ check_source_server()
 	 * If the upstream node is a standby, try to connect to the primary too so we
 	 * can write an event record
 	 */
-	if (is_standby(source_conn))
+	if (get_recovery_type(source_conn) == RECTYPE_STANDBY)
 	{
 		primary_conn = get_master_connection(source_conn, NULL, NULL);