diff --git a/HISTORY b/HISTORY
index b4db0431..74c92fc2 100644
--- a/HISTORY
+++ b/HISTORY
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 4.0.5   2018-??-??
         repmgr: fix display of conninfo parsing error messages (Ian)
         repmgr: fix "repmgr cluster crosscheck" output; GitHub #389 (Ian)
+        repmgr: poll demoted primary after restart as a standby during a
+          switchover operation; GitHub #408 (Ian)
         repmgrd: fix memory leaks in witness code (AndrzejNowicki, Martín)
         repmgrd: set "connect_timeout=2" when pinging a server (Ian)
 
diff --git a/doc/repmgr-standby-switchover.sgml b/doc/repmgr-standby-switchover.sgml
index acb8e0d6..bec28cce 100644
--- a/doc/repmgr-standby-switchover.sgml
+++ b/doc/repmgr-standby-switchover.sgml
@@ -115,6 +115,48 @@
 
   </refsect1>
 
+  <refsect1>
+    <title>Configuration file settings</title>
+
+    <para>
+     Note that following parameters in <filename>repmgr.conf</filename> are relevant to the
+     switchover operation:
+     <itemizedlist spacing="compact" mark="bullet">
+       <listitem>
+         <simpara>
+           <literal>reconnect_attempts</literal>: number of times to check the original primary
+           for a clean shutdown after executing the shutdown command, before aborting
+         </simpara>
+       </listitem>
+       <listitem>
+         <simpara>
+           <literal>reconnect_interval</literal>: interval (in seconds) to check the original
+           primary for a clean shutdown after executing the shutdown command (up to a maximum
+           of <literal>reconnect_attempts</literal> tries)
+         </simpara>
+       </listitem>
+       <listitem>
+         <simpara>
+           <literal>replication_lag_critical</literal>:
+           if replication lag (in seconds) on the standby exceeds this value, the
+           switchover will be aborted (unless the <literal>-F/--force</literal> option
+           is provided)
+         </simpara>
+       </listitem>
+
+       <listitem>
+         <simpara>
+           <literal>standby_reconnect_timeout</literal>:
+           Number of seconds to attempt to reconnect to the demoted primary
+           once it has been restarted.
+         </simpara>
+       </listitem>
+
+     </itemizedlist>
+    </para>
+  </refsect1>
+
+
   <refsect1>
     <title>Execution</title>
 
diff --git a/doc/switchover.sgml b/doc/switchover.sgml
index 13c83ece..f34c5416 100644
--- a/doc/switchover.sgml
+++ b/doc/switchover.sgml
@@ -170,34 +170,16 @@
      </para>
    </important>
 
-   <para>
-     Note that following parameters in <filename>repmgr.conf</filename> are relevant to the
-     switchover operation:
-     <itemizedlist spacing="compact" mark="bullet">
-       <listitem>
-         <simpara>
-           <literal>reconnect_attempts</literal>: number of times to check the original primary
-           for a clean shutdown after executing the shutdown command, before aborting
-         </simpara>
-       </listitem>
-       <listitem>
-         <simpara>
-           <literal>reconnect_interval</literal>: interval (in seconds) to check the original
-           primary for a clean shutdown after executing the shutdown command (up to a maximum
-           of <literal>reconnect_attempts</literal> tries)
-         </simpara>
-       </listitem>
-       <listitem>
-         <simpara>
-           <literal>replication_lag_critical</literal>:
-           if replication lag (in seconds) on the standby exceeds this value, the
-           switchover will be aborted (unless the <literal>-F/--force</literal> option
-           is provided)
-         </simpara>
-       </listitem>
 
-     </itemizedlist>
-   </para>
+   <note>
+     <simpara>
+       See <xref linkend="repmgr-standby-switchover"> for a full list of available
+       command line options and <filename>repmgr.conf</filename> settings relevant
+       to performing a switchover.
+     </simpara>
+   </note>
+
+
  </sect1>
 
  <sect1 id="switchover-execution" xreflabel="Executing the switchover command">
diff --git a/repmgr-action-standby.c b/repmgr-action-standby.c
index c46a8ff2..2ab0dae6 100644
--- a/repmgr-action-standby.c
+++ b/repmgr-action-standby.c
@@ -3570,8 +3570,23 @@ x	 */
 
 	termPQExpBuffer(&command_output);
 
-	/* clean up remote node */
-	remote_conn = establish_db_connection(remote_node_record.conninfo, false);
+	/*
+	 * Clean up remote node. It's possible that the standby is still starting up,
+	 * so poll for a while until we get a connection.
+	 */
+
+	for (i = 0; i < config_file_options.standby_reconnect_timeout; i++)
+	{
+		remote_conn = establish_db_connection(remote_node_record.conninfo, false);
+
+		if (PQstatus(remote_conn) == CONNECTION_OK)
+			break;
+
+		log_info(_("sleeping 1 second; %i of %i attempts (\"standby_reconnect_timeout\") to reconnect to demoted primary"),
+				 i + 1,
+				 config_file_options.standby_reconnect_timeout);
+		sleep(1);
+	}
 
 	/* check new standby (old primary) is reachable */
 	if (PQstatus(remote_conn) != CONNECTION_OK)
@@ -3584,6 +3599,11 @@ x	 */
 		log_detail(_("node \"%s\" is now primary but node \"%s\" is not reachable"),
 				   local_node_record.node_name,
 				   remote_node_record.node_name);
+
+		if (config_file_options.use_replication_slots == true)
+		{
+			log_hint(_("any inactive replication slots on the old primary will need to be dropped manually"));
+		}
 	}
 	else
 	{