diff --git a/dbutils.c b/dbutils.c
index 27a1852b..c8781587 100644
--- a/dbutils.c
+++ b/dbutils.c
@@ -94,11 +94,11 @@ is_standby(PGconn *conn)
 
 
 
-bool
+int
 is_witness(PGconn *conn, char *schema, char *cluster, int node_id)
 {
 	PGresult   *res;
-	bool		result = false;
+	int			result = 0;
 	char		sqlquery[QUERY_STR_LEN];
 
 	sqlquery_snprintf(sqlquery, "SELECT witness from %s.repl_nodes where cluster = '%s' and id = %d",
@@ -107,13 +107,10 @@ is_witness(PGconn *conn, char *schema, char *cluster, int node_id)
 	if (PQresultStatus(res) != PGRES_TUPLES_OK)
 	{
 		log_err(_("Can't query server mode: %s"), PQerrorMessage(conn));
-		PQclear(res);
-		PQfinish(conn);
-		exit(ERR_DB_QUERY);
+		result = -1;
 	}
-
-	if (PQntuples(res) == 1 && strcmp(PQgetvalue(res, 0, 0), "t") == 0)
-		result = true;
+	else if (PQntuples(res) == 1 && strcmp(PQgetvalue(res, 0, 0), "t") == 0)
+		result = 1;
 
 	PQclear(res);
 	return result;
diff --git a/dbutils.h b/dbutils.h
index 1f2b7799..6bc771f7 100644
--- a/dbutils.h
+++ b/dbutils.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ PGconn *establishDBConnectionByParams(const char *keywords[],
                                       const char *values[],
                                       const bool exit_on_error);
 int     is_standby(PGconn *conn);
-bool    is_witness(PGconn *conn, char *schema, char *cluster, int node_id);
+int     is_witness(PGconn *conn, char *schema, char *cluster, int node_id);
 bool	is_pgup(PGconn *conn, int timeout);
 char   *pg_version(PGconn *conn, char* major_version);
 bool	guc_setted(PGconn *conn, const char *parameter, const char *op,
diff --git a/repmgrd.c b/repmgrd.c
index 8f547889..e79083b4 100644
--- a/repmgrd.c
+++ b/repmgrd.c
@@ -301,23 +301,31 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
  	 */
 	do
 	{
-		ret = is_standby(myLocalConn);
-
 		/*
 		 * Set my server mode, establish a connection to primary
 		 * and start monitor
 		 */
-		if (is_witness(myLocalConn, repmgr_schema, local_options.cluster_name, local_options.node))
+		ret = is_witness(myLocalConn, repmgr_schema, local_options.cluster_name, local_options.node);
+
+		if (ret == 1)
 			myLocalMode = WITNESS_MODE;
-		else if (ret == 1)
-			myLocalMode = STANDBY_MODE;
+		else if (ret == 0)
+		{
+			ret = is_standby(myLocalConn);
+
+			if (ret == 1)
+				myLocalMode = STANDBY_MODE;
+			else if (ret == 0) /* is the master */
+				myLocalMode = PRIMARY_MODE;
+		}
+
         /* XXX we did this before changing is_standby() to return int; we
 		 * should not exit at this point, but for now we do until we have a
 		 * better strategy */
-		else if (ret == -1)
+		if (ret == -1)
+		{
 			exit(1);
-		else /* is the master */
-			myLocalMode = PRIMARY_MODE;
+		}
 
 		switch (myLocalMode)
 		{