diff --git a/dbutils.c b/dbutils.c
index ba03c4c1..9b82c203 100644
--- a/dbutils.c
+++ b/dbutils.c
@@ -652,7 +652,7 @@ guc_set_typed(PGconn *conn, const char *parameter, const char *op,
 					  " WHERE name = '%s' AND setting::%s %s '%s'::%s",
 					  parameter, datatype, op, value, datatype);
 
-	log_verbose(LOG_DEBUG, "guc_set_typed():\n%s\n", query.data);
+	log_verbose(LOG_DEBUG, "guc_set_typed():\n%s", query.data);
 
 	res = PQexec(conn, query.data);
 
diff --git a/repmgr-action-standby.c b/repmgr-action-standby.c
index 9f7f2b28..26eec735 100644
--- a/repmgr-action-standby.c
+++ b/repmgr-action-standby.c
@@ -266,9 +266,12 @@ check_source_server()
 {
 	int			server_version_num = UNKNOWN_SERVER_VERSION_NUM;
 	char		cluster_size[MAXLEN];
+	t_node_info node_record = T_NODE_INFO_INITIALIZER;
+	int query_result;
+	t_extension_status extension_status;
 
 	/* Attempt to connect to the upstream server to verify its configuration */
-	log_info(_("connecting to upstream node\n"));
+	log_info(_("connecting to upstream node"));
 
 	source_conn = establish_db_connection_by_params((const char**)source_conninfo.keywords,
 													(const char**)source_conninfo.values,
@@ -280,131 +283,150 @@ check_source_server()
 	 */
 	if (PQstatus(source_conn) != CONNECTION_OK)
 	{
-		if (mode != barman)
+		if (mode == barman)
+		{
+			return;
+		}
+		else
 		{
 			PQfinish(source_conn);
 			exit(ERR_DB_CON);
 		}
 	}
+
+	/*
+	 * If a connection was established, perform some sanity checks on the
+	 * provided upstream connection
+	 */
+
+
+	/* Verify that upstream node is a supported server version */
+	log_verbose(LOG_INFO, _("connected to upstream node, checking its state"));
+
+	server_version_num = check_server_version(source_conn, "master", true, NULL);
+
+	check_upstream_config(source_conn, server_version_num, true);
+
+	if (get_cluster_size(source_conn, cluster_size) == false)
+		exit(ERR_DB_QUERY);
+
+	log_info(_("successfully connected to source node"));
+	log_detail(_("current installation size is %s"),
+			   cluster_size);
+
+	/*
+	 * If --recovery-min-apply-delay was passed, check that
+	 * we're connected to PostgreSQL 9.4 or later
+	 */
+	// XXX should this be a config file parameter?
+	if (*runtime_options.recovery_min_apply_delay)
+	{
+		if (server_version_num < 90400)
+		{
+			log_error(_("PostgreSQL 9.4 or greater required for --recovery-min-apply-delay\n"));
+			PQfinish(source_conn);
+			exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
+		}
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * 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))
+	{
+		primary_conn = get_master_connection(source_conn, NULL, NULL);
+
+		// XXX check this worked?
+	}
 	else
 	{
-		/*
-		 * If a connection was established, perform some sanity checks on the
-		 * provided upstream connection
-		 */
-		t_node_info upstream_node_record = T_NODE_INFO_INITIALIZER;
-		int query_result;
-		t_extension_status extension_status;
+		primary_conn = source_conn;
+	}
 
-		/* Verify that upstream node is a supported server version */
-		log_verbose(LOG_INFO, _("connected to upstream node, checking its state\n"));
+	/*
+	 * Sanity-check that the master node has a repmgr schema - if not
+	 * present, fail with an error unless -F/--force is used (to enable
+	 * repmgr to be used as a standalone clone tool)
+	 */
 
-		server_version_num = check_server_version(source_conn, "master", true, NULL);
+	extension_status = get_repmgr_extension_status(primary_conn);
 
-		check_upstream_config(source_conn, server_version_num, true);
-
-		if (get_cluster_size(source_conn, cluster_size) == false)
-			exit(ERR_DB_QUERY);
-
-		log_info(_("Successfully connected to source node. Current installation size is %s"),
-				 cluster_size);
-
-		/*
-		 * If --recovery-min-apply-delay was passed, check that
-		 * we're connected to PostgreSQL 9.4 or later
-		 */
-		// XXX should this be a config file parameter?
-		if (*runtime_options.recovery_min_apply_delay)
+	if (extension_status != REPMGR_INSTALLED)
+	{
+		if (!runtime_options.force)
 		{
-			if (server_version_num < 90400)
-			{
-				log_error(_("PostgreSQL 9.4 or greater required for --recovery-min-apply-delay\n"));
-				PQfinish(source_conn);
-				exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
-			}
-		}
-
-		/*
-		 * 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))
-		{
-			primary_conn = get_master_connection(source_conn, NULL, NULL);
-
-			// XXX check this worked?
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			primary_conn = source_conn;
-		}
-
-		/*
-		 * Sanity-check that the master node has a repmgr schema - if not
-		 * present, fail with an error unless -F/--force is used (to enable
-		 * repmgr to be used as a standalone clone tool)
-		 */
-
-		extension_status = get_repmgr_extension_status(primary_conn);
-
-		if (extension_status != REPMGR_INSTALLED)
-		{
-			if (!runtime_options.force)
-			{
-				/* schema doesn't exist */
-				log_error(_("repmgr extension not found on upstream server"));
-				log_hint(_("check that the upstream server is part of a repmgr cluster"));
-				PQfinish(source_conn);
-				exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
-			}
-
-			log_warning(_("repmgr extension not found on upstream server"));
-		}
-
-		/* Fetch the source's data directory */
-		if (get_pg_setting(source_conn, "data_directory", upstream_data_directory) == false)
-		{
-			log_error(_("unable to retrieve upstream node's data directory"));
-			log_hint(_("STANDBY CLONE must be run as a database superuser"));
+			/* schema doesn't exist */
+			log_error(_("repmgr extension not found on upstream server"));
+			log_hint(_("check that the upstream server is part of a repmgr cluster"));
 			PQfinish(source_conn);
 			exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
 		}
 
-		/*
-		 * If no target directory was explicitly provided, we'll default to
-		 * the same directory as on the source host.
-		 */
-		if (local_data_directory_provided == false)
-		{
-			strncpy(local_data_directory, upstream_data_directory, MAXPGPATH);
-
-			log_notice(_("setting data directory to: \"%s\""), local_data_directory);
-			log_hint(_("use -D/--pgdata to explicitly specify a data directory"));
-		}
-
-		/*
-		 * Copy the source connection so that we have some default values,
-		 * particularly stuff like passwords extracted from PGPASSFILE;
-		 * these will be overridden from the upstream conninfo, if provided.
-		 */
-		conn_to_param_list(source_conn, &recovery_conninfo);
-
-		/*
-		 * Attempt to find the upstream node record
-		 */
-		if (config_file_options.upstream_node_id == NO_UPSTREAM_NODE)
-			upstream_node_id = get_master_node_id(source_conn);
-		else
-			upstream_node_id = config_file_options.upstream_node_id;
-
-		query_result = get_node_record(source_conn, upstream_node_id, &upstream_node_record);
-
-		if (query_result)
-		{
-			upstream_record_found = true;
-			strncpy(recovery_conninfo_str, upstream_node_record.conninfo, MAXLEN);
-		}
+		log_warning(_("repmgr extension not found on upstream server"));
 	}
+
+	/* Fetch the source's data directory */
+	if (get_pg_setting(source_conn, "data_directory", upstream_data_directory) == false)
+	{
+		log_error(_("unable to retrieve upstream node's data directory"));
+		log_hint(_("STANDBY CLONE must be run as a database superuser"));
+		PQfinish(source_conn);
+		exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * If no target data directory was explicitly provided, we'll default to
+	 * the source host's data directory.
+	 */
+	if (local_data_directory_provided == false)
+	{
+		strncpy(local_data_directory, upstream_data_directory, MAXPGPATH);
+
+		log_notice(_("setting data directory to: \"%s\""), local_data_directory);
+		log_hint(_("use -D/--pgdata to explicitly specify a data directory"));
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Copy the source connection so that we have some default values,
+	 * particularly stuff like passwords extracted from PGPASSFILE;
+	 * these will be overridden from the upstream conninfo, if provided.
+	 *
+	 * XXX only allow passwords if --use-conninfo-password
+	 */
+	conn_to_param_list(source_conn, &recovery_conninfo);
+
+	/*
+	 * Attempt to find the upstream node record
+	 */
+	if (config_file_options.upstream_node_id == NO_UPSTREAM_NODE)
+		upstream_node_id = get_master_node_id(source_conn);
+	else
+		upstream_node_id = config_file_options.upstream_node_id;
+
+	query_result = get_node_record(source_conn, upstream_node_id, &node_record);
+
+	if (query_result)
+	{
+		upstream_record_found = true;
+		strncpy(recovery_conninfo_str, node_record.conninfo, MAXLEN);
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * check that there's no existing node record with the same name but
+	 * different ID
+	 */
+	query_result = get_node_record_by_name(source_conn, config_file_options.node_name, &node_record);
+
+	if (query_result)
+	{
+		log_error(_("another node (node_id: %i) already exists with node_name \"%s\""),
+				  node_record.node_id,
+				  config_file_options.node_name);
+		PQfinish(source_conn);
+		exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
+	}
+
 }
 
 
diff --git a/repmgr-client-global.h b/repmgr-client-global.h
index 4d0f593d..7b7596f4 100644
--- a/repmgr-client-global.h
+++ b/repmgr-client-global.h
@@ -28,8 +28,13 @@ typedef struct
 	bool		terse;
 	bool		verbose;
 
-	/* connection options */
+	/* standard connection options */
+	char		dbname[MAXLEN];
 	char		host[MAXLEN];
+	char		username[MAXLEN];
+	char		port[MAXLEN];
+
+	/* other connection options */
 	char		remote_user[MAXLEN];
 	char		superuser[MAXLEN];
 
@@ -62,8 +67,10 @@ typedef struct
 		"", false, "", \
 		/* logging options */ \
 		"", false, false, false, \
-		/* connection options */ \
-		"", "", "",			 \
+		/* database connection options */ \
+		"", "", "",	"",				  \
+		/* other connection options */ \
+		"",	"",				  \
 		/* node options */ \
 		UNKNOWN_NODE_ID, "", "", \
 		/* standby clone options */ \
diff --git a/repmgr-client.c b/repmgr-client.c
index a30ad42b..0723727e 100644
--- a/repmgr-client.c
+++ b/repmgr-client.c
@@ -74,7 +74,9 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	 */
 	logger_output_mode = OM_COMMAND_LINE;
 
-	while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "?Vf:Fb:S:L:vtD:cr", long_options,
+	initialize_conninfo_params(&source_conninfo, true);
+
+	while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "?Vb:f:Fd:h:p:U:R:S:L:vtD:cr", long_options,
 							&optindex)) != -1)
 	{
 		/*
@@ -107,21 +109,37 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 			/* general configuration options
 			 * ----------------------------- */
 
-			/* -f/--config-file */
-			case 'f':
-				strncpy(runtime_options.config_file, optarg, MAXLEN);
-				break;
-			/* -F/--force */
-			case 'F':
-				runtime_options.force = true;
-				break;
 			/* -b/--pg_bindir */
 			case 'b':
 				strncpy(runtime_options.pg_bindir, optarg, MAXLEN);
 				break;
 
-			/* connection options */
-			/* ------------------ */
+			/* -f/--config-file */
+			case 'f':
+				strncpy(runtime_options.config_file, optarg, MAXLEN);
+				break;
+
+			/* -F/--force */
+			case 'F':
+				runtime_options.force = true;
+				break;
+
+			/* database connection options */
+			/* --------------------------- */
+
+			/*
+			 * These are the standard database connection options; with the
+			 * exception of -d/--dbname (which could be a conninfo string)
+			 * we'll also set these values in "source_conninfo" (overwriting
+			 * preset values from environment variables).
+			 * XXX check this is same as psql
+			 */
+			/* -d/--dbname */
+			case 'd':
+				strncpy(runtime_options.dbname, optarg, MAXLEN);
+				/* dbname will be set in source_conninfo later after checking if it's a conninfo string */
+				runtime_options.connection_param_provided = true;
+				break;
 
 			/* -h/--host */
 			case 'h':
@@ -131,6 +149,25 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 				runtime_options.host_param_provided = true;
 				break;
 
+			case 'p':
+				(void) repmgr_atoi(optarg, "-p/--port", &cli_errors, false);
+				param_set(&source_conninfo, "port", optarg);
+				strncpy(runtime_options.port,
+						optarg,
+						MAXLEN);
+				runtime_options.connection_param_provided = true;
+				break;
+
+			/* -U/--user */
+			case 'U':
+				strncpy(runtime_options.username, optarg, MAXLEN);
+				param_set(&source_conninfo, "user", optarg);
+				runtime_options.connection_param_provided = true;
+				break;
+
+			/* other connection options */
+			/* ------------------------ */
+
 			/* -R/--remote_user */
 			case 'R':
 				strncpy(runtime_options.remote_user, optarg, MAXLEN);
@@ -162,18 +199,22 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 			/* standby clone options *
 			 * --------------------- */
 
+			/* -c/--fast-checkpoint */
 			case 'c':
 				runtime_options.fast_checkpoint = true;
 				break;
 
+			/* -r/--rsync-only */
 			case 'r':
 				runtime_options.rsync_only = true;
 				break;
 
+			/* --no-upstream-connection */
 			case OPT_NO_UPSTREAM_CONNECTION:
 				runtime_options.no_upstream_connection = true;
 				break;
 
+			/* --recovery-min-apply-delay */
 			case OPT_RECOVERY_MIN_APPLY_DELAY:
 			{
 				char 	   *ptr = NULL;
@@ -324,6 +365,12 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 			if (strcasecmp(repmgr_action, "REGISTER") == 0)
 				action = MASTER_REGISTER;
 		}
+		else if(strcasecmp(repmgr_node_type, "STANDBY") == 0)
+		{
+			if (strcasecmp(repmgr_action, "CLONE") == 0)
+				action = STANDBY_CLONE;
+		}
+
 		else if(strcasecmp(repmgr_node_type, "CLUSTER") == 0)
 		{
 			if (strcasecmp(repmgr_action, "EVENT") == 0)
diff --git a/repmgr-client.h b/repmgr-client.h
index f6405595..a1fbe78c 100644
--- a/repmgr-client.h
+++ b/repmgr-client.h
@@ -11,14 +11,14 @@
 
 
 
-#define NO_ACTION			0		/* Dummy default action */
-#define MASTER_REGISTER		1
-#define STANDBY_REGISTER	2
-#define STANDBY_UNREGISTER	3
-#define STANDBY_CLONE		4
-#define STANDBY_PROMOTE		5
-#define STANDBY_FOLLOW		6
-#define STANDBY_SWITCHOVER	7
+#define NO_ACTION			   0	/* Dummy default action */
+#define MASTER_REGISTER		   1
+#define STANDBY_REGISTER	   2
+#define STANDBY_UNREGISTER	   3
+#define STANDBY_CLONE		   4
+#define STANDBY_PROMOTE		   5
+#define STANDBY_FOLLOW		   6
+#define STANDBY_SWITCHOVER	   7
 #define STANDBY_ARCHIVE_CONFIG 8
 #define STANDBY_RESTORE_CONFIG 9
 #define WITNESS_CREATE		   10
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
 #define OPT_CLUSTER						 15
 #define OPT_LOG_TO_FILE					 16
 #define OPT_UPSTREAM_CONNINFO			 17
-/* XXX deprecate, replace with --use-conninfo-password */
+/* XXX deprecate, replace with --use-conninfo-password (--use-recovery-conninfo-password) set */
 #define OPT_NO_CONNINFO_PASSWORD		 18
 #define OPT_REPLICATION_USER			 19
 #define OPT_EVENT						 20
@@ -70,9 +70,12 @@ static struct option long_options[] =
 	{"pg_bindir", required_argument, NULL, 'b'},
 
 /* connection options */
+	{"dbname", required_argument, NULL, 'd'},
 	{"host", required_argument, NULL, 'h'},
+	{"port", required_argument, NULL, 'p'},
 	{"remote-user", required_argument, NULL, 'R'},
 	{"superuser", required_argument, NULL, 'S'},
+	{"username", required_argument, NULL, 'U'},
 
 /* node options */
 	{"pgdata", required_argument, NULL, 'D'},
@@ -102,9 +105,6 @@ static struct option long_options[] =
 	{"limit", required_argument, NULL, OPT_LIMIT },
 
 /* not yet handled */
-	{"dbname", required_argument, NULL, 'd'},
-	{"port", required_argument, NULL, 'p'},
-	{"username", required_argument, NULL, 'U'},
 	{"wal-keep-segments", required_argument, NULL, 'w'},
 	{"keep-history", required_argument, NULL, 'k'},
 	{"wait", no_argument, NULL, 'W'},