diff --git a/HISTORY b/HISTORY
index ad2b3bd6..03cc84f5 100644
--- a/HISTORY
+++ b/HISTORY
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 5.3.2   2022-??-??
         standby clone: don't error out if unable to determine cluster size (Ian)
         node check: fix --downstream --nagios output; GitHub #749 (Ian)
+        repmgrd: ensure witness node marked active (hslightdb)
 
 5.3.1   2022-02-15
         repmgrd: fixes for potential connection leaks (hslightdb)
diff --git a/doc/appendix-release-notes.xml b/doc/appendix-release-notes.xml
index 32797d55..b935cc4c 100644
--- a/doc/appendix-release-notes.xml
+++ b/doc/appendix-release-notes.xml
@@ -46,6 +46,13 @@
               for all databases in the cluster, ignore the cluster size query if it fails.
             </para>
           </listitem>
+          <listitem>
+            <para>
+              &repmgrd;: ensure the witness node record on the primary is always marked
+              as <literal>active</literal> if previously marked <literal>inactive</literal>.
+              GitHub #754.
+            </para>
+          </listitem>
         </itemizedlist>
       </para>
     </sect2>
diff --git a/repmgrd-physical.c b/repmgrd-physical.c
index 9a2624d4..ef316490 100644
--- a/repmgrd-physical.c
+++ b/repmgrd-physical.c
@@ -2382,6 +2382,18 @@ monitor_streaming_witness(void)
 			log_warning(_("unable to retrieve node record from primary"));
 		}
 
+		/* refresh local node record from the primary */
+		record_status = get_node_record(primary_conn, config_file_options.node_id, &local_node_info);
+
+		if (record_status != RECORD_FOUND)
+		{
+			log_error(_("no metadata record found for this node on the current primary - terminating"));
+			log_hint(_("check that 'repmgr witness register' was executed for this node"));
+			close_connection(&primary_conn);
+			close_connection(&local_conn);
+			terminate(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
+		}
+
 		initPQExpBuffer(&event_details);
 
 		appendPQExpBuffer(&event_details,