diff --git a/dbutils.c b/dbutils.c
index d264c4f6..df833014 100644
--- a/dbutils.c
+++ b/dbutils.c
@@ -1395,7 +1395,7 @@ get_node_record_by_name(PGconn *conn, const char *node_name, t_node_info *node_i
 
 	if (record_status == RECORD_NOT_FOUND)
 	{
-		log_verbose(LOG_DEBUG, "get_node_record(): no record found for node %s",
+		log_verbose(LOG_DEBUG, "get_node_record_by_name(): no record found for node %s",
 					node_name);
 	}
 
@@ -3250,10 +3250,18 @@ am_bdr_failover_handler(PGconn *conn, int node_id)
 		"SELECT repmgr.am_bdr_failover_handler(%i)",
 		node_id);
 
-
 	res = PQexec(conn, query.data);
 	termPQExpBuffer(&query);
 
+	if (PQresultStatus(res) != PGRES_TUPLES_OK)
+	{
+		log_error(_("unable to execute function repmgr.am_bdr_failover_handler():\n  %s"),
+				  PQerrorMessage(conn));
+		PQclear(res);
+		return false;
+	}
+
+
 	am_handler = (strcmp(PQgetvalue(res, 0, 0), "t") == 0) ? true : false;
 
 	PQclear(res);
diff --git a/repmgrd-bdr.c b/repmgrd-bdr.c
index 3fbbb79a..ae3f32fe 100644
--- a/repmgrd-bdr.c
+++ b/repmgrd-bdr.c
@@ -290,6 +290,8 @@ do_bdr_failover(NodeInfoList *nodes, t_node_info *monitored_node)
 	PQExpBufferData event_details;
 	t_event_info event_info = T_EVENT_INFO_INITIALIZER;
 	t_node_info target_node  = T_NODE_INFO_INITIALIZER;
+	t_node_info failed_node  = T_NODE_INFO_INITIALIZER;
+	RecordStatus record_status;
 
 	monitored_node->monitoring_state = MS_DEGRADED;
 	INSTR_TIME_SET_CURRENT(degraded_monitoring_start);
@@ -310,9 +312,9 @@ do_bdr_failover(NodeInfoList *nodes, t_node_info *monitored_node)
 
 		if (PQstatus(next_node_conn) == CONNECTION_OK)
 		{
-			RecordStatus record_status = get_node_record(next_node_conn,
-														 cell->node_info->node_id,
-														 &target_node);
+			record_status = get_node_record(next_node_conn,
+											cell->node_info->node_id,
+											&target_node);
 
 			if (record_status == RECORD_FOUND)
 			{
@@ -332,6 +334,23 @@ do_bdr_failover(NodeInfoList *nodes, t_node_info *monitored_node)
 		return;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * check if the node record for the failed node is still marked as active,
+	 * if not it means the other node has done the "failover" already
+	 */
+
+	record_status = get_node_record(next_node_conn,
+									monitored_node->node_id,
+									&failed_node);
+
+	if (record_status == RECORD_FOUND && failed_node.active == false)
+	{
+		PQfinish(next_node_conn);
+		log_notice(_("record for node %i has already been set inactive"),
+				   cell->node_info->node_id);
+		return;
+	}
+
 	if (am_bdr_failover_handler(next_node_conn, local_node_info.node_id) == false)
 	{
 		PQfinish(next_node_conn);
@@ -360,9 +379,6 @@ do_bdr_failover(NodeInfoList *nodes, t_node_info *monitored_node)
 					  target_node.node_name,
 					  target_node.node_id);
 
-
-
-
 	/*
 	 * Create an event record
 	 *