diff --git a/dbutils.c b/dbutils.c
index c1198d77..f5fbd1f2 100644
--- a/dbutils.c
+++ b/dbutils.c
@@ -4745,3 +4745,22 @@ print_node_status(NodeStatus node_status)
 
 	return "UNIDENTIFIED_STATUS";
 }
+
+
+const char *
+print_pqping_status(PGPing ping_status)
+{
+	switch (ping_status)
+	{
+		case PQPING_OK:
+			return "PQPING_OK";
+		case PQPING_REJECT:
+			return "PQPING_REJECT";
+		case PQPING_NO_RESPONSE:
+			return "PQPING_NO_RESPONSE";
+		case PQPING_NO_ATTEMPT:
+			return "PQPING_NO_ATTEMPT";
+	}
+
+	return "PQPING_UNKNOWN_STATUS";
+}
diff --git a/dbutils.h b/dbutils.h
index 1fbee8a7..d10d1ec5 100644
--- a/dbutils.h
+++ b/dbutils.h
@@ -513,5 +513,6 @@ bool		bdr_node_set_repmgr_set(PGconn *conn, const char *node_name);
 
 /* miscellaneous debugging functions */
 const char *print_node_status(NodeStatus node_status);
+const char *print_pqping_status(PGPing ping_status);
 
 #endif							/* _REPMGR_DBUTILS_H_ */
diff --git a/repmgr-action-node.c b/repmgr-action-node.c
index fd397bad..17236db9 100644
--- a/repmgr-action-node.c
+++ b/repmgr-action-node.c
@@ -496,26 +496,18 @@ _do_node_status_is_shutdown_cleanly(void)
 
 	db_state = get_db_state(config_file_options.data_directory);
 
-
 	log_verbose(LOG_DEBUG, "db state now: %s", describe_db_state(db_state));
 
 	if (db_state != DB_SHUTDOWNED && db_state != DB_SHUTDOWNED_IN_RECOVERY)
 	{
-
 		if (node_status != NODE_STATUS_UP)
 		{
-			if (db_state == DB_SHUTDOWNING)
-			{
-				node_status = NODE_STATUS_SHUTTING_DOWN;
-			}
-			/*
-			 * node is not running or shutting down, but pg_controldata says it is -
-			 * unclean shutdown
-			 */
-			else
-			{
-				node_status = NODE_STATUS_UNCLEAN_SHUTDOWN;
-			}
+			node_status = NODE_STATUS_UNCLEAN_SHUTDOWN;
+		}
+		/* server is still responding but shutting down */
+		else if (db_state == DB_SHUTDOWNING)
+		{
+			node_status = NODE_STATUS_SHUTTING_DOWN;
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/repmgr-action-standby.c b/repmgr-action-standby.c
index 1c24f49d..3ad2ded3 100644
--- a/repmgr-action-standby.c
+++ b/repmgr-action-standby.c
@@ -2668,6 +2668,8 @@ do_standby_switchover(void)
 				 i + 1, config_file_options.reconnect_attempts);
 		ping_res = PQping(remote_conninfo);
 
+		log_debug("ping status is: %s", print_pqping_status(ping_res));
+
 		/* database server could not be contacted */
 		if (ping_res == PQPING_NO_RESPONSE || ping_res == PQPING_NO_ATTEMPT)
 		{
@@ -2732,6 +2734,7 @@ do_standby_switchover(void)
 			termPQExpBuffer(&command_output);
 		}
 
+		log_debug("sleeping %i seconds until next check", config_file_options.reconnect_interval);
 		sleep(config_file_options.reconnect_interval);
 	}