diff --git a/HISTORY b/HISTORY
index a29e5c2c..b90d5451 100644
--- a/HISTORY
+++ b/HISTORY
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 
 4.1.1   2018-??-??
         repmgr: truncate version string, if necessary; GitHub #490 (Ian)
+        repmgr: improve messages emitted during "standby promote" (Ian)
         repmgrd: ensure that sending SIGHUP always results in the log file
           being reopened; GitHub #485 (Ian)
         repmgrd: report version number *after* logger initialisation; GitHub #487 (Ian)
diff --git a/repmgr-action-standby.c b/repmgr-action-standby.c
index 564a1ad6..86a14021 100644
--- a/repmgr-action-standby.c
+++ b/repmgr-action-standby.c
@@ -2050,6 +2050,8 @@ _do_standby_promote_internal(PGconn *conn)
 			   local_node_record.node_name,
 			   local_node_record.node_id,
 			   script);
+	log_detail(_("waiting up to %i seconds (parameter \"promote_check_timeout\") for promotion to complete"),
+			   config_file_options.promote_check_timeout);
 
 	r = system(script);
 	if (r != 0)
@@ -2075,6 +2077,8 @@ _do_standby_promote_internal(PGconn *conn)
 		if (recovery_type == RECTYPE_STANDBY)
 		{
 			log_error(_("STANDBY PROMOTE failed, node is still a standby"));
+			log_detail(_("node still in recovery after %i seconds"), config_file_options.promote_check_timeout);
+			log_hint(_("the node may need more time to promote itself, check the PostgreSQL log for details"));
 			PQfinish(conn);
 			exit(ERR_PROMOTION_FAIL);
 		}