diff --git a/HISTORY b/HISTORY
index 36f9a4ac..32548f5c 100644
--- a/HISTORY
+++ b/HISTORY
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
           demotion candidate during "standby switchover" (Ian)
         repmgr: fix issue with tablespace mapping when cloning from Barman;
           GitHub #650 (Ian)
+        repmgr: improve handling of pg_control read errors (Ian)
         repmgrd: add additional optional parameters to "failover_validation command"
           (spaskalev; GitHub #651)
         repmgrd: ensure primary connection is reset if same as upstream;
diff --git a/controldata.c b/controldata.c
index e52d605f..a5251c70 100644
--- a/controldata.c
+++ b/controldata.c
@@ -100,19 +100,21 @@ get_system_identifier(const char *data_directory)
 }
 
 
-DBState
-get_db_state(const char *data_directory)
+bool
+get_db_state(const char *data_directory, DBState *state)
 {
 	ControlFileInfo *control_file_info = NULL;
-	DBState		state;
+	bool control_file_processed;
 
 	control_file_info = get_controlfile(data_directory);
+	control_file_processed = control_file_info->control_file_processed;
 
-	state = control_file_info->state;
+	if (control_file_processed == true)
+		*state = control_file_info->state;
 
 	pfree(control_file_info);
 
-	return state;
+	return control_file_processed;
 }
 
 
@@ -137,7 +139,7 @@ int
 get_data_checksum_version(const char *data_directory)
 {
 	ControlFileInfo *control_file_info = NULL;
-	int			data_checksum_version = -1;
+	int			data_checksum_version = UNKNOWN_DATA_CHECKSUM_VERSION;
 
 	control_file_info = get_controlfile(data_directory);
 
diff --git a/controldata.h b/controldata.h
index c5554662..931d4ee6 100644
--- a/controldata.h
+++ b/controldata.h
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ typedef struct ControlFileData12
 #endif
 
 extern int get_pg_version(const char *data_directory, char *version_string);
-extern DBState get_db_state(const char *data_directory);
+extern bool get_db_state(const char *data_directory, DBState *state);
 extern const char *describe_db_state(DBState state);
 extern int	get_data_checksum_version(const char *data_directory);
 extern uint64 get_system_identifier(const char *data_directory);
diff --git a/doc/appendix-release-notes.xml b/doc/appendix-release-notes.xml
index b108e1be..940bb7cd 100644
--- a/doc/appendix-release-notes.xml
+++ b/doc/appendix-release-notes.xml
@@ -92,7 +92,11 @@
               report database connection error if the <option>--optformat</option> was provided.
             </para>
           </listitem>
-
+          <listitem>
+            <para>
+              Improve handling of pg_control read errors.
+            </para>
+          </listitem>
         </itemizedlist>
       </para>
     </sect2>
diff --git a/repmgr-action-node.c b/repmgr-action-node.c
index 316e23d5..74a0f9ff 100644
--- a/repmgr-action-node.c
+++ b/repmgr-action-node.c
@@ -134,13 +134,22 @@ do_node_status(void)
 
 	if (runtime_options.verbose == true)
 	{
-		uint64		local_system_identifier = UNKNOWN_SYSTEM_IDENTIFIER;
+		uint64		local_system_identifier = get_system_identifier(config_file_options.data_directory);
 
-		local_system_identifier = get_system_identifier(config_file_options.data_directory);
-
-		key_value_list_set_format(&node_status,
-								  "System identifier",
-								  "%lu", local_system_identifier);
+		if (local_system_identifier == UNKNOWN_SYSTEM_IDENTIFIER)
+		{
+			key_value_list_set(&node_status,
+							   "System identifier",
+							   "unknown");
+			item_list_append_format(&warnings,
+									_("unable to retrieve system identifier from pg_control"));
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			key_value_list_set_format(&node_status,
+									  "System identifier",
+									  "%lu", local_system_identifier);
+		}
 	}
 
 	key_value_list_set(&node_status,
@@ -638,9 +647,17 @@ _do_node_status_is_shutdown_cleanly(void)
 			break;
 	}
 
-	/* check what pg_controldata says */
+	/* check what pg_control says */
 
-	db_state = get_db_state(config_file_options.data_directory);
+	if (get_db_state(config_file_options.data_directory, &db_state) == false)
+	{
+		/*
+		 * Unable to retrieve the database state from pg_control
+		 */
+		node_status = NODE_STATUS_UNKNOWN;
+		log_verbose(LOG_DEBUG, "unable to determine db state");
+		goto return_state;
+	}
 
 	log_verbose(LOG_DEBUG, "db state now: %s", describe_db_state(db_state));
 
@@ -659,21 +676,23 @@ _do_node_status_is_shutdown_cleanly(void)
 
 	checkPoint = get_latest_checkpoint_location(config_file_options.data_directory);
 
-	/* unable to read pg_control, don't know what's happening */
 	if (checkPoint == InvalidXLogRecPtr)
 	{
+		/* unable to read pg_control, don't know what's happening */
 		node_status = NODE_STATUS_UNKNOWN;
 	}
-
-	/*
-	 * if still "UNKNOWN" at this point, then the node must be cleanly shut
-	 * down
-	 */
 	else if (node_status == NODE_STATUS_UNKNOWN)
 	{
+		/*
+		 * if still "UNKNOWN" at this point, then the node must be cleanly shut
+		 * down
+		 */
 		node_status = NODE_STATUS_DOWN;
 	}
 
+
+return_state:
+
 	log_verbose(LOG_DEBUG, "node status determined as: %s",
 				print_node_status(node_status));
 
@@ -2504,7 +2523,11 @@ do_node_rejoin(void)
 			break;
 	}
 
-	db_state = get_db_state(config_file_options.data_directory);
+	if (get_db_state(config_file_options.data_directory, &db_state) == false)
+	{
+		log_error(_("unable to determine database state from pg_control"));
+		exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
+	}
 
 	if (is_shutdown == false)
 	{
diff --git a/repmgr-client.c b/repmgr-client.c
index bd860504..9902463a 100644
--- a/repmgr-client.c
+++ b/repmgr-client.c
@@ -3612,7 +3612,7 @@ can_use_pg_rewind(PGconn *conn, const char *data_directory, PQExpBufferData *rea
 	{
 		int			data_checksum_version = get_data_checksum_version(data_directory);
 
-		if (data_checksum_version < 0)
+		if (data_checksum_version == UNKNOWN_DATA_CHECKSUM_VERSION)
 		{
 			if (can_use == false)
 				appendPQExpBuffer(reason, "; ");
@@ -4081,10 +4081,31 @@ check_node_can_attach(TimeLineID local_tli, XLogRecPtr local_xlogpos, PGconn *fo
 	local_system_identifier = get_system_identifier(config_file_options.data_directory);
 
 	/*
-	 * Check for thing that should never happen, but expect the unexpected anyway.
+	 * Check for things that should never happen, but expect the unexpected anyway.
 	 */
-	if (follow_target_identification.system_identifier != local_system_identifier)
+
+	if (local_system_identifier == UNKNOWN_SYSTEM_IDENTIFIER)
 	{
+		/*
+		 * We don't return immediately here so subsequent checks can be
+		 * made, but indicate the node will not be able to rejoin.
+		 */
+		success = false;
+		if (runtime_options.dry_run == true)
+		{
+			log_warning(_("unable to retrieve system identifier from pg_control"));
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			log_error(_("unable to retrieve system identifier from pg_control, aborting"));
+		}
+	}
+	else if (follow_target_identification.system_identifier != local_system_identifier)
+	{
+		/*
+		 * It's never going to be possible to rejoin a node from another cluster,
+		 * so no need to bother with further checks.
+		 */
 		log_error(_("this node is not part of the %s target node's replication cluster"), action);
 		log_detail(_("this node's system identifier is %lu, %s target node's system identifier is %lu"),
 				   local_system_identifier,
@@ -4093,8 +4114,7 @@ check_node_can_attach(TimeLineID local_tli, XLogRecPtr local_xlogpos, PGconn *fo
 		PQfinish(follow_target_repl_conn);
 		return false;
 	}
-
-	if (runtime_options.dry_run == true)
+	else if (runtime_options.dry_run == true)
 	{
 		log_info(_("local and %s target system identifiers match"), action);
 		log_detail(_("system identifier is %lu"), local_system_identifier);
diff --git a/repmgr.h b/repmgr.h
index 129eeda2..e54fc941 100644
--- a/repmgr.h
+++ b/repmgr.h
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@
 
 #define UNKNOWN_TIMELINE_ID -1
 #define UNKNOWN_SYSTEM_IDENTIFIER 0
+#define UNKNOWN_DATA_CHECKSUM_VERSION -1
 #define UNKNOWN_PID			-1
 #define UNKNOWN_REPLICATION_LAG	-1
 #define UNKNOWN_VALUE		-1