diff --git a/dbutils.c b/dbutils.c
index 52bda663..c6f1171d 100644
--- a/dbutils.c
+++ b/dbutils.c
@@ -5456,31 +5456,43 @@ get_replication_lag_seconds(PGconn *conn)
 
 
 TimeLineID
-get_node_timeline(PGconn *conn)
+get_node_timeline(PGconn *conn, char *timeline_id_str)
 {
 	TimeLineID timeline_id  = UNKNOWN_TIMELINE_ID;
-	PGresult   *res = NULL;
 
 	/*
 	 * PG_control_checkpoint() was introduced in PostgreSQL 9.6
 	 */
-	if (PQserverVersion(conn) < 90600)
+	if (PQserverVersion(conn) >= 90600)
 	{
-		return UNKNOWN_TIMELINE_ID;
+		PGresult   *res = NULL;
+
+		res = PQexec(conn, "SELECT timeline_id FROM pg_catalog.pg_control_checkpoint()");
+
+		if (PQresultStatus(res) != PGRES_TUPLES_OK)
+		{
+			log_db_error(conn, NULL, _("get_node_timeline(): unable to query pg_control_system()"));
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			timeline_id = atoi(PQgetvalue(res, 0, 0));
+		}
+
+		PQclear(res);
 	}
 
-	res = PQexec(conn, "SELECT timeline_id FROM pg_catalog.pg_control_checkpoint()");
-
-	if (PQresultStatus(res) != PGRES_TUPLES_OK)
+	/* If requested, format the timeline ID as a string */
+	if (timeline_id_str != NULL)
 	{
-		log_db_error(conn, NULL, _("get_node_timeline(): unable to query pg_control_system()"));
+		if (timeline_id == UNKNOWN_TIMELINE_ID)
+		{
+			strncpy(timeline_id_str, "?", MAXLEN);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			snprintf(timeline_id_str, MAXLEN, "%i", timeline_id);
+		}
 	}
-	else
-	{
-		timeline_id = atoi(PQgetvalue(res, 0, 0));
-	}
-
-	PQclear(res);
 
 	return timeline_id;
 }
diff --git a/dbutils.h b/dbutils.h
index 73fafcd6..e7fda669 100644
--- a/dbutils.h
+++ b/dbutils.h
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ typedef struct
 	char		current_timestamp[MAXLEN];
 	bool		in_recovery;
 	TimeLineID	timeline_id;
+	char		timeline_id_str[MAXLEN];
 	XLogRecPtr	last_wal_receive_lsn;
 	XLogRecPtr	last_wal_replay_lsn;
 	char		last_xact_replay_timestamp[MAXLEN];
@@ -575,7 +576,7 @@ XLogRecPtr	get_last_wal_receive_location(PGconn *conn);
 void		init_replication_info(ReplInfo *replication_info);
 bool		get_replication_info(PGconn *conn, t_server_type node_type, ReplInfo *replication_info);
 int			get_replication_lag_seconds(PGconn *conn);
-TimeLineID	get_node_timeline(PGconn *conn);
+TimeLineID	get_node_timeline(PGconn *conn, char *timeline_id_str);
 void		get_node_replication_stats(PGconn *conn, t_node_info *node_info);
 NodeAttached is_downstream_node_attached(PGconn *conn, char *node_name);
 void		set_upstream_last_seen(PGconn *conn, int upstream_node_id);
diff --git a/repmgr-action-cluster.c b/repmgr-action-cluster.c
index be6783a5..b4de8721 100644
--- a/repmgr-action-cluster.c
+++ b/repmgr-action-cluster.c
@@ -206,7 +206,8 @@ do_cluster_show(void)
 		else
 		{
 			/* NOP on pre-9.6 servers */
-			cell->node_info->replication_info->timeline_id = get_node_timeline(cell->node_info->conn);
+			cell->node_info->replication_info->timeline_id = get_node_timeline(cell->node_info->conn,
+																			   cell->node_info->replication_info->timeline_id_str);
 		}
 
 		initPQExpBuffer(&node_status);
@@ -244,18 +245,13 @@ do_cluster_show(void)
 
 		headers_show[SHOW_LOCATION].cur_length = strlen(cell->node_info->location);
 
-		if (cell->node_info->replication_info->timeline_id == UNKNOWN_TIMELINE_ID)
+		/* Format timeline ID */
+		if (cell->node_info->type == WITNESS)
 		{
-			/* display "?" */
-			headers_show[SHOW_TIMELINE_ID].cur_length = 1;
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			initPQExpBuffer(&buf);
-			appendPQExpBuffer(&buf, "%i", cell->node_info->replication_info->timeline_id);
-			headers_show[SHOW_TIMELINE_ID].cur_length = strlen(buf.data);
-			termPQExpBuffer(&buf);
+			/* The witness node's timeline ID is irrelevant */
+			strncpy(cell->node_info->replication_info->timeline_id_str, _("n/a"), MAXLEN);
 		}
+		headers_show[SHOW_TIMELINE_ID].cur_length = strlen(cell->node_info->replication_info->timeline_id_str);
 
 		headers_show[SHOW_CONNINFO].cur_length = strlen(cell->node_info->conninfo);
 
@@ -322,10 +318,7 @@ do_cluster_show(void)
 
 			if (headers_show[SHOW_TIMELINE_ID].display == true)
 			{
-				if (cell->node_info->replication_info->timeline_id == UNKNOWN_TIMELINE_ID)
-					printf("| %-*c ", headers_show[SHOW_TIMELINE_ID].max_length, '?');
-				else
-					printf("| %-*i ", headers_show[SHOW_TIMELINE_ID].max_length, (int)cell->node_info->replication_info->timeline_id);
+				printf("| %-*s ", headers_show[SHOW_TIMELINE_ID].max_length, cell->node_info->replication_info->timeline_id_str);
 			}
 
 			if (headers_show[SHOW_CONNINFO].display == true)