diff --git a/dbutils.h b/dbutils.h
index 15b05b3d..2c93e60c 100644
--- a/dbutils.h
+++ b/dbutils.h
@@ -79,6 +79,14 @@ typedef enum
 	NODE_STATUS_UNCLEAN_SHUTDOWN
 } NodeStatus;
 
+typedef enum
+{
+	CONN_UNKNOWN = -1,
+	CONN_OK,
+	CONN_BAD,
+	CONN_ERROR
+} ConnectionStatus;
+
 typedef enum
 {
 	SLOT_UNKNOWN = -1,
diff --git a/repmgr-action-node.c b/repmgr-action-node.c
index c3002672..329872fa 100644
--- a/repmgr-action-node.c
+++ b/repmgr-action-node.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ static void _do_node_status_is_shutdown_cleanly(void);
 static void _do_node_archive_config(void);
 static void _do_node_restore_config(void);
 
+static void do_node_check_replication_connection(void);
 static CheckStatus do_node_check_archive_ready(PGconn *conn, OutputMode mode, CheckStatusList *list_output);
 static CheckStatus do_node_check_downstream(PGconn *conn, OutputMode mode, CheckStatusList *list_output);
 static CheckStatus do_node_check_replication_lag(PGconn *conn, OutputMode mode, t_node_info *node_info, CheckStatusList *list_output);
@@ -463,8 +464,7 @@ _do_node_status_is_shutdown_cleanly(void)
 
 	initPQExpBuffer(&output);
 
-	appendPQExpBuffer(
-					  &output,
+	appendPQExpBuffer(&output,
 					  "--state=");
 
 	/* sanity-check we're dealing with a PostgreSQL directory */
@@ -580,6 +580,11 @@ do_node_check(void)
 		exit(return_code);
 	}
 
+	if (runtime_options.replication_connection == true)
+	{
+		do_node_check_replication_connection();
+		exit(SUCCESS);
+	}
 
 	if (strlen(config_file_options.conninfo))
 		conn = establish_db_connection(config_file_options.conninfo, true);
@@ -883,6 +888,67 @@ do_node_check_slots(PGconn *conn, OutputMode mode, t_node_info *node_info, Check
 }
 
 
+static void
+do_node_check_replication_connection(void)
+{
+	PGconn *local_conn = NULL;
+	PGconn *repl_conn = NULL;
+	t_node_info node_record = T_NODE_INFO_INITIALIZER;
+	RecordStatus record_status = RECORD_NOT_FOUND;
+	t_conninfo_param_list remote_conninfo;
+	PQExpBufferData output;
+
+
+	initPQExpBuffer(&output);
+	appendPQExpBuffer(&output,
+					  "--connection=");
+
+	if (runtime_options.remote_node_id == UNKNOWN_NODE_ID)
+	{
+		appendPQExpBuffer(&output, "UNKNOWN");
+		printf("%s\n", output.data);
+		termPQExpBuffer(&output);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	local_conn = establish_db_connection(config_file_options.conninfo, true);
+
+	record_status = get_node_record(local_conn, runtime_options.remote_node_id, &node_record);
+	PQfinish(local_conn);
+
+	if (record_status != RECORD_FOUND)
+	{
+		appendPQExpBuffer(&output, "UNKNOWN");
+		printf("%s\n", output.data);
+		termPQExpBuffer(&output);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	initialize_conninfo_params(&remote_conninfo, false);
+	parse_conninfo_string(node_record.conninfo, &remote_conninfo, NULL, false);
+
+	param_set(&remote_conninfo, "replication", "1");
+	param_set(&remote_conninfo, "user", node_record.repluser);
+
+	repl_conn = establish_db_connection_by_params(&remote_conninfo, false);
+
+	if (PQstatus(repl_conn) != CONNECTION_OK)
+	{
+		appendPQExpBuffer(&output, "BAD");
+		printf("%s\n", output.data);
+		termPQExpBuffer(&output);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	PQfinish(repl_conn);
+
+	appendPQExpBuffer(&output, "OK");
+	printf("%s\n", output.data);
+	termPQExpBuffer(&output);
+
+	return;
+}
+
 static CheckStatus
 do_node_check_archive_ready(PGconn *conn, OutputMode mode, CheckStatusList *list_output)
 {
diff --git a/repmgr-action-standby.c b/repmgr-action-standby.c
index 80f7b30d..7733128b 100644
--- a/repmgr-action-standby.c
+++ b/repmgr-action-standby.c
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ static bool write_recovery_file_line(FILE *recovery_file, char *recovery_file_pa
 
 static NodeStatus parse_node_status_is_shutdown_cleanly(const char *node_status_output, XLogRecPtr *checkPoint);
 static CheckStatus parse_node_check_archiver(const char *node_check_output, int *files, int *threshold);
+static ConnectionStatus parse_remote_node_replication_connection(const char *node_check_output);
 
 /*
  * STANDBY CLONE
@@ -2405,8 +2406,7 @@ do_standby_switchover(void)
 
 	appendPQExpBuffer(&remote_command_str, "--version 2>/dev/null && echo \"1\" || echo \"0\"");
 	initPQExpBuffer(&command_output);
-	command_success = remote_command(
-									 remote_host,
+	command_success = remote_command(remote_host,
 									 runtime_options.remote_user,
 									 remote_command_str.data,
 									 &command_output);
@@ -2426,20 +2426,17 @@ do_standby_switchover(void)
 		termPQExpBuffer(&command_output);
 
 		initPQExpBuffer(&hint);
-		appendPQExpBuffer(
-						  &hint,
+		appendPQExpBuffer(&hint,
 						  _("check \"pg_bindir\" is set to the correct path in \"repmgr.conf\"; current value: "));
 
 		if (strlen(config_file_options.pg_bindir))
 		{
-			appendPQExpBuffer(
-							  &hint,
+			appendPQExpBuffer(&hint,
 							  "\"%s\"", config_file_options.pg_bindir);
 		}
 		else
 		{
-			appendPQExpBuffer(
-							  &hint,
+			appendPQExpBuffer(&hint,
 							  "(not set)");
 		}
 
@@ -2460,6 +2457,49 @@ do_standby_switchover(void)
 	}
 	termPQExpBuffer(&command_output);
 
+	/* check demotion candidate can make replication connection to promotion candidate */
+	{
+		initPQExpBuffer(&remote_command_str);
+		make_remote_repmgr_path(&remote_command_str, &remote_node_record);
+		appendPQExpBuffer(&remote_command_str,
+						  "node check --remote-node-id=%i --replication-connection",
+						  local_node_record.node_id);
+
+		initPQExpBuffer(&command_output);
+
+		command_success = remote_command(remote_host,
+										 runtime_options.remote_user,
+										 remote_command_str.data,
+										 &command_output);
+
+		termPQExpBuffer(&remote_command_str);
+
+		if (command_success == true)
+		{
+			ConnectionStatus conn_status = parse_remote_node_replication_connection(command_output.data);
+
+			switch(conn_status)
+			{
+				case CONN_OK:
+					if (runtime_options.dry_run == true)
+					{
+						log_info(_("demotion candidate is able to make replication connection to promotion candidate"));
+					}
+					break;
+				case CONN_BAD:
+					log_error(_("demotion candidate is unable to make replication connection to promotion candidate"));
+					exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
+					break;
+				default:
+					log_error(_("unable to deterimine whether candidate is able to make replication connection to promotion candidate"));
+					exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
+					break;
+			}
+
+			termPQExpBuffer(&command_output);
+		}
+	}
+
 	/* check archive/replication status */
 	{
 		int			lag_seconds = 0;
@@ -5479,6 +5519,69 @@ parse_node_status_is_shutdown_cleanly(const char *node_status_output, XLogRecPtr
 }
 
 
+static ConnectionStatus
+parse_remote_node_replication_connection(const char *node_check_output)
+{
+	ConnectionStatus	conn_status = CONN_UNKNOWN;
+
+	int			c = 0,
+				argc_item = 0;
+	char	  **argv_array = NULL;
+	int			optindex = 0;
+
+	/* We're only interested in these options */
+	struct option node_check_options[] =
+	{
+		{"connection", required_argument, NULL, 'c'},
+		{NULL, 0, NULL, 0}
+	};
+
+	/* Don't attempt to tokenise an empty string */
+	if (!strlen(node_check_output))
+	{
+		return CONN_UNKNOWN;
+	}
+
+	argc_item = parse_output_to_argv(node_check_output, &argv_array);
+
+	/* Reset getopt's optind variable */
+	optind = 0;
+
+	/* Prevent getopt from emitting errors */
+	opterr = 0;
+
+	while ((c = getopt_long(argc_item, argv_array, "L:S:", node_check_options,
+							&optindex)) != -1)
+	{
+		switch (c)
+		{
+
+			/* --connection */
+			case 'c':
+				{
+					if (strncmp(optarg, "OK", MAXLEN) == 0)
+					{
+						conn_status = CONN_OK;
+					}
+					else if (strncmp(optarg, "BAD", MAXLEN) == 0)
+					{
+						conn_status = CONN_BAD;
+					}
+					else if (strncmp(optarg, "UNKNOWN", MAXLEN) == 0)
+					{
+						conn_status = CONN_UNKNOWN;
+					}
+				}
+				break;
+		}
+	}
+
+	free_parsed_argv(&argv_array);
+
+	return conn_status;
+}
+
+
 static CheckStatus
 parse_node_check_archiver(const char *node_check_output, int *files, int *threshold)
 {
diff --git a/repmgr-client-global.h b/repmgr-client-global.h
index c254a6ec..c5810f64 100644
--- a/repmgr-client-global.h
+++ b/repmgr-client-global.h
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ typedef struct
 	int			node_id;
 	char		node_name[MAXLEN];
 	char		data_dir[MAXPGPATH];
+	int			remote_node_id;
 
 	/* "standby clone" options */
 	bool		copy_external_config_files;
@@ -103,6 +104,7 @@ typedef struct
 	bool		role;
 	bool		slots;
 	bool		has_passfile;
+	bool		replication_connection;
 
 	/* "node join" options */
 	char		config_files[MAXLEN];
@@ -139,8 +141,8 @@ typedef struct
 		"", "", "",	"",				  \
 		/* other connection options */ \
 		"",	"",  \
-		/* node options */ \
-		UNKNOWN_NODE_ID, "", "", \
+		/* general node options */ \
+		UNKNOWN_NODE_ID, "", "", UNKNOWN_NODE_ID, \
 		/* "standby clone" options */ \
 		false, CONFIG_FILE_SAMEPATH, false, false, false, "", "", "", \
 		false,  \
@@ -153,7 +155,7 @@ typedef struct
 		/* "node status" options */ \
 		false, \
 		/* "node check" options */ \
-		false, false, false, false, false, false, \
+		false, false, false, false, false, false, false, \
 		/* "node join" options */ \
 		"", \
 		/* "node service" options */ \
diff --git a/repmgr-client.c b/repmgr-client.c
index 50a28b08..e6b5304c 100644
--- a/repmgr-client.c
+++ b/repmgr-client.c
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@
 #include "repmgr-action-witness.h"
 #include "repmgr-action-bdr.h"
 #include "repmgr-action-node.h"
-
 #include "repmgr-action-cluster.h"
 
 #include <storage/fd.h>			/* for PG_TEMP_FILE_PREFIX */
@@ -329,6 +328,11 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 				strncpy(runtime_options.node_name, optarg, MAXLEN);
 				break;
 
+				/* --remote-node-id */
+			case OPT_REMOTE_NODE_ID:
+				runtime_options.remote_node_id = repmgr_atoi(optarg, "--remote-node-id", &cli_errors, false);
+				break;
+
 				/*
 				 * standby options * ---------------
 				 */
@@ -455,6 +459,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 				runtime_options.has_passfile = true;
 				break;
 
+			case OPT_REPL_CONN:
+				runtime_options.replication_connection = true;
+				break;
+
 				/*--------------------
 				 * "node rejoin" options
 				 *--------------------
diff --git a/repmgr-client.h b/repmgr-client.h
index cc901ee3..bad1ec5a 100644
--- a/repmgr-client.h
+++ b/repmgr-client.h
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@
 #define OPT_CONFIG_ARCHIVE_DIR			   1034
 #define OPT_HAS_PASSFILE                   1035
 #define OPT_WAIT_START                     1036
+#define OPT_REPL_CONN                      1037
+#define OPT_REMOTE_NODE_ID                 1038
 
 /* deprecated since 3.3 */
 #define OPT_DATA_DIR						999
@@ -115,6 +117,7 @@ static struct option long_options[] =
 	{"pgdata", required_argument, NULL, 'D'},
 	{"node-id", required_argument, NULL, OPT_NODE_ID},
 	{"node-name", required_argument, NULL, OPT_NODE_NAME},
+	{"remote-node-id", required_argument, NULL, OPT_REMOTE_NODE_ID},
 
 /* logging options */
 	{"log-level", required_argument, NULL, 'L'},
@@ -158,6 +161,7 @@ static struct option long_options[] =
 	{"role", no_argument, NULL, OPT_ROLE},
 	{"slots", no_argument, NULL, OPT_SLOTS},
 	{"has-passfile", no_argument, NULL, OPT_HAS_PASSFILE},
+	{"replication-connection", no_argument, NULL, OPT_REPL_CONN},
 
 /* "node rejoin" options */
 	{"config-files", required_argument, NULL, OPT_CONFIG_FILES},