diff --git a/dbutils.c b/dbutils.c
index 66ab4067..8aee424f 100644
--- a/dbutils.c
+++ b/dbutils.c
@@ -1484,7 +1484,6 @@ create_event_record(PGconn *conn, t_configuration_options *options, int node_id,
 						PQerrorMessage(conn));
 
 			success = false;
-
 		}
 		else
 		{
diff --git a/repmgr.c b/repmgr.c
index bf487a05..73261eec 100644
--- a/repmgr.c
+++ b/repmgr.c
@@ -1079,7 +1079,7 @@ do_cluster_cleanup(void)
 	log_info(_("connecting to master database\n"));
 	master_conn = get_master_connection(conn, options.cluster_name,
 										NULL, NULL);
-	if (master_conn == NULL)
+	if (PQstatus(master_conn) != CONNECTION_OK)
 	{
 		log_err(_("cluster cleanup: cannot connect to master\n"));
 		PQfinish(conn);
@@ -1351,7 +1351,7 @@ do_standby_register(void)
 	log_info(_("connecting to master database\n"));
 	master_conn = get_master_connection(conn, options.cluster_name,
 										NULL, NULL);
-	if (master_conn == NULL)
+	if (PQstatus(master_conn) != CONNECTION_OK)
 	{
 		log_err(_("a master must be defined before configuring a standby\n"));
 		exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
@@ -1482,7 +1482,7 @@ do_standby_unregister(void)
 	log_info(_("connecting to master database\n"));
 	master_conn = get_master_connection(conn, options.cluster_name,
 										NULL, NULL);
-	if (master_conn == NULL)
+	if (PQstatus(master_conn) != CONNECTION_OK)
 	{
 		log_err(_("a master must be defined before unregistering a standby\n"));
 		exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
@@ -3269,9 +3269,9 @@ do_standby_follow(void)
 			master_conn = get_master_connection(conn,
 												options.cluster_name, &master_id, (char *) &master_conninfo);
 		}
-		while (master_conn == NULL && runtime_options.wait_for_master);
+		while (PQstatus(master_conn) != CONNECTION_OK && runtime_options.wait_for_master);
 
-		if (master_conn == NULL)
+		if (PQstatus(master_conn) != CONNECTION_OK)
 		{
 			log_err(_("unable to determine new master node\n"));
 			PQfinish(conn);
@@ -3492,7 +3492,7 @@ do_standby_switchover(void)
 	/* Check that primary is available */
 	remote_conn = get_master_connection(local_conn, options.cluster_name, &remote_node_id, remote_conninfo);
 
-	if (remote_conn == NULL)
+	if (PQstatus(remote_conn) != CONNECTION_OK)
 	{
 		log_err(_("unable to connect to current master node\n"));
 		log_hint(_("check that the cluster is correctly configured and this standby is registered\n"));
@@ -4776,7 +4776,7 @@ do_witness_register(PGconn *masterconn)
 	param_set("dbname", repmgr_db);
 
 	/* masterconn will only be set when called from do_witness_create() */
-	if (masterconn == NULL)
+	if (PQstatus(masterconn) != CONNECTION_OK)
 	{
 		event_is_register = true;
 
@@ -4970,7 +4970,7 @@ do_witness_unregister(void)
 	log_info(_("connecting to master server\n"));
 	master_conn = get_master_connection(conn, options.cluster_name,
 										NULL, NULL);
-	if (master_conn == NULL)
+	if (PQstatus(master_conn) != CONNECTION_OK)
 	{
 		log_err(_("Unable to connect to master server\n"));
 		exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
diff --git a/repmgrd.c b/repmgrd.c
index efce8620..62cc37f1 100644
--- a/repmgrd.c
+++ b/repmgrd.c
@@ -111,17 +111,15 @@ static void check_and_create_pid_file(const char *pid_file);
 static void
 close_connections()
 {
-	if (master_conn != NULL && PQisBusy(master_conn) == 1)
+	if (PQstatus(master_conn) == CONNECTION_OK && PQisBusy(master_conn) == 1)
 		cancel_query(master_conn, local_options.master_response_timeout);
 
-	if (my_local_conn != NULL)
+
+	if (PQstatus(my_local_conn) == CONNECTION_OK)
 		PQfinish(my_local_conn);
 
-	if (master_conn != NULL && master_conn != my_local_conn)
+	if (PQstatus(master_conn) == CONNECTION_OK)
 		PQfinish(master_conn);
-
-	master_conn = NULL;
-	my_local_conn = NULL;
 }
 
 
@@ -429,7 +427,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 													local_options.cluster_name,
 													&master_options.node, NULL);
 
-				if (master_conn == NULL)
+				if (PQstatus(master_conn) != CONNECTION_OK)
 				{
 					PQExpBufferData errmsg;
 					initPQExpBuffer(&errmsg);
@@ -2013,7 +2011,7 @@ check_connection(PGconn **conn, const char *type, const char *conninfo)
 		{
 			if (conninfo == NULL)
 			{
-				log_err("INTERNAL ERROR: *conn == NULL && conninfo == NULL");
+				log_err("INTERNAL ERROR: *conn == NULL && conninfo == NULL\n");
 				terminate(ERR_INTERNAL);
 			}
 			*conn = establish_db_connection(conninfo, false);