diff --git a/dbutils.c b/dbutils.c
index 873a60e6..0cbae2d7 100644
--- a/dbutils.c
+++ b/dbutils.c
@@ -3552,11 +3552,21 @@ witness_copy_node_records(PGconn *primary_conn, PGconn *witness_conn)
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	get_all_node_records(primary_conn, &nodes);
+	if (get_all_node_records(primary_conn, &nodes) == false)
+	{
+		rollback_transaction(witness_conn);
+
+		return false;
+	}
 
 	for (cell = nodes.head; cell; cell = cell->next)
 	{
-		create_node_record(witness_conn, NULL, cell->node_info);
+		if (create_node_record(witness_conn, NULL, cell->node_info) == false)
+		{
+			rollback_transaction(witness_conn);
+
+			return false;
+		}
 	}
 
 	/* and done */
diff --git a/repmgrd-physical.c b/repmgrd-physical.c
index 1901d729..e11c3f90 100644
--- a/repmgrd-physical.c
+++ b/repmgrd-physical.c
@@ -2300,6 +2300,7 @@ monitor_streaming_witness(void)
 	{
 		log_warning(_("unable to connect to primary"));
 		log_detail("\n%s", PQerrorMessage(primary_conn));
+
 		/*
 		 * Here we're unable to connect to a primary despite having scanned all
 		 * known nodes, so we'll grab the record of the node we think is primary
@@ -2672,6 +2673,12 @@ loop:
 
 				INSTR_TIME_SET_CURRENT(witness_sync_interval_start);
 			}
+			else
+			{
+				log_debug("seconds since last node record sync: %i (sync interval: %i)",
+						  witness_sync_interval_elapsed,
+						  config_file_options.witness_sync_interval)
+			}
 		}
 
 		/* emit "still alive" log message at regular intervals, if requested */