diff --git a/dbutils.c b/dbutils.c
index df7ad746..2772ea00 100644
--- a/dbutils.c
+++ b/dbutils.c
@@ -2592,6 +2592,36 @@ truncate_node_records(PGconn *conn)
 	return true;
 }
 
+
+bool
+update_node_record_slot_name(PGconn *primary_conn, int node_id, char *slot_name)
+{
+	PQExpBufferData query;
+	PGresult   *res = NULL;
+
+	initPQExpBuffer(&query);
+
+	appendPQExpBuffer(&query,
+					  " UPDATE repmgr.nodes "
+					  "    SET slot_name = '%s' "
+					  "  WHERE node_id = %i ",
+					  slot_name,
+					  node_id);
+	res = PQexec(primary_conn, query.data);
+	termPQExpBuffer(&query);
+
+	if (PQresultStatus(res) != PGRES_COMMAND_OK)
+	{
+		log_error(_("unable to set node record slot name:\n  %s"),
+				  PQerrorMessage(primary_conn));
+		PQclear(res);
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	PQclear(res);
+	return true;
+}
+
 void
 get_node_replication_stats(PGconn *conn, int server_version_num, t_node_info *node_info)
 {
@@ -3350,6 +3380,14 @@ get_event_records(PGconn *conn, int node_id, const char *node_name, const char *
 /* replication slot functions */
 /* ========================== */
 
+
+void
+create_slot_name(char *slot_name, int node_id)
+{
+	maxlen_snprintf(slot_name, "repmgr_slot_%i", node_id);
+}
+
+
 bool
 create_replication_slot(PGconn *conn, char *slot_name, int server_version_num, PQExpBufferData *error_msg)
 {
diff --git a/dbutils.h b/dbutils.h
index 2dd2ba84..1fbee8a7 100644
--- a/dbutils.h
+++ b/dbutils.h
@@ -422,10 +422,10 @@ bool		update_node_record_set_primary(PGconn *conn, int this_node_id);
 bool		update_node_record_set_upstream(PGconn *conn, int this_node_id, int new_upstream_node_id);
 bool		update_node_record_status(PGconn *conn, int this_node_id, char *type, int upstream_node_id, bool active);
 bool		update_node_record_conn_priority(PGconn *conn, t_configuration_options *options);
+bool		update_node_record_slot_name(PGconn *primary_conn, int node_id, char *slot_name);
 
 bool		witness_copy_node_records(PGconn *primary_conn, PGconn *witness_conn);
 
-
 void		clear_node_info_list(NodeInfoList *nodes);
 
 /* PostgreSQL configuration file location functions */
@@ -441,6 +441,7 @@ bool		create_event_notification_extended(PGconn *conn, t_configuration_options *
 PGresult   *get_event_records(PGconn *conn, int node_id, const char *node_name, const char *event, bool all, int limit);
 
 /* replication slot functions */
+void		create_slot_name(char *slot_name, int node_id);
 bool		create_replication_slot(PGconn *conn, char *slot_name, int server_version_num, PQExpBufferData *error_msg);
 bool		drop_replication_slot(PGconn *conn, char *slot_name);
 RecordStatus get_slot_record(PGconn *conn, char *slot_name, t_replication_slot *record);
diff --git a/repmgr-action-node.c b/repmgr-action-node.c
index ce50d11f..fd397bad 100644
--- a/repmgr-action-node.c
+++ b/repmgr-action-node.c
@@ -1575,13 +1575,11 @@ parse_server_action(const char *action_name)
 
 
 /*
- * Intended mainly for "internal" use by "standby switchover", which
- * calls this on the target server to excute pg_rewind on a demoted
- * primary with a forked (sic) timeline. This function does not
- * currently check whether this is a useful thing to do (however
- * "standby switchover" will perform a check before calling it).
+ * Rejoin a dormant (shut down) node to the replication cluster; this
+ * is typically a former primary which needs to be demoted to a standby.
  *
- * TODO: make this into a more generally useful function.
+ * Note that "repmgr node rejoin" is also executed by
+ * "repmgr standby switchover" after promoting the new primary.
  */
 void
 do_node_rejoin(void)
@@ -1634,14 +1632,21 @@ do_node_rejoin(void)
 	/* check if cleanly shut down */
 	if (db_state != DB_SHUTDOWNED && db_state != DB_SHUTDOWNED_IN_RECOVERY)
 	{
-		log_error(_("database is not shut down cleanly"));
-
-		if (runtime_options.force_rewind == true)
+		if (db_state == DB_SHUTDOWNING)
 		{
-			log_detail(_("pg_rewind will not be able to run"));
+			log_error(_("database is still shutting down"));
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			log_error(_("database is not shut down cleanly"));
+
+			if (runtime_options.force_rewind == true)
+			{
+				log_detail(_("pg_rewind will not be able to run"));
+			}
+			log_hint(_("database should be restarted then shut down cleanly after crash recovery completes"));
+			exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
 		}
-		log_hint(_("database should be restarted and shut down cleanly after crash recovery completes"));
-		exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
 	}
 
 
diff --git a/repmgr-action-standby.c b/repmgr-action-standby.c
index ad12b536..1c24f49d 100644
--- a/repmgr-action-standby.c
+++ b/repmgr-action-standby.c
@@ -1775,6 +1775,26 @@ do_standby_follow_internal(PGconn *primary_conn, t_node_info *primary_node_recor
 	{
 		int			primary_server_version_num = get_server_version(primary_conn, NULL);
 
+		/*
+		 * Here we add a sanity check for the "slot_name" field - it's possible
+		 * the node was initially registered with "use_replication_slots=false"
+		 * but the configuration was subsequently changed, leaving the field NULL.
+		 *
+		 * To avoid annoying failures we can just update the node record and proceed.
+		 */
+
+		if (!strlen(local_node_record.slot_name))
+		{
+			create_slot_name(local_node_record.slot_name, config_file_options.node_id);
+
+			log_notice(_("setting node %i's slot name to \"%s\""),
+					   config_file_options.node_id,
+					   local_node_record.slot_name);
+
+			update_node_record_slot_name(primary_conn, config_file_options.node_id, local_node_record.slot_name);
+		}
+
+
 		if (create_replication_slot(primary_conn,
 									local_node_record.slot_name,
 									primary_server_version_num,
@@ -1867,8 +1887,8 @@ do_standby_follow_internal(PGconn *primary_conn, t_node_info *primary_node_recor
 	/* Set the replication user from the primary node record */
 	param_set(&recovery_conninfo, "user", primary_node_record->repluser);
 
-	log_info(_("setting node %i's primary to node %i"),
-			 config_file_options.node_id, primary_node_record->node_id);
+	log_notice(_("setting node %i's primary to node %i"),
+			   config_file_options.node_id, primary_node_record->node_id);
 
 	if (!create_recovery_file(&local_node_record, &recovery_conninfo, config_file_options.data_directory))
 	{
diff --git a/repmgr-client.c b/repmgr-client.c
index d722204c..a013c946 100644
--- a/repmgr-client.c
+++ b/repmgr-client.c
@@ -2729,6 +2729,6 @@ init_node_record(t_node_info *node_record)
 
 	if (config_file_options.use_replication_slots == true)
 	{
-		maxlen_snprintf(node_record->slot_name, "repmgr_slot_%i", config_file_options.node_id);
+		create_slot_name(node_record->slot_name, config_file_options.node_id);
 	}
 }