diff --git a/repmgr-client.c b/repmgr-client.c
index 5e689c79..5fcfff84 100644
--- a/repmgr-client.c
+++ b/repmgr-client.c
@@ -90,13 +90,17 @@ char		pg_bindir[MAXPGPATH] = "";
  */
 t_node_info target_node_info = T_NODE_INFO_INITIALIZER;
 
-/* used by create_replication_slot() */
+/* set by the first call to _determine_replication_slot_user() */
 static t_user_type ReplicationSlotUser = USER_TYPE_UNKNOWN;
 
 /* Collate command line errors and warnings here for friendlier reporting */
 static ItemList cli_errors = {NULL, NULL};
 static ItemList cli_warnings = {NULL, NULL};
 
+static PGconn *_get_replication_slot_connection(PGconn *conn,
+												char *replication_user,
+												bool *use_replication_protocol);
+
 static void _determine_replication_slot_user(PGconn *conn,
 											 t_node_info *upstream_node_record,
 											 char **replication_user);
@@ -3739,6 +3743,7 @@ create_replication_slot(PGconn *conn, char *slot_name, t_node_info *upstream_nod
 	char *replication_user = NULL;
 
 	_determine_replication_slot_user(conn, upstream_node_record, &replication_user);
+
 	/*
 	 * If called in --dry-run context, if the replication slot user is not the
 	 * repmgr user, attempt to validate the connection.
@@ -3796,65 +3801,12 @@ create_replication_slot(PGconn *conn, char *slot_name, t_node_info *upstream_nod
 				PQfinish(superuser_conn);
 			}
 		}
-
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * If we can't create a replication slot with the connection provided to
-	 * the function, create an connection with appropriate permissions.
-	 */
-	switch (ReplicationSlotUser)
-	{
-		case USER_TYPE_UNKNOWN:
-			log_error("unable to determine user for replication slot creation");
-			return false;
-		case  REPMGR_USER:
-			slot_conn = conn;
-			log_info(_("creating replication slot as user \"%s\""),
-					 PQuser(conn));
-			break;
+	slot_conn = _get_replication_slot_connection(conn, replication_user, &use_replication_protocol);
 
-		case REPLICATION_USER_NODE:
-		case REPLICATION_USER_OPT:
-		{
-			slot_conn = duplicate_connection(conn,
-											 replication_user,
-											 true);
-			if (slot_conn == NULL || PQstatus(slot_conn) != CONNECTION_OK)
-			{
-				log_error(_("unable to create replication connection as user \"%s\""),
-						  runtime_options.replication_user);
-				log_detail("%s", PQerrorMessage(slot_conn));
-
-				PQfinish(slot_conn);
-					return false;
-			}
-			use_replication_protocol = true;
-			log_info(_("creating replication slot as replication user \"%s\""),
-					 replication_user);
-		}
-			break;
-
-		case SUPERUSER:
-		{
-			slot_conn = duplicate_connection(conn,
-											 runtime_options.superuser,
-											 false);
-			if (slot_conn == NULL || PQstatus(slot_conn )!= CONNECTION_OK)
-			{
-				log_error(_("unable to create super connection as user \"%s\""),
-						  runtime_options.superuser);
-				log_detail("%s", PQerrorMessage(slot_conn));
-
-				PQfinish(slot_conn);
-
-				return false;
-			}
-			log_info(_("creating replication slot as superuser \"%s\""),
-					 runtime_options.superuser);
-		}
-			break;
-	}
+	if (slot_conn == NULL)
+		return false;
 
 	if (use_replication_protocol == true)
 	{
@@ -3897,34 +3849,51 @@ drop_replication_slot_if_exists(PGconn *conn, int node_id, char *slot_name)
 
 	if (record_status != RECORD_FOUND)
 	{
-		/* this is not a bad good thing */
+		/* no slot, no problem */
 		log_verbose(LOG_INFO,
 					_("slot \"%s\" does not exist on node %i, nothing to remove"),
 					slot_name, node_id);
 		return true;
 	}
 
-	if (slot_info.active == false)
+	if (slot_info.active == true)
 	{
-		if (drop_replication_slot_sql(conn, slot_name) == true)
+		/*
+		 * If an active replication slot exists, bail out as we have a problem
+		 * we can't solve here.
+		 */
+		log_warning(_("replication slot \"%s\" is still active on node %i"), slot_name, node_id);
+		success = false;
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		/*
+		 * Create the appropriate connection with which to drop the slot
+		 */
+
+		bool use_replication_protocol = false;
+		PGconn *slot_conn = NULL;
+
+		if (use_replication_protocol == true)
+		{
+			success = drop_replication_slot_replprot(conn, slot_name);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			success = drop_replication_slot_sql(conn, slot_name);
+		}
+
+		if (success == true)
 		{
 			log_notice(_("replication slot \"%s\" deleted on node %i"), slot_name, node_id);
 		}
 		else
 		{
 			log_error(_("unable to delete replication slot \"%s\" on node %i"), slot_name, node_id);
-			success = false;
 		}
-	}
 
-	/*
-	 * If an active replication slot exists, call Houston as we have a
-	 * problem.
-	 */
-	else
-	{
-		log_warning(_("replication slot \"%s\" is still active on node %i"), slot_name, node_id);
-		success = false;
+		if (slot_conn != conn)
+			PQfinish(slot_conn);
 	}
 
 	return success;
@@ -3990,6 +3959,71 @@ _determine_replication_slot_user(PGconn *conn, t_node_info *upstream_node_record
 }
 
 
+static PGconn *
+_get_replication_slot_connection(PGconn *conn, char *replication_user, bool *use_replication_protocol)
+{
+	PGconn *slot_conn = NULL;
+	/*
+	 * If we can't create a replication slot with the connection provided to
+	 * the function, create an connection with appropriate permissions.
+	 */
+	switch (ReplicationSlotUser)
+	{
+		case USER_TYPE_UNKNOWN:
+			log_error("unable to determine user for replication slot creation");
+			return NULL;
+
+		case  REPMGR_USER:
+			slot_conn = conn;
+			log_info(_("creating replication slot as user \"%s\""),
+					 PQuser(conn));
+			break;
+
+		case REPLICATION_USER_NODE:
+		case REPLICATION_USER_OPT:
+		{
+			slot_conn = duplicate_connection(conn,
+											 replication_user,
+											 true);
+			if (slot_conn == NULL || PQstatus(slot_conn) != CONNECTION_OK)
+			{
+				log_error(_("unable to create replication connection as user \"%s\""),
+						  runtime_options.replication_user);
+				log_detail("%s", PQerrorMessage(slot_conn));
+
+				PQfinish(slot_conn);
+				return NULL;
+			}
+			*use_replication_protocol = true;
+			log_info(_("creating replication slot as replication user \"%s\""),
+					 replication_user);
+		}
+		break;
+
+		case SUPERUSER:
+		{
+			slot_conn = duplicate_connection(conn,
+											 runtime_options.superuser,
+											 false);
+			if (slot_conn == NULL || PQstatus(slot_conn )!= CONNECTION_OK)
+			{
+				log_error(_("unable to create super connection as user \"%s\""),
+						  runtime_options.superuser);
+				log_detail("%s", PQerrorMessage(slot_conn));
+
+				PQfinish(slot_conn);
+
+				return NULL;
+			}
+			log_info(_("creating replication slot as superuser \"%s\""),
+					 runtime_options.superuser);
+		}
+		break;
+	}
+
+	return slot_conn;
+}
+
 bool
 check_replication_slots_available(int node_id, PGconn* conn)
 {