diff --git a/HISTORY b/HISTORY
index 99c34102..b640346e 100644
--- a/HISTORY
+++ b/HISTORY
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
           server and logging output is not explicitly redirected (Ian)
         repmgr: improve switchover log messages and exit code when old primary could
           not be shut down cleanly (Ian)
+        repmgr: check demotion candidate can make a replication connection to the
+          promotion candidate before executing a switchover; GitHub #370 (Ian)
         repmgr: add check for sufficient walsenders/replication slots before executing
           a switchover; GitHub #371 (Ian)
         repmgr: add --dry-run mode to "repmgr standby follow"; GitHub #368 (Ian)
diff --git a/dbutils.c b/dbutils.c
index 5cf3fbc0..5a70c2a7 100644
--- a/dbutils.c
+++ b/dbutils.c
@@ -2647,6 +2647,11 @@ get_node_replication_stats(PGconn *conn, int server_version_num, t_node_info *no
 	PQExpBufferData query;
 	PGresult   *res = NULL;
 
+	if (server_version_num == UNKNOWN_SERVER_VERSION_NUM)
+		server_version_num = get_server_version(conn, NULL);
+
+	Assert(server_version_num != UNKNOWN_SERVER_VERSION_NUM);
+
 	initPQExpBuffer(&query);
 
 	appendPQExpBuffer(&query,
diff --git a/doc/appendix-release-notes.sgml b/doc/appendix-release-notes.sgml
index 424e762d..ae153e26 100644
--- a/doc/appendix-release-notes.sgml
+++ b/doc/appendix-release-notes.sgml
@@ -47,6 +47,13 @@
             </para>
           </listitem>
 
+         <listitem>
+            <para>
+              add check to verify the demotion candidate can make a replication connection to the
+              promotion candidate before executing a switchover (GitHub #370)
+            </para>
+         </listitem>
+
          <listitem>
             <para>
               add check for sufficient walsenders and replication slots on the promotion candidate  before executing
diff --git a/repmgr-action-standby.c b/repmgr-action-standby.c
index b2e6faae..2cb9f6f8 100644
--- a/repmgr-action-standby.c
+++ b/repmgr-action-standby.c
@@ -2174,7 +2174,6 @@ do_standby_switchover(void)
 	PGconn	   *remote_conn = NULL;
 
 	t_node_info local_node_record = T_NODE_INFO_INITIALIZER;
-	int			server_version_num = UNKNOWN_SERVER_VERSION_NUM;
 
 	/* the remote server is the primary to be demoted */
 	char		remote_conninfo[MAXCONNINFO] = "";
@@ -2240,8 +2239,6 @@ do_standby_switchover(void)
 		exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
 	}
 
-	server_version_num = get_server_version(local_conn, NULL);
-
 	if (runtime_options.dry_run == true)
 	{
 		log_notice(_("checking switchover on node \"%s\" (ID: %i) in --dry-run mode"),