diff --git a/pkg/cluster/pod.go b/pkg/cluster/pod.go
index cf43de9a7..94e79d186 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/pod.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/pod.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/spec"
 	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/util"
+	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/util/patroni"
 	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/util/retryutil"
 )
 
@@ -312,14 +313,14 @@ func (c *Cluster) isSafeToRecreatePods(pods *v1.PodList) bool {
 
 	for _, pod := range pods.Items {
 
-		var state string
+		var data patroni.MemberData
 
 		err := retryutil.Retry(1*time.Second, 5*time.Second,
 			func() (bool, error) {
 
 				var err error
 
-				state, err = c.patroni.GetPatroniMemberState(&pod)
+				data, err = c.patroni.GetMemberData(&pod)
 
 				if err != nil {
 					return false, err
@@ -331,7 +332,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) isSafeToRecreatePods(pods *v1.PodList) bool {
 		if err != nil {
 			c.logger.Errorf("failed to get Patroni state for pod: %s", err)
 			return false
-		} else if state == "creating replica" {
+		} else if data.State == "creating replica" {
 			c.logger.Warningf("cannot re-create replica %s: it is currently being initialized", pod.Name)
 			return false
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/util/patroni/patroni.go b/pkg/util/patroni/patroni.go
index 05f152c5a..2e8f58984 100644
--- a/pkg/util/patroni/patroni.go
+++ b/pkg/util/patroni/patroni.go
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ const (
 type Interface interface {
 	Switchover(master *v1.Pod, candidate string) error
 	SetPostgresParameters(server *v1.Pod, options map[string]string) error
-	GetPatroniMemberState(pod *v1.Pod) (string, error)
 	GetMemberData(server *v1.Pod) (MemberData, error)
 }
 
@@ -127,39 +126,6 @@ func (p *Patroni) SetPostgresParameters(server *v1.Pod, parameters map[string]st
 	return p.httpPostOrPatch(http.MethodPatch, apiURLString+configPath, buf)
 }
 
-//GetPatroniMemberState returns a state of member of a Patroni cluster
-func (p *Patroni) GetPatroniMemberState(server *v1.Pod) (string, error) {
-
-	apiURLString, err := apiURL(server)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-	response, err := p.httpClient.Get(apiURLString)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("could not perform Get request: %v", err)
-	}
-	defer response.Body.Close()
-
-	body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(response.Body)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("could not read response: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	data := make(map[string]interface{})
-	err = json.Unmarshal(body, &data)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-
-	state, ok := data["state"].(string)
-	if !ok {
-		return "", errors.New("Patroni Get call response contains wrong type for 'state' field")
-	}
-
-	return state, nil
-
-}
-
 // MemberData Patroni member data from Patroni API
 type MemberData struct {
 	State          string
@@ -197,13 +163,13 @@ func (p *Patroni) GetMemberData(server *v1.Pod) (MemberData, error) {
 
 	var ok, r bool
 
-	memberData.state, r = data["state"].(string)
+	memberData.State, r = data["state"].(string)
 	ok = ok && r
-	memberData.serverVersion, r = data["server_version"].(int)
+	memberData.ServerVersion, r = data["server_version"].(int)
 	ok = ok && r
-	memberData.role, r = data["role"].(string)
+	memberData.Role, r = data["role"].(string)
 	ok = ok && r
-	memberData.role, r = data["scope"].(string)
+	memberData.Role, r = data["scope"].(string)
 	ok = ok && r
 
 	if !ok {