diff --git a/pkg/cluster/pod.go b/pkg/cluster/pod.go
index 5c5409937..60106834c 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/pod.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/pod.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) registerPodSubscriber(podName spec.PodName) chan spec.PodEvent
 	return ch
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) recreatePod(pod v1.Pod, spiloRole string) error {
+func (c *Cluster) recreatePod(pod v1.Pod) error {
 	podName := spec.PodName{
 		Namespace: pod.Namespace,
 		Name:      pod.Name,
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) recreatePod(pod v1.Pod, spiloRole string) error {
 	if err := c.waitForPodDeletion(ch); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if err := c.waitForPodLabel(ch, spiloRole); err != nil {
+	if err := c.waitForPodLabel(ch); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	c.logger.Infof("Pod '%s' is ready", podName)
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) recreatePods() error {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		err = c.recreatePod(pod, "replica")
+		err = c.recreatePod(pod)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("Can't recreate replica Pod '%s': %s", util.NameFromMeta(pod.ObjectMeta), err)
 		}
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) recreatePods() error {
 	//TODO: specify master, leave new master empty
 	c.logger.Infof("Recreating master Pod '%s'", util.NameFromMeta(masterPod.ObjectMeta))
 
-	if err := c.recreatePod(masterPod, "replica"); err != nil {
+	if err := c.recreatePod(masterPod); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Can't recreate master Pod '%s': %s", util.NameFromMeta(masterPod.ObjectMeta), err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/sync.go b/pkg/cluster/sync.go
index 24db120fd..e81eec8d1 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/sync.go
@@ -152,7 +152,6 @@ func (c *Cluster) syncPods() error {
 
 	//First check if we have left overs from the previous rolling update
 	for _, pod := range pods.Items {
-		podRole := util.PodSpiloRole(&pod)
 		podName := spec.PodName{
 			Namespace: pod.Namespace,
 			Name:      pod.Name,
@@ -161,7 +160,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) syncPods() error {
 		if match && pod.Status.Phase == v1.PodPending {
 			c.logger.Infof("Waiting for left over Pod '%s'", podName)
 			ch := c.registerPodSubscriber(podName)
-			c.waitForPodLabel(ch, podRole)
+			c.waitForPodLabel(ch)
 			c.unregisterPodSubscriber(podName)
 		}
 	}
@@ -177,7 +176,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) syncPods() error {
 		if util.PodSpiloRole(&pod) == "master" {
 			//TODO: do manual failover first
 		}
-		err = c.recreatePod(pod, "replica") // newly created pods are always "replica"s
+		err = c.recreatePod(pod)
 
 		c.logger.Infof("Pod '%s' has been successfully recreated", util.NameFromMeta(pod.ObjectMeta))
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/util.go b/pkg/cluster/util.go
index 1223c2ba6..899432f91 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/util.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/util.go
@@ -146,12 +146,15 @@ func (c *Cluster) getTeamMembers() ([]string, error) {
 	return teamInfo.Members, nil
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) waitForPodLabel(podEvents chan spec.PodEvent, spiloRole string) error {
+func (c *Cluster) waitForPodLabel(podEvents chan spec.PodEvent) error {
 	for {
 		select {
 		case podEvent := <-podEvents:
 			role := util.PodSpiloRole(podEvent.CurPod)
-			if role == spiloRole { // TODO: newly-created Pods are always replicas => check against empty string only
+			// We cannot assume any role of the newly created pod. Normally, for a multi-pod cluster
+			// we should observe the 'replica' value, but it could be that some pods are not allowed
+			// to promote, therefore, the new pod could be a master as well.
+			if role == "master" || role == "replica" {
 				return nil
 			}
 		case <-time.After(c.OpConfig.PodLabelWaitTimeout):