diff --git a/pkg/cluster/pod.go b/pkg/cluster/pod.go
index 80e3e8235..41705968f 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/pod.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/pod.go
@@ -296,10 +296,18 @@ func (c *Cluster) recreatePod(podName spec.NamespacedName) (*v1.Pod, error) {
 
 func (c *Cluster) isSafeToRecreatePods(pods *v1.PodList) bool {
 
+	/*
+	 Operator should not re-create pods if there is at least one replica being bootstrapped
+	 because Patroni might use other replicas to take basebackup from (see Patroni's "clonefrom" tag).
+
+	 XXX operator cannot forbid replica re-init, so we might still fail if re-init is started
+	 after this check succeeds but before a pod is re-created
+	*/
+
 	for _, pod := range pods.Items {
 		state, err := c.patroni.GetNodeState(&pod)
 		if err != nil || state != "running" {
-			c.logger.Warningf("cannot re-create pod %s: patroni not in 'running' state", pod.Name)
+			c.logger.Warningf("cannot re-create pod %s: patroni in %s state", pod.Name, state)
 			return false
 		}
 
@@ -323,7 +331,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) recreatePods() error {
 	c.logger.Infof("there are %d pods in the cluster to recreate", len(pods.Items))
 
 	if !c.isSafeToRecreatePods(pods) {
-		return fmt.Errorf("postpone pod recreation until next Sync: some pods are being initilalized and recreation is unsafe")
+		return fmt.Errorf("postpone pod recreation until next Sync: recreation is unsafe because pods are being initilalized")
 	}
 
 	var (
diff --git a/pkg/util/patroni/patroni.go b/pkg/util/patroni/patroni.go
index 76f0570c1..1e2158f01 100644
--- a/pkg/util/patroni/patroni.go
+++ b/pkg/util/patroni/patroni.go
@@ -38,18 +38,18 @@ type HttpGetResponse struct {
 	Timeline                 int    `json:"type,omitempty"`
 	Xlog                     Xlog   `json:"type,omitempty"`
 	DatabaseSystemIdentifier string `json:"type,omitempty"`
-	patroniInfo              Info   `json:"type,omitempty"`
+	PatroniInfo              Info   `json:"type,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // Xlog contains wal locaiton
 type Xlog struct {
-	location int `json:"type,omitempty"`
+	Location int `json:"type,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // Info cotains Patroni version and cluser scope
 type Info struct {
-	version string `json:"type,omitempty"`
-	scope   string `json:"type,omitempty"`
+	Version string `json:"type,omitempty"`
+	Scope   string `json:"type,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // Patroni API client
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ func (p *Patroni) GetNodeState(server *v1.Pod) (string, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("could not unmarshal response: %v", err)
 	}
+	p.logger.Infof("http get response: %s", pResponse)
 
 	return pResponse.State, nil