diff --git a/src/bin/pg_rewind/RewindTest.pm b/src/bin/pg_rewind/RewindTest.pm
index e6a5b9b..86e9def 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_rewind/RewindTest.pm
+++ b/src/bin/pg_rewind/RewindTest.pm
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ sub create_standby
 	# Base backup is taken with xlog files included
 	system_or_bail("pg_basebackup -D $test_standby_datadir -p $port_master -x >>$log_path 2>&1");
 	append_to_file("$test_standby_datadir/recovery.conf", qq(
-primary_conninfo='$connstr_master'
+primary_conninfo='$connstr_master application_name=rewind_standby'
 standby_mode=on
 recovery_target_timeline='latest'
 ));
@@ -191,8 +191,29 @@ recovery_target_timeline='latest'
 	# Start standby
 	system_or_bail("pg_ctl -w -D $test_standby_datadir -o \"-k $tempdir_short --listen-addresses='' -p $port_standby\" start >>$log_path 2>&1");
 
-	# sleep a bit to make sure the standby has caught up.
-	sleep 1;
+	# Wait until the standby has caught up with the primary by comparing
+	# WAL positions on both nodes. Note that this is fine
+	my $max_attempts = 30;
+	my $attempts = 0;
+	while ($attempts < $max_attempts)
+	{
+		# Wait a bit before proceeding.
+		sleep 1;
+		$attempts++;
+
+		my $query = "SELECT pg_current_xlog_location() = replay_location FROM pg_stat_replication WHERE application_name = 'rewind_standby';";
+		my $cmd = ['psql', '-At', '-c', "$query", '-d', "$connstr_master" ];
+		my ($res, $stdout, $stderr) = command_result($cmd);
+		chomp($stdout);
+		if ($stdout eq "t")
+		{
+			last;
+		}
+	}
+	if ($attempts == $max_attempts)
+	{
+		die "Maximum number of attempts reached when waiting for standby to catch up";
+	}
 }
 
 sub promote_standby
@@ -201,9 +222,31 @@ sub promote_standby
 	# up standby
 
 	# Now promote slave and insert some new data on master, this will put
-	# the master out-of-sync with the standby.
+	# the master out-of-sync with the standby. Be sure that we leave here
+	# with a standby actually ready for the next operations.
 	system_or_bail("pg_ctl -w -D $test_standby_datadir promote >>$log_path 2>&1");
-	sleep 2;
+	my $max_attempts = 30;
+	my $attempts = 0;
+	while ($attempts < $max_attempts)
+	{
+		# Wait a bit before proceeding, promotion may have not taken effect
+		# in such a short time.
+		sleep 1;
+		$attempts++;
+
+		my $query = "SELECT pg_is_in_recovery()";
+		my $cmd = ['psql', '-At', '-c', "$query", '-d', "$connstr_standby" ];
+		my ($res, $stdout, $stderr) = command_result($cmd);
+		chomp($stdout);
+		if ($stdout eq "f")
+		{
+			last;
+		}
+	}
+	if ($attempts == $max_attempts)
+	{
+		die "Maximum number of attempts reached when waiting for promotion of standby";
+	}
 }
 
 sub run_pg_rewind
diff --git a/src/test/perl/TestLib.pm b/src/test/perl/TestLib.pm
index 003cd9a..3c6a49e 100644
--- a/src/test/perl/TestLib.pm
+++ b/src/test/perl/TestLib.pm
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ our @EXPORT = qw(
   command_ok
   command_fails
   command_exit_is
+  command_result
   program_help_ok
   program_version_ok
   program_options_handling_ok
@@ -161,6 +162,14 @@ sub command_exit_is
 	is($h->result(0), $expected, $test_name);
 }
 
+sub command_result
+{
+	my ($cmd) = @_;
+	my ($stdout, $stderr);
+	my $result = run $cmd, '>', \$stdout, '2>', \$stderr;
+	return ($result, $stdout, $stderr);
+}
+
 sub program_help_ok
 {
 	my ($cmd) = @_;