diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/mysql_mon.c b/server/modules/monitor/mysql_mon.c
index 80dc75091..822e772b5 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/mysql_mon.c
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/mysql_mon.c
@@ -914,7 +914,7 @@ static void set_slave_heartbeat(MYSQL_MONITOR *handle, MONITOR_SERVERS *database
 			LOGIF(LD, (skygw_log_write_flush(
 				LOGFILE_DEBUG,
 				"[mysql_mon]: replication heartbeat: "
-				"Slave %s:%i is %i seconds lag",
+				"Slave %s:%i has %i seconds lag",
 				database->server->name,
 				database->server->port,
 				database->server->rlag)));
@@ -947,7 +947,8 @@ static void set_slave_heartbeat(MYSQL_MONITOR *handle, MONITOR_SERVERS *database
 /*******
  * This function computes the replication tree
  * from a set of MySQL Master/Slave monitored servers
- * and returns the root server with SERVER_MASTER bit
+ * and returns the root server with SERVER_MASTER bit.
+ * The tree is computed even for servers in 'maintenance' mode.
  *
  * @param handle   	The monitor handle
  * @param num_servers   The number of servers monitored
@@ -967,9 +968,12 @@ static MONITOR_SERVERS *get_replication_tree(MYSQL_MONITOR *handle, int num_serv
 
 	while (ptr)
 	{
-		if (SERVER_IN_MAINT(ptr->server)  || SERVER_IS_DOWN(ptr->server)) {
+		/* The server could be in SERVER_IN_MAINT
+		 * that means SERVER_IS_RUNNING returns 0
+		 * Let's check only for SERVER_IS_DOWN: server is not running
+		 */
+		if (SERVER_IS_DOWN(ptr->server)) {
 				ptr = ptr->next;
-
 				continue;
 		}
 		depth = 0;
@@ -1032,7 +1036,12 @@ static MONITOR_SERVERS *get_replication_tree(MYSQL_MONITOR *handle, int num_serv
 		ptr = ptr->next;
 	}
 
-	return handle->master;
+	/* If root master is in MAINT, return NULL */
+	if (SERVER_IN_MAINT(handle->master->server)) {
+		return NULL;
+        } else {
+		return handle->master;
+	}
 }
 
 /*******
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/readconnroute.c b/server/modules/routing/readconnroute.c
index 0c4a4e678..804b8b253 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/readconnroute.c
+++ b/server/modules/routing/readconnroute.c
@@ -435,6 +435,15 @@ BACKEND *master_host = NULL;
 					candidate = master_host;
 					break;
 				}
+			} else {
+					/* master_host is NULL, no master server.
+					 * If requested router_option is 'master'
+					 * candidate wll be NULL.
+					 */
+					if (inst->bitvalue & SERVER_MASTER) {
+                                                candidate = NULL;
+                                                break;
+					}
 			}
 
 			/* If no candidate set, set first running server as
@@ -882,6 +891,8 @@ static uint8_t getCapabilities(
  *
  * (1) find server(s) with lowest replication depth level
  * (2) check for SERVER_MASTER bitvalue in those servers
+ * Servers are checked even if they are in 'maintenance'
+ * SERVER_IS_DOWN is the only status to skip.
  *
  * @param servers       The list of servers
  * @return              The Master found
@@ -894,7 +905,7 @@ static BACKEND *get_root_master(BACKEND **servers) {
 
         /* (1) find root server(s) with lowest replication depth level */
         for (i = 0; servers[i]; i++) {
-                if (servers[i] && SERVER_IS_RUNNING(servers[i]->server)) {
+                if (servers[i] && (! SERVER_IS_DOWN(servers[i]->server))) {
                         if (master_host && servers[i]->server->depth < master_host->server->depth) {
                                 master_host = servers[i];
                         } else {
@@ -909,7 +920,7 @@ static BACKEND *get_root_master(BACKEND **servers) {
         if (master_host) {
                 int found = 0;
                 for (i = 0; servers[i]; i++) {
-                        if (servers[i] && SERVER_IS_RUNNING(servers[i]->server) && (servers[i]->server->depth == master_host->server->depth)) {
+                        if (servers[i] && (! SERVER_IS_DOWN(servers[i]->server)) && (servers[i]->server->depth == master_host->server->depth)) {
                                 if (servers[i]->server->status & SERVER_MASTER) {
                                         master_host = servers[i];
                                         found = 1;
@@ -918,6 +929,10 @@ static BACKEND *get_root_master(BACKEND **servers) {
                 }
                 if (!found)
                         master_host = NULL;
+
+		/* return NULL if the server is SERVER_IN_MAINT */
+		if (found && SERVER_IN_MAINT(master_host->server))
+                        master_host = NULL;
         }
 
         return master_host;
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/readwritesplit.c b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/readwritesplit.c
index f7a7fc583..db298db4e 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/readwritesplit.c
+++ b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/readwritesplit.c
@@ -869,8 +869,7 @@ static bool get_dcb(
                 for (i=0; i<rses->rses_nbackends; i++)
                 {
                         BACKEND* b = backend_ref[i].bref_backend;
-
-			/* removed SERVER_IS_MASTER and use master_host */
+	
                         if (BREF_IS_IN_USE((&backend_ref[i])) &&
 				(master_host && (b->backend_server == master_host->backend_server)))
                         {
@@ -3274,7 +3273,7 @@ static BACKEND *get_root_master(backend_ref_t *servers, int router_nservers) {
         for (i = 0; i< router_nservers; i++) {
                 BACKEND* b = NULL;
                 b = servers[i].bref_backend;
-                if (b && SERVER_IS_RUNNING(b->backend_server)) {
+                if (b && (! SERVER_IS_DOWN(b->backend_server))) {
                         if (master_host && b->backend_server->depth < master_host->backend_server->depth) {
                                 master_host = b;
                         } else {
@@ -3291,7 +3290,7 @@ static BACKEND *get_root_master(backend_ref_t *servers, int router_nservers) {
                 for (i = 0; i<router_nservers; i++) {
                         BACKEND* b = NULL;
                         b = servers[i].bref_backend;
-                        if (b && SERVER_IS_RUNNING(b->backend_server) && (b->backend_server->depth == master_host->backend_server->depth)) {
+                        if (b && (! SERVER_IS_DOWN(b->backend_server)) && (b->backend_server->depth == master_host->backend_server->depth)) {
                                 if (b->backend_server->status & SERVER_MASTER) {
                                         master_host = b;
                                         found = 1;
@@ -3300,6 +3299,9 @@ static BACKEND *get_root_master(backend_ref_t *servers, int router_nservers) {
                 }
                 if (!found)
                         master_host = NULL;
+
+		if (found && SERVER_IN_MAINT(master_host->backend_server))
+			master_host = NULL;
         }
 
         return master_host;