diff --git a/server/include/server.h b/server/include/server.h
index 81392243c..f6d146ccd 100644
--- a/server/include/server.h
+++ b/server/include/server.h
@@ -123,7 +123,15 @@ typedef struct server {
  */
 #define	SERVER_IS_MASTER(server) \
 			(((server)->status & (SERVER_RUNNING|SERVER_MASTER|SERVER_SLAVE|SERVER_MAINT)) == (SERVER_RUNNING|SERVER_MASTER))
+
 /**
+ * Is the server valid candidate for root master. The server must be running, 
+ * marked as master and not have maintenance bit set.
+ */
+#define	SERVER_IS_ROOT_MASTER(server) \
+(((server)->status & (SERVER_RUNNING|SERVER_MASTER|SERVER_MAINT)) == (SERVER_RUNNING|SERVER_MASTER))
+			
+			/**
  * Is the server a slave? The server must be both running and marked as a slave
  * in order for the macro to return true
  */
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/readwritesplit.c b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/readwritesplit.c
index 3f3b8516f..967f332a1 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/readwritesplit.c
+++ b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/readwritesplit.c
@@ -4382,13 +4382,17 @@ static backend_ref_t* get_root_master_bref(
 	
 	while (i<rses->rses_nbackends)
 	{
-		if (SERVER_IS_MASTER(bref->bref_backend->backend_server))
+		if ((bref->bref_backend->backend_server->status &
+			(SERVER_MASTER|SERVER_MAINT)) == SERVER_MASTER)
 		{
-			if (candidate_bref == NULL ||
-				(bref->bref_backend->backend_server->depth <
-				candidate_bref->bref_backend->backend_server->depth))
+			if (bref->bref_backend->backend_server->status & SERVER_MASTER)
 			{
-				candidate_bref = bref;
+				if (candidate_bref == NULL ||
+					(bref->bref_backend->backend_server->depth <
+					candidate_bref->bref_backend->backend_server->depth))
+				{
+					candidate_bref = bref;
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		bref++;