diff --git a/include/maxscale/monitor.h b/include/maxscale/monitor.h
index a354185f8..051f8ce02 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/monitor.h
+++ b/include/maxscale/monitor.h
@@ -273,6 +273,21 @@ const char* mon_get_event_name(mxs_monitor_event_t event);
 void lock_monitor_servers(MXS_MONITOR *monitor);
 void release_monitor_servers(MXS_MONITOR *monitor);
 
+/**
+ * Alter monitor parameters
+ *
+ * The monitor parameters should not be altered while the monitor is
+ * running. To alter a parameter from outside a monitor module, stop the monitor,
+ * do the alteration and then restart the monitor. The monitor "owns" the parameters
+ * as long as it is running so if the monitor needs to change its own parameters,
+ * it can do it without stopping itself.
+ *
+ * @param monitor Monitor whose parameter is altered
+ * @param key     Parameter name to alter
+ * @param value   New value for the parameter
+ */
+void mon_alter_parameter(MXS_MONITOR* monitor, const char* key, const char* value);
+
 /**
  * @brief Handle state change events
  *
diff --git a/server/core/monitor.cc b/server/core/monitor.cc
index d47140c64..8aabaffe7 100644
--- a/server/core/monitor.cc
+++ b/server/core/monitor.cc
@@ -856,6 +856,8 @@ bool check_monitor_permissions(MXS_MONITOR* monitor, const char* query)
  */
 void monitorAddParameters(MXS_MONITOR *monitor, MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *params)
 {
+    spinlock_acquire(&monitor->lock);
+
     while (params)
     {
         MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* old = config_get_param(monitor->parameters, params->name);
@@ -874,11 +876,16 @@ void monitorAddParameters(MXS_MONITOR *monitor, MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *params)
 
         params = params->next;
     }
+
+    spinlock_release(&monitor->lock);
 }
 
 bool monitorRemoveParameter(MXS_MONITOR *monitor, const char *key)
 {
     MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *prev = NULL;
+    bool rval = false;
+
+    spinlock_acquire(&monitor->lock);
 
     for (MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER *p = monitor->parameters; p; p = p->next)
     {
@@ -887,19 +894,41 @@ bool monitorRemoveParameter(MXS_MONITOR *monitor, const char *key)
             if (p == monitor->parameters)
             {
                 monitor->parameters = monitor->parameters->next;
-                p->next = NULL;
             }
             else
             {
                 prev->next = p->next;
-                p->next = NULL;
             }
+
+            p->next = NULL;
             config_parameter_free(p);
-            return true;
+            rval = true;
+            break;
         }
+
         prev = p;
     }
-    return false;
+
+    spinlock_release(&monitor->lock);
+
+    return rval;
+}
+
+void mon_alter_parameter(MXS_MONITOR* monitor, const char* key, const char* value)
+{
+    spinlock_acquire(&monitor->lock);
+
+    for (MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* p = monitor->parameters; p; p = p->next)
+    {
+        if (strcmp(p->name, key) == 0)
+        {
+            MXS_FREE(p->value);
+            p->value = MXS_STRDUP_A(value);
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    spinlock_release(&monitor->lock);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1531,6 +1560,8 @@ static bool create_monitor_config(const MXS_MONITOR *monitor, const char *filena
         return false;
     }
 
+    spinlock_acquire(&monitor->lock);
+
     dprintf(file, "[%s]\n", monitor->name);
     dprintf(file, "%s=monitor\n", CN_TYPE);
     dprintf(file, "%s=%s\n", CN_MODULE, monitor->module_name);
@@ -1585,6 +1616,8 @@ static bool create_monitor_config(const MXS_MONITOR *monitor, const char *filena
         }
     }
 
+    spinlock_release(&monitor->lock);
+
     close(file);
 
     return true;
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.cc b/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.cc
index 8bb697230..5de92b647 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.cc
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.cc
@@ -1878,6 +1878,8 @@ monitorMain(void *arg)
                 MXS_ALERT("Failed to perform failover, disabling failover functionality. "
                           "To enable failover functionality, manually set 'failover' to "
                           "'true' for monitor '%s' via MaxAdmin or the REST API.", mon->name);
+
+                mon_alter_parameter(handle->monitor, CN_FAILOVER, "false");
                 handle->failover = false;
             }
         }