diff --git a/include/maxscale/server.h b/include/maxscale/server.h
index daddecf65..6a6e8561c 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/server.h
+++ b/include/maxscale/server.h
@@ -343,10 +343,15 @@ inline bool server_is_in_cluster(const SERVER* server)
             (SERVER_MASTER | SERVER_SLAVE | SERVER_RELAY | SERVER_JOINED | SERVER_NDB)) != 0);
 }
 
+inline bool status_is_slave_of_ext_master(uint64_t status)
+{
+    return ((status & (SERVER_RUNNING | SERVER_SLAVE_OF_EXT_MASTER)) ==
+            (SERVER_RUNNING | SERVER_SLAVE_OF_EXT_MASTER));
+}
+
 inline bool server_is_slave_of_ext_master(const SERVER* server)
 {
-    return ((server->status & (SERVER_RUNNING | SERVER_SLAVE_OF_EXT_MASTER)) ==
-            (SERVER_RUNNING | SERVER_SLAVE_OF_EXT_MASTER));
+    return status_is_slave_of_ext_master(server->status);
 }
 
 inline bool status_is_disk_space_exhausted(uint64_t status)
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbmon.cc b/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbmon.cc
index a4e87c831..c1b550fb9 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbmon.cc
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbmon.cc
@@ -587,7 +587,7 @@ void MariaDBMonitor::update_gtid_domain()
 
 void MariaDBMonitor::update_external_master()
 {
-    if (server_is_slave_of_ext_master(m_master->m_server_base->server))
+    if (m_master->is_slave_of_ext_master())
     {
         mxb_assert(!m_master->m_slave_status.empty());
         if (m_master->m_slave_status[0].master_host != m_external_master_host ||
@@ -614,7 +614,8 @@ void MariaDBMonitor::update_external_master()
     {
         if (m_external_master_port != PORT_UNKNOWN)
         {
-            MXS_NOTICE("Cluster lost the external master.");
+            MXS_NOTICE("Cluster lost the external master. Previous one was at: [%s]:%d",
+                       m_external_master_host.c_str(), m_external_master_port);
         }
         m_external_master_host.clear();
         m_external_master_port = PORT_UNKNOWN;
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbserver.cc b/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbserver.cc
index a6ca58325..8bc34dfbe 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbserver.cc
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbserver.cc
@@ -437,6 +437,11 @@ bool MariaDBServer::is_slave() const
     return status_is_slave(m_server_base->pending_status);
 }
 
+bool MariaDBServer::is_slave_of_ext_master() const
+{
+    return status_is_slave_of_ext_master(m_server_base->pending_status);
+}
+
 bool MariaDBServer::is_usable() const
 {
     return status_is_usable(m_server_base->pending_status);
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbserver.hh b/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbserver.hh
index fbe467056..d84e237ca 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbserver.hh
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbserver.hh
@@ -272,6 +272,13 @@ public:
      */
     bool is_slave() const;
 
+    /**
+     * Check if server is a slave of an external server.
+     *
+     * @return True if server is a slave of an external server
+     */
+    bool is_slave_of_ext_master() const;
+
     /**
      * Check if server is running and not in maintenance.
      *