diff --git a/include/maxscale/monitor.hh b/include/maxscale/monitor.hh
index 425d8367e..92912a0fb 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/monitor.hh
+++ b/include/maxscale/monitor.hh
@@ -62,6 +62,18 @@ public:
      * - Calls @c configure().
      * - Starts the monitor thread.
      *
+     * - Once the monitor thread starts, it will
+     *   - Load the server journal and update @c m_master.
+     *   - Call @c pre_loop().
+     *   - Enter a loop where it, until told to shut down, will
+     *     - Check whether there are maintenance requests.
+     *     - Call @c tick().
+     *     - Call @c process_state_changes()
+     *     - Hang up failed servers.
+     *     - Store the server journal (@c m_master assumed to reflect the current situation).
+     *     - Sleep until time for next @c tick().
+     *   - Call @c post_loop().
+     *
      * @param param  The parameters of the monitor.
      *
      * @return True, if the monitor started, false otherwise.
@@ -198,7 +210,7 @@ protected:
     /**
      * @brief Called before the monitor loop is started
      *
-     * The default implementation will load the journal and update @c m_master.
+     * The default implementation does nothing.
      */
     virtual void pre_loop();
 
diff --git a/server/core/monitor.cc b/server/core/monitor.cc
index dad67e340..9f6940b51 100644
--- a/server/core/monitor.cc
+++ b/server/core/monitor.cc
@@ -2899,7 +2899,6 @@ void MonitorInstance::tick()
 
 void MonitorInstance::pre_loop()
 {
-    load_server_journal(m_monitor, &m_master);
 }
 
 void MonitorInstance::post_loop()
@@ -2913,6 +2912,8 @@ void MonitorInstance::process_state_changes()
 
 void MonitorInstance::main()
 {
+    load_server_journal(m_monitor, &m_master);
+
     pre_loop();
 
     while (!m_shutdown)
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbmon.cc b/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbmon.cc
index d6ae19b77..fbb260d10 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbmon.cc
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/mariadbmon/mariadbmon.cc
@@ -283,8 +283,9 @@ void MariaDBMonitor::update_server_status(MXS_MONITORED_SERVER* monitored_server
 
 void MariaDBMonitor::pre_loop()
 {
-    MonitorInstance::pre_loop();
-
+    // MonitorInstance loaded from the journal the current master into its
+    // m_master member variable, we want the corresponding MariaDBServer into
+    // our own m_master varaible.
     m_master = MonitorInstance::m_master ? get_server_info(MonitorInstance::m_master) : NULL;
 
     if (m_detect_replication_lag)
@@ -414,6 +415,12 @@ void MariaDBMonitor::tick()
 
     /* log master detection failure of first master becomes available after failure */
     log_master_changes(root_master);
+
+    // Before exiting we need to store the current master into the m_master
+    // member variable of MonitorInstance so tga loaded from the journal the current master into its
+    // m_master member variable, we want the corresponding MariaDBServer into
+    // our own m_master varaible.
+    MonitorInstance::m_master = m_master ? m_master->m_server_base : NULL;
 }
 
 void MariaDBMonitor::process_state_changes()