diff --git a/server/core/config_runtime.c b/server/core/config_runtime.c
index 6aacc7522..0a963f887 100644
--- a/server/core/config_runtime.c
+++ b/server/core/config_runtime.c
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ bool runtime_link_server(SERVER *server, const char *target)
     {
         if (monitorAddServer(monitor, server))
         {
-            monitor_serialize_servers(monitor);
+            monitor_serialize(monitor);
             rval = true;
         }
     }
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ bool runtime_unlink_server(SERVER *server, const char *target)
         else if (monitor)
         {
             monitorRemoveServer(monitor, server);
-            monitor_serialize_servers(monitor);
+            monitor_serialize(monitor);
         }
 
         const char *type = service ? "service" : "monitor";
diff --git a/server/core/monitor.c b/server/core/monitor.c
index 2c71d8f58..975fae18f 100644
--- a/server/core/monitor.c
+++ b/server/core/monitor.c
@@ -1266,52 +1266,6 @@ MXS_MONITOR* monitor_server_in_use(const SERVER *server)
     return rval;
 }
 
-/**
- * Creates a monitor configuration at the location pointed by @c filename
- *
- * @param monitor Monitor to serialize into a configuration
- * @param filename Filename where configuration is written
- * @return True on success, false on error
- */
-static bool create_monitor_server_config(const MXS_MONITOR *monitor, const char *filename)
-{
-    int file = open(filename, O_EXCL | O_CREAT | O_WRONLY, S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR | S_IRGRP | S_IROTH);
-
-    if (file == -1)
-    {
-        char errbuf[MXS_STRERROR_BUFLEN];
-        MXS_ERROR("Failed to open file '%s' when serializing monitor '%s': %d, %s",
-                  filename, monitor->name, errno, strerror_r(errno, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf)));
-        return false;
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Only additional parameters are added to the configuration. This prevents
-     * duplication or addition of parameters that don't support it.
-     *
-     * TODO: Check for return values on all of the dprintf calls
-     */
-    dprintf(file, "[%s]\n", monitor->name);
-
-    if (monitor->databases)
-    {
-        dprintf(file, "servers=");
-        for (MXS_MONITOR_SERVERS *db = monitor->databases; db; db = db->next)
-        {
-            if (db != monitor->databases)
-            {
-                dprintf(file, ",");
-            }
-            dprintf(file, "%s", db->server->unique_name);
-        }
-        dprintf(file, "\n");
-    }
-
-    close(file);
-
-    return true;
-}
-
 static bool create_monitor_config(const MXS_MONITOR *monitor, const char *filename)
 {
     int file = open(filename, O_EXCL | O_CREAT | O_WRONLY, S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR | S_IRGRP | S_IROTH);
@@ -1331,56 +1285,38 @@ static bool create_monitor_config(const MXS_MONITOR *monitor, const char *filena
      * TODO: Check for return values on all of the dprintf calls
      */
     dprintf(file, "[%s]\n", monitor->name);
-    dprintf(file, "type=monitor\n");
-    dprintf(file, "module=%s\n", monitor->module_name);
-    dprintf(file, "user=%s\n", monitor->user);
-    dprintf(file, "password=%s\n", monitor->password);
-    dprintf(file, "monitor_interval=%lu\n", monitor->interval);
-    dprintf(file, "backend_connect_timeout=%d\n", monitor->connect_timeout);
-    dprintf(file, "backend_write_timeout=%d\n", monitor->write_timeout);
-    dprintf(file, "backend_read_timeout=%d\n", monitor->read_timeout);
+
+    if (monitor->created_online)
+    {
+        dprintf(file, "type=monitor\n");
+        dprintf(file, "module=%s\n", monitor->module_name);
+        dprintf(file, "user=%s\n", monitor->user);
+        dprintf(file, "password=%s\n", monitor->password);
+        dprintf(file, "monitor_interval=%lu\n", monitor->interval);
+        dprintf(file, "backend_connect_timeout=%d\n", monitor->connect_timeout);
+        dprintf(file, "backend_write_timeout=%d\n", monitor->write_timeout);
+        dprintf(file, "backend_read_timeout=%d\n", monitor->read_timeout);
+    }
+
+    if (monitor->databases)
+    {
+        dprintf(file, "servers=");
+        for (MXS_MONITOR_SERVERS *db = monitor->databases; db; db = db->next)
+        {
+            if (db != monitor->databases)
+            {
+                dprintf(file, ",");
+            }
+            dprintf(file, "%s", db->server->unique_name);
+        }
+        dprintf(file, "\n");
+    }
+
     close(file);
 
     return true;
 }
 
-bool monitor_serialize_servers(const MXS_MONITOR *monitor)
-{
-    bool rval = false;
-    char filename[PATH_MAX];
-    snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "%s/%s.cnf.tmp", get_config_persistdir(),
-             monitor->name);
-
-    if (unlink(filename) == -1 && errno != ENOENT)
-    {
-        char err[MXS_STRERROR_BUFLEN];
-        MXS_ERROR("Failed to remove temporary monitor configuration at '%s': %d, %s",
-                  filename, errno, strerror_r(errno, err, sizeof(err)));
-    }
-    else if (create_monitor_server_config(monitor, filename))
-    {
-        char final_filename[PATH_MAX];
-        strcpy(final_filename, filename);
-
-        char *dot = strrchr(final_filename, '.');
-        ss_dassert(dot);
-        *dot = '\0';
-
-        if (rename(filename, final_filename) == 0)
-        {
-            rval = true;
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            char err[MXS_STRERROR_BUFLEN];
-            MXS_ERROR("Failed to rename temporary monitor configuration at '%s': %d, %s",
-                      filename, errno, strerror_r(errno, err, sizeof(err)));
-        }
-    }
-
-    return rval;
-}
-
 bool monitor_serialize(const MXS_MONITOR *monitor)
 {
     bool rval = false;