diff --git a/src/test/recovery/t/009_twophase.pl b/src/test/recovery/t/009_twophase.pl
index 93d0e974c4..6d4bd3608b 100644
--- a/src/test/recovery/t/009_twophase.pl
+++ b/src/test/recovery/t/009_twophase.pl
@@ -4,11 +4,25 @@ use warnings;
 
 use PostgresNode;
 use TestLib;
-use Test::More tests => 17;
+use Test::More tests => 18;
 
 my $psql_out = '';
 my $psql_rc  = '';
 
+sub configure_and_reload
+{
+	my ($node, $parameter) = @_;
+	my $name = $node->name;
+
+	$node->append_conf(
+		'postgresql.conf', qq(
+		$parameter
+	));
+	$node->psql('postgres', "SELECT pg_reload_conf()",
+			   stdout => \$psql_out);
+	is($psql_out, 't', 'reload $parameter in postgresql.conf of node "$name"');
+}
+
 # Set up two nodes, which will alternately be master and replication slave.
 
 # Setup london node
@@ -28,14 +42,9 @@ $node_paris->init_from_backup($node_london, 'london_backup',
 	has_streaming => 1);
 $node_paris->start;
 
-# Switch to synchronous replication
-$node_london->append_conf(
-	'postgresql.conf', qq(
-	synchronous_standby_names = '*'
-));
-$node_london->psql('postgres', "SELECT pg_reload_conf()",
-		   stdout => \$psql_out);
-is($psql_out, 't', 'Enable synchronous replication');
+# Switch to synchronous replication both nodes
+configure_and_reload($node_london, "synchronous_standby_names = '*'");
+configure_and_reload($node_paris, "synchronous_standby_names = '*'");
 
 note "Initially, london is master and paris is slave";
 my ($cur_master, $cur_slave) = ($node_london, $node_paris);
@@ -213,7 +222,9 @@ note "Now paris is master and london is slave";
 ($cur_master, $cur_slave) = ($node_paris, $node_london);
 $cur_master_name = $cur_master->name;
 
-$psql_rc = $cur_master->psql('postgres', "COMMIT PREPARED 'xact_009_10'");
+# standby is disconnected, so disable synchronous commit temporarily
+$psql_rc = $cur_master->psql('postgres',
+	"SET synchronous_commit = off; COMMIT PREPARED 'xact_009_10';");
 is($psql_rc, '0', "Restore of prepared transaction on promoted slave");
 
 # restart old master as new slave
@@ -309,8 +320,8 @@ $cur_slave->start;
 $cur_master->psql('postgres', "COMMIT PREPARED 'xact_009_12'");
 
 ###############################################################################
-# Check for a lock conflict between prepared transaction with DDL inside and replay of
-# XLOG_STANDBY_LOCK wal record.
+# Check for a lock conflict between prepared transaction with DDL inside and
+# replay of XLOG_STANDBY_LOCK wal record.
 ###############################################################################
 
 $cur_master->psql(