diff --git a/patroni/ctl.py b/patroni/ctl.py
index 3ad22e2a..d47239db 100644
--- a/patroni/ctl.py
+++ b/patroni/ctl.py
@@ -559,13 +559,13 @@ def failover(config_file, cluster_name, master, candidate, force, dcs, scheduled
     if cluster.leader is None and not cluster.is_paused():
         raise PatroniCtlException('This cluster has no master')
 
-    if master is None and (not cluster.is_paused() or cluster.leader):
+    if master is None and not cluster.is_paused():
         if force:
             master = cluster.leader.member.name
         else:
             master = click.prompt('Master', type=str, default=cluster.leader.member.name)
 
-    if not (master is not None and cluster.leader and cluster.leader.member.name == master):
+    if master is None or not cluster.leader or cluster.leader.member.name != master:
         raise PatroniCtlException('Member {0} is not the leader of cluster {1}'.format(master, cluster_name))
 
     candidate_names = [str(m.name) for m in cluster.members if m.name != master]
diff --git a/tests/test_ctl.py b/tests/test_ctl.py
index 2237145e..c8c93ea1 100644
--- a/tests/test_ctl.py
+++ b/tests/test_ctl.py
@@ -82,11 +82,6 @@ class TestCtl(unittest.TestCase):
         result = self.runner.invoke(ctl, ['failover', 'dummy'], input='leader\nother\n2030-01-01T12:23:00\ny')
         assert result.exit_code == 0
 
-        with patch('patroni.dcs.Cluster.is_paused', Mock(return_value=True)):
-            result = self.runner.invoke(ctl,
-                                        ['failover', 'dummy', '--force', '--scheduled', '2015-01-01T12:00:00+01:00'])
-            assert result.exit_code == 1
-
         # Aborting failover,as we anser NO to the confirmation
         result = self.runner.invoke(ctl, ['failover', 'dummy'], input='leader\nother\n\nN')
         assert result.exit_code == 1