diff --git a/patroni/postgresql/bootstrap.py b/patroni/postgresql/bootstrap.py
index 779410c1..0f3c4ba5 100644
--- a/patroni/postgresql/bootstrap.py
+++ b/patroni/postgresql/bootstrap.py
@@ -334,6 +334,13 @@ class Bootstrap(object):
         not_allowed_options = ('pgdata', 'format', 'wal-method', 'xlog-method', 'gzip',
                                'version', 'compress', 'dbname', 'host', 'port', 'username', 'password')
         user_options = self.process_user_options('basebackup', options, not_allowed_options, logger.error)
+        cmd = [
+            self._postgresql.pgcommand("pg_basebackup"),
+            "--pgdata=" + self._postgresql.data_dir,
+            "-X",
+            "stream",
+            "--dbname=" + conn_url,
+        ] + user_options
 
         for bbfailures in range(0, maxfailures):
             if self._postgresql.cancellable.is_cancelled:
@@ -341,9 +348,8 @@ class Bootstrap(object):
             if not self._postgresql.data_directory_empty():
                 self._postgresql.remove_data_directory()
             try:
-                ret = self._postgresql.cancellable.call([self._postgresql.pgcommand('pg_basebackup'),
-                                                         '--pgdata=' + self._postgresql.data_dir, '-X', 'stream',
-                                                         '--dbname=' + conn_url] + user_options, env=env)
+                logger.debug('calling: %r', cmd)
+                ret = self._postgresql.cancellable.call(cmd, env=env)
                 if ret == 0:
                     break
                 else:
diff --git a/tests/test_bootstrap.py b/tests/test_bootstrap.py
index 9a7622c0..eaedc705 100644
--- a/tests/test_bootstrap.py
+++ b/tests/test_bootstrap.py
@@ -92,9 +92,20 @@ class TestBootstrap(BaseTestPostgresql):
         mock_cancellable_subprocess_call.return_value = 1
         self.assertEqual(self.b.create_replica(self.leader), 1)
 
+    @patch.object(CancellableSubprocess, 'call', Mock(return_value=0))
+    @patch.object(Postgresql, 'data_directory_empty', Mock(return_value=True))
     def test_basebackup(self):
-        self.p.cancellable.cancel()
-        self.b.basebackup(None, None, {'foo': 'bar'})
+        with patch('patroni.postgresql.bootstrap.logger.debug') as mock_debug:
+            self.p.cancellable.cancel()
+            self.b.basebackup("", None, {'foo': 'bar'})
+            mock_debug.assert_not_called()
+
+            self.p.cancellable.reset_is_cancelled()
+            self.b.basebackup("", None, {'foo': 'bar'})
+            mock_debug.assert_called_with(
+                'calling: %r',
+                ['pg_basebackup', f'--pgdata={self.p.data_dir}', '-X', 'stream', '--dbname=', '--foo=bar'],
+            )
 
     def test__initdb(self):
         self.assertRaises(Exception, self.b.bootstrap, {'initdb': [{'pgdata': 'bar'}]})