diff --git a/patroni/api.py b/patroni/api.py
index b91eea30..3fbab534 100644
--- a/patroni/api.py
+++ b/patroni/api.py
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ class RestApiHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
         response['patroni'] = {'version': patroni.version, 'scope': patroni.postgresql.scope}
         if patroni.scheduled_restart and isinstance(patroni.scheduled_restart, dict):
             response['scheduled_restart'] = patroni.scheduled_restart.copy()
+            del response['scheduled_restart']['postmaster_start_time']
             response['scheduled_restart']['schedule'] = (response['scheduled_restart']['schedule']).isoformat()
         self._write_json_response(status_code, response)
 
@@ -227,6 +228,7 @@ class RestApiHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
                     data = "Schedule required for the scheduled restart"
                     status_code = 400
                 else:
+                    request['postmaster_start_time'] = self.server.patroni.ha.state_handler.postmaster_start_time()
                     if self.server.patroni.ha.schedule_future_restart(request):
                         data = "Restart scheduled"
                         status_code = 202
diff --git a/patroni/ha.py b/patroni/ha.py
index 8c282c95..6ac09533 100644
--- a/patroni/ha.py
+++ b/patroni/ha.py
@@ -388,33 +388,49 @@ class Ha(object):
     def evaluate_scheduled_restart(self):
         # restart if we need to
         restart_data = self.future_restart_scheduled()
+        if restart_data:
+            recent_time = self.state_handler.postmaster_start_time()
+            request_time = restart_data['postmaster_start_time']
+            # check if postmaster start time has changed since the last restart
+            if recent_time and request_time and recent_time != request_time:
+                logger.info("Cancelling scheduled restart: postgres restart has already happened at {0}".
+                            format(recent_time))
+                self.delete_future_restart()
+                return
+
         if (restart_data and
            self.should_run_scheduled_action('restart', restart_data['schedule'], self.delete_future_restart)):
             try:
-                reason_to_cancel = ""
-                # checking the restart filters here seem to be less ugly than moving them into the
-                # run_scheduled_action.
-                if restart_data.get('role') and restart_data['role'] != self.state_handler.role:
-                    reason_to_cancel = "host role mismatch"
-
-                if (restart_data.get('postgres_version') and
-                   self.state_hander.postgres_version_to_int(restart_data['postgres_version']) <=
-                   int(self.state_hander.server_version)):
-                    reason_to_cancel = "postgres version mismatch"
-
-                if 'with_pending_restart_flag' in restart_data and not self.state_handler.pending_restart:
-                    reason_to_cancel = "pending restart flag is not set"
-
-                if not reason_to_cancel:
+                if self.scheduled_restart_matches(restart_data.get('role'),
+                                                  restart_data.get('postgres_version'),
+                                                  ('with_pending_restart_flag' in restart_data)):
                     if self.state_handler.restart():
                         logger.info("Scheduled restart successfull")
                     else:
                         logger.warning("Scheduled restart failed")
-                else:
-                    logger.info("not proceeding with the scheduled restart: {0}".format(reason_to_cancel))
             finally:
                 self.delete_future_restart()
 
+    def scheduled_restart_matches(self, role, postgres_version, pending_restart):
+        reason_to_cancel = ""
+        # checking the restart filters here seem to be less ugly than moving them into the
+        # run_scheduled_action.
+        if role and role != self.state_handler.role:
+            reason_to_cancel = "host role mismatch"
+
+        if (postgres_version and
+           self.state_hander.postgres_version_to_int(postgres_version) <= int(self.state_hander.server_version)):
+            reason_to_cancel = "postgres version mismatch"
+
+        if pending_restart and not self.state_handler.pending_restart:
+            reason_to_cancel = "pending restart flag is not set"
+
+        if not reason_to_cancel:
+            return True
+        else:
+            logger.info("not proceeding with the scheduled restart: {0}".format(reason_to_cancel))
+        return False
+
     def schedule(self, action):
         with self._async_executor:
             return self._async_executor.schedule(action)
diff --git a/patroni/postgresql.py b/patroni/postgresql.py
index 8951e4c3..1120f842 100644
--- a/patroni/postgresql.py
+++ b/patroni/postgresql.py
@@ -806,6 +806,13 @@ $$""".format(name, ' '.join(options)), name, password, password)
             self._replication_slots = [r[0] for r in cursor]
             self._schedule_load_slots = False
 
+    def postmaster_start_time(self):
+        try:
+            cursor = self.query("""SELECT to_char(pg_postmaster_start_time(), 'YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS.MS TZ')""")
+            return cursor.fetchone()[0]
+        except psycopg2.Error:
+            return None
+
     def sync_replication_slots(self, cluster):
         if self.use_slots:
             try:
diff --git a/tests/test_api.py b/tests/test_api.py
index 6b9f93de..e50b58bb 100644
--- a/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/test_api.py
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ class MockPostgresql(object):
     def connection():
         return psycopg2_connect()
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def postmaster_start_time():
+        return '2016-08-20 12:00TZ+1'
+
 
 class MockHa(object):
 
@@ -67,7 +71,8 @@ class MockPatroni(object):
     tags = {}
     version = '0.00'
     noloadbalance = Mock(return_value=False)
-    scheduled_restart = {'schedule': dateutil.parser.parse('2016-08-29 12:45TZ+1')}
+    scheduled_restart = {'schedule': dateutil.parser.parse('2016-08-29 12:45TZ+1'),
+                         'postmaster_start_time': '2016-08-20 12:00TZ+1'}
 
     @staticmethod
     def sighup_handler():
diff --git a/tests/test_ha.py b/tests/test_ha.py
index 71e7087f..b8386fee 100644
--- a/tests/test_ha.py
+++ b/tests/test_ha.py
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@ zookeeper:
         self.replicatefrom = None
         self.api.connection_string = 'http://127.0.0.1:8008'
         self.clonefrom = None
-        self.scheduled_restart = {'schedule': dateutil.parser.parse('2016-08-29 12:45TZ+1')}
+        self.scheduled_restart = {'schedule': dateutil.parser.parse('2016-08-29 12:45TZ+1'),
+                                  'postmaster_start_time': '2016-08-20 12:00TZ+1'}
 
 
 def run_async(func, args=()):
@@ -119,6 +120,7 @@ class TestHa(unittest.TestCase):
                                                 'hot_standby': 'on', 'max_wal_senders': 5, 'wal_keep_segments': 8}})
             self.p.set_state('running')
             self.p.set_role('replica')
+            self.p.postmaster_start_time = MagicMock(return_value="2016-08-20 12:00TZ+1")
             self.p.check_replication_lag = true
             self.p.can_create_replica_without_replication_connection = MagicMock(return_value=False)
             self.e = get_dcs({'etcd': {'ttl': 30, 'host': 'ok:2379', 'scope': 'test',
@@ -128,6 +130,7 @@ class TestHa(unittest.TestCase):
             self.ha.old_cluster = self.e.get_cluster()
             self.ha.cluster = get_cluster_not_initialized_without_leader()
             self.ha.load_cluster_from_dcs = Mock()
+            #self.ha.evaluate_scheduled_restart = true
 
     def test_update_lock(self):
         self.p.last_operation = Mock(side_effect=PostgresException(''))