diff --git a/docs/SETTINGS.rst b/docs/SETTINGS.rst
index c099d2e8..c1198a55 100644
--- a/docs/SETTINGS.rst
+++ b/docs/SETTINGS.rst
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Dynamic configuration is stored in the DCS (Distributed Configuration Store) and
 -  **synchronous\_mode\_strict**: prevents disabling synchronous replication if no synchronous replicas are available, blocking all client writes to the master. See :ref:`replication modes documentation <replication_modes>` for details.
 -  **postgresql**:
     -  **use\_pg\_rewind**: whether or not to use pg_rewind. Defaults to `false`.
-    -  **use\_slots**: whether or not to use replication_slots. Defaults to `true` on PostgreSQL 9.4+.
+    -  **use\_slots**: whether or not to use replication slots. Defaults to `true` on PostgreSQL 9.4+.
     -  **recovery\_conf**: additional configuration settings written to recovery.conf when configuring follower. There is no recovery.conf anymore in PostgreSQL 12, but you may continue using this section, because Patroni handles it transparently.
     -  **parameters**: list of configuration settings for Postgres.
 -  **standby\_cluster**: if this section is defined, we want to bootstrap a standby cluster.
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ Dynamic configuration is stored in the DCS (Distributed Configuration Store) and
     -  **archive\_cleanup\_command**: cleanup command for standby leader
     -  **recovery\_min\_apply\_delay**: how long to wait before actually apply WAL records on a standby leader
 -  **slots**: define permanent replication slots. These slots will be preserved during switchover/failover. Patroni will try to create slots before opening connections to the cluster.
-    -  **my_slot_name**: the name of replication slot. It is the responsibility of the operator to make sure that there are no clashes in names between replication slots automatically created by Patroni for members and permanent replication slots.
+    -  **my_slot_name**: the name of replication slot. If the permanent slot name matches with the name of the current primary it will not be created. Everything else is the responsibility of the operator to make sure that there are no clashes in names between replication slots automatically created by Patroni for members and permanent replication slots.
         -  **type**: slot type. Could be ``physical`` or ``logical``. If the slot is logical, you have to additionally define ``database`` and ``plugin``.
         -  **database**: the database name where logical slots should be created.
         -  **plugin**: the plugin name for the logical slot.
diff --git a/patroni/dcs/__init__.py b/patroni/dcs/__init__.py
index 4768f894..7faa5429 100644
--- a/patroni/dcs/__init__.py
+++ b/patroni/dcs/__init__.py
@@ -449,21 +449,21 @@ class Cluster(namedtuple('Cluster', 'initialize,config,leader,last_leader_operat
     def is_synchronous_mode(self):
         return self.check_mode('synchronous_mode')
 
-    def get_replication_slots(self, name, role):
+    def get_replication_slots(self, my_name, role):
         # if the replicatefrom tag is set on the member - we should not create the replication slot for it on
         # the current master, because that member would replicate from elsewhere. We still create the slot if
         # the replicatefrom destination member is currently not a member of the cluster (fallback to the
         # master), or if replicatefrom destination member happens to be the current master
         use_slots = self.config and self.config.data.get('postgresql', {}).get('use_slots', True)
         if role in ('master', 'standby_leader'):
-            slot_members = [m.name for m in self.members if use_slots and m.name != name and
-                            (m.replicatefrom is None or m.replicatefrom == name or
+            slot_members = [m.name for m in self.members if use_slots and m.name != my_name and
+                            (m.replicatefrom is None or m.replicatefrom == my_name or
                              not self.has_member(m.replicatefrom))]
             permanent_slots = (self.config and self.config.permanent_slots or {}).copy()
         else:
             # only manage slots for replicas that replicate from this one, except for the leader among them
             slot_members = [m.name for m in self.members if use_slots and
-                            m.replicatefrom == name and m.name != self.leader.name]
+                            m.replicatefrom == my_name and m.name != self.leader.name]
             permanent_slots = {}
 
         slots = {slot_name_from_member_name(name): {'type': 'physical'} for name in slot_members}
@@ -484,22 +484,21 @@ class Cluster(namedtuple('Cluster', 'initialize,config,leader,last_leader_operat
                 logger.error("Slot name may only contain lower case letters, numbers, and the underscore chars")
                 continue
 
-            if name in slots:
-                logger.error("Permanent replication slot {'%s': %s} is conflicting with" +
-                             " physical replication slot for cluster member", name, value)
-                continue
-
-            value = deepcopy(value)
-            if not value:
-                value = {'type': 'physical'}
-
+            value = deepcopy(value) if value else {'type': 'physical'}
             if isinstance(value, dict):
                 if 'type' not in value:
                     value['type'] = 'logical' if value.get('database') and value.get('plugin') else 'physical'
 
-                if value['type'] == 'physical' or value['type'] == 'logical' \
-                        and value.get('database') and value.get('plugin'):
-                    slots[name] = value
+                if value['type'] == 'physical':
+                    if name != my_name:  # Don't try to create permanent physical replication slot for yourself
+                        slots[name] = value
+                    continue
+                elif value['type'] == 'logical' and value.get('database') and value.get('plugin'):
+                    if name in slots:
+                        logger.error("Permanent logical replication slot {'%s': %s} is conflicting with" +
+                                     " physical replication slot for cluster member", name, value)
+                    else:
+                        slots[name] = value
                     continue
 
             logger.error("Bad value for slot '%s' in permanent_slots: %s", name, permanent_slots[name])
diff --git a/tests/test_postgresql.py b/tests/test_postgresql.py
index a63c572e..00adb8f8 100644
--- a/tests/test_postgresql.py
+++ b/tests/test_postgresql.py
@@ -281,8 +281,8 @@ class TestPostgresql(BaseTestPostgresql):
     @patch.object(Postgresql, 'is_running', Mock(return_value=True))
     def test_sync_replication_slots(self):
         self.p.start()
-        config = ClusterConfig(1, {'slots': {'ls': {'database': 'a', 'plugin': 'b'},
-                                             'A': 0, 'test_3': 0, 'b': {'type': 'logical', 'plugin': '1'}}}, 1)
+        config = ClusterConfig(1, {'slots': {'test_3': {'database': 'a', 'plugin': 'b'},
+                                             'A': 0, 'ls': 0, 'b': {'type': 'logical', 'plugin': '1'}}}, 1)
         cluster = Cluster(True, config, self.leader, 0, [self.me, self.other, self.leadermem], None, None, None)
         with mock.patch('patroni.postgresql.Postgresql._query', Mock(side_effect=psycopg2.OperationalError)):
             self.p.slots_handler.sync_replication_slots(cluster)