diff --git a/checksums/SHA256SUMS b/checksums/SHA256SUMS
index b9577d3..7a495f0 100644
--- a/checksums/SHA256SUMS
+++ b/checksums/SHA256SUMS
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 5aa02fa065d1dba55486838fa4f0cd8eba982edaaf73cdc7d818223a09cbadc6  ocf/loxthelion/managed-container
 10932919c4339b553c7c9dbf30b45a917c51c0a08f362e12678003d58b12fa82  ocf/loxthelion/managed-container.d/applications/postgresql/auth.sh
 61d64b4a3a15c354f101ef34c5dc0425723f4204207d359b5377d2b9f04f6b23  ocf/loxthelion/managed-container.d/applications/postgresql/demote.sh
-03a8a903514d30e8bb6be04711b608652db0c4bc10bf2cf5c389a78ed044f646  ocf/loxthelion/managed-container.d/applications/postgresql/native_peers.sh
+e111dfe454a6e1edd80edc0c303119e045e7c88fe77b69a2745e58a022d0d317  ocf/loxthelion/managed-container.d/applications/postgresql/native_peers.sh
 bcfde96b98f4727a8c97d42a39b7c6ec925b1b89d17ef67cc58eb7bd67afbfae  ocf/loxthelion/managed-container.d/applications/postgresql/notify.sh
 957a5a72ed277d0216e070abb80733483be3d421b9fa488e27fdd75bb2919548  ocf/loxthelion/managed-container.d/applications/postgresql/peer_config.sh
 5091bc554915d1450fe939f94c0b0a370fecdb2ae5db9c4f0f55c340c0145519  ocf/loxthelion/managed-container.d/applications/postgresql/plugin.sh
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ a42bb59a058ffeb59c1baa96e403856910bbbaea98f9104ff93daf4b5970c780  postgres-host/
 deb09e3ae40629f43b262ba4f9a7ebf59a1dca3da9d8c94478f670aea28bd0e1  quadlet/postgres.container
 04a125068677bbee6e71d313ca9d95d35faa32851b79de781cd7b9f466561445  quadlet/postgres.env.example
 38379bdee0e894160855f2e74b222b95a73eb76c394523d6fd1a46e0d57b8d6a  tests/run-all.sh
-9584b4f3e7187569de4988c7fdd5690cd49bda5913b74227f31985c6bc447009  tests/test-demote-database-gate.sh
+a373c0560391a2d8f63c3ba31609ab16b219d9b532b4ab9f8aea6dc45de10555  tests/test-demote-database-gate.sh
 22d3eb56e8cd3ae1a58e2616f44abd3818f79d7e5df55c1c158e36dca7c77f42  tests/test-demote-database-shadow.sh
 5e5d4fdd2b6c7e0b8b146de7aad06c1f96b221a10fec525b00d40e0d85709fb0  tests/test-entrypoint-structure.sh
 2faee72cf2fdcbfa667c3e1c2a7aabc053b96a9b8127ff7440ddb717fd2dc314  tests/test-notify-daemon-shadow.sh
diff --git a/ocf/loxthelion/managed-container.d/applications/postgresql/native_peers.sh b/ocf/loxthelion/managed-container.d/applications/postgresql/native_peers.sh
index 45961a2..a72d752 100755
--- a/ocf/loxthelion/managed-container.d/applications/postgresql/native_peers.sh
+++ b/ocf/loxthelion/managed-container.d/applications/postgresql/native_peers.sh
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ mc_pg_demote_database_shadow()
 
     [ -n "${resource}" ] || return 0
 
-    response="$(
+    if response="$(
         timeout --kill-after=1s 5s \
             python3 \
             "${MC_PROXY_CLIENT:-/usr/lib/ocf/resource.d/loxthelion/managed-container.d/proxy_client.py}" \
@@ -48,8 +48,11 @@ mc_pg_demote_database_shadow()
             "demote.database" \
             10 \
             11
-    )"
-    rc=$?
+    )"; then
+        rc=0
+    else
+        rc=$?
+    fi
 
     if [ "${rc}" -ne 0 ]; then
         ocf_log warn \
diff --git a/tests/test-demote-database-gate.sh b/tests/test-demote-database-gate.sh
index 30f7714..ac909da 100755
--- a/tests/test-demote-database-gate.sh
+++ b/tests/test-demote-database-gate.sh
@@ -3,9 +3,59 @@ set -euo pipefail
 
 ROOT="$(CDPATH= cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")/.." && pwd)"
 FILE="$ROOT/ocf/loxthelion/managed-container.d/applications/postgresql/native_peers.sh"
+FAKE="$(mktemp)"
 
-grep -q 'MC_DEMOTE_DATABASE_GATE' "$FILE"
-grep -q 'gate rejected demotion' "$FILE"
-grep -q 'if ! mc_pg_demote_database_shadow' "$FILE"
+cleanup()
+{
+    rm -f "$FAKE"
+}
 
-echo "DEMOTE_DATABASE_GATE_TEST_PASS=1"
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+ocf_log()
+{
+    :
+}
+
+export OCF_RESOURCE_INSTANCE=postgresql-ha
+export MC_PROXY_CLIENT="$FAKE"
+
+cat > "$FAKE" <<'EOF'
+import json
+print(json.dumps({
+    "ocf_rc": 1,
+    "ready": False,
+    "mutation": False,
+}))
+EOF
+chmod 0755 "$FAKE"
+
+# shellcheck disable=SC1090
+. "$FILE"
+
+unset MC_DEMOTE_DATABASE_GATE
+mc_pg_demote_database_shadow
+
+export MC_DEMOTE_DATABASE_GATE=true
+
+if mc_pg_demote_database_shadow; then
+    echo "FAIL: mismatch was not gated"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+cat > "$FAKE" <<'EOF'
+raise SystemExit(10)
+EOF
+chmod 0755 "$FAKE"
+
+unset MC_DEMOTE_DATABASE_GATE
+mc_pg_demote_database_shadow
+
+export MC_DEMOTE_DATABASE_GATE=true
+
+if mc_pg_demote_database_shadow; then
+    echo "FAIL: transport failure was not gated"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "DEMOTE_DATABASE_GATE_RUNTIME_TEST_PASS=1"