diff --git a/userspace/marsadm b/userspace/marsadm
index 6d2ced42..6eb449c8 100755
--- a/userspace/marsadm
+++ b/userspace/marsadm
@@ -159,6 +159,9 @@ sub check_primary {
   my $lnk = "$mars/resource-$res/actual-$host/is-primary";
   my $is_primary = readlink($lnk);
   ldie "for operation '$cmd' I need to be primary\n" unless $is_primary;
+  $lnk = "$mars/resource-$res/primary";
+  my $primary =  readlink($lnk) or ldie "cannot determine primary\n";
+  ldie "for operation '$cmd', I also must be the designated primary\n" unless $primary eq $host;
 }
 
 sub check_not_primary {
@@ -168,11 +171,10 @@ sub check_not_primary {
   if ($is_primary) {
     ldie "operation '$cmd' cannot be executed on primary\n";
   }
-  else {  # also check whether we intend to become primary
-    $lnk = "$mars/resource-$res/primary";
-    my $primary =  readlink($lnk) or ldie "cannot determine primary\n";
-    ldie "operation '$cmd' cannot be executed on designated primary\n";
-  }
+  # also check whether we intend to become primary
+  $lnk = "$mars/resource-$res/primary";
+  my $primary =  readlink($lnk) or ldie "cannot determine primary\n";
+  ldie "operation '$cmd' cannot be executed on designated primary\n" if $primary eq $host;
 }
 
 sub check_primary_gone {