diff --git a/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c b/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
index 0106cdf63804e9d231b14a3ca699b6311d8f507d..88ad51f9e7d9252e78a8a73fd1cb2abf93a946da 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
@@ -11102,6 +11102,12 @@ CheckForStandbyTrigger(void)
 		fast_promote = true;
 		return true;
 	}
+	else if (errno != ENOENT)
+		ereport(ERROR,
+				(errcode_for_file_access(),
+				 errmsg("could not stat trigger file \"%s\": %m",
+						TriggerFile)));
+
 	return false;
 }