diff --git a/ctdb/server/ctdb_takeover.c b/ctdb/server/ctdb_takeover.c
index 0bd8034674e..56589d90ea5 100644
--- a/ctdb/server/ctdb_takeover.c
+++ b/ctdb/server/ctdb_takeover.c
@@ -452,20 +452,39 @@ static bool ctdb_same_subnet(const char *ip1, const char *ip2, uint8_t netmask_b
   criterion given by the flags
  */
 static void ctdb_takeover_find_node(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, struct ctdb_node_map *nodemap,
-				    int start_node, uint32_t mask_flags)
+				    int node, uint32_t mask_flags)
 {
+	static int start_node=0;
 	int j;
-	for (j=(start_node+1)%nodemap->num;
-	     j != start_node;
-	     j=(j+1)%nodemap->num) {
+
+	j=start_node;
+	while (1) {
 		if (!(nodemap->nodes[j].flags & mask_flags) &&
 		    ctdb_same_subnet(ctdb->nodes[j]->public_address, 
-				     ctdb->nodes[start_node]->public_address, 
+				     ctdb->nodes[node]->public_address, 
 				     ctdb->nodes[j]->public_netmask_bits)) {
-			ctdb->nodes[start_node]->takeover_vnn = nodemap->nodes[j].vnn;
+			ctdb->nodes[node]->takeover_vnn = nodemap->nodes[j].vnn;
+			/* We found a node to take over
+			   also update the startnode so that we start at a 
+			   different node next time we are called.
+			 */
+			start_node = (j+1)%nodemap->num;;
+			return;
+		}
+
+		/* Try the next node */
+		j=(j+1)%nodemap->num;
+
+		/* We tried all the nodes and got back to where we started,
+		   there is no node that can take over
+		 */
+		if (j == start_node) {
 			break;
 		}
 	}
+
+	/* No takeover node found */
+	return;
 }