diff --git a/templates/pgpool_recovery_stage_1.j2 b/templates/pgpool_recovery_stage_1.j2
index 7182d57..14011ad 100644
--- a/templates/pgpool_recovery_stage_1.j2
+++ b/templates/pgpool_recovery_stage_1.j2
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ MASTER_HOST=$(hostname -f)
 # $1 is {{ psql_data_dir }} while  $3 is {{ psql_data_dir }}
 #MASTER_DATA="{{ psql_data_dir }}"
 MASTER_DATA="${1}"
-RECOVERY_TARGET=${2}
+RECOVERY_TARGET="${2}"
 #RECOVERY_DATA="{{ psql_data_dir }}"
 RECOVERY_DATA="${3}"
 
@@ -20,32 +20,30 @@ ssh -T $RECOVERY_TARGET sudo /bin/systemctl stop postgresql
 logger "pgpool_recovery_1: stopped postgresql"
 
 # Move the PostgreSQL data directory out of our way.
-ssh -T $RECOVERY_TARGET \
-    "[ -d $RECOVERY_DATA ] && mv $RECOVERY_DATA $RECOVERY_DATA.$TS"
+ssh -T "$RECOVERY_TARGET" "[ -d $RECOVERY_DATA ] && mv $RECOVERY_DATA $RECOVERY_DATA.$TS"
 
 logger "pgpool_recovery_1: moved the old data directory on $RECOVERY_TARGET"
 
 # We only use archived WAL logs during recoveries, so delete all
 # logs from the last recovery to limit the growth.
-rm $MASTER_DATA/archive_log/*
+rm "$MASTER_DATA/archive_log/*"
 
-logger "pgpool_recovery_1: removed archive log"
+logger "pgpool_recovery_1: removed the archive logs"
 
 # With this file present, our archive_command will actually
 # archive WAL files.
-touch $MASTER_DATA/archive_log/backup_in_progress
+touch "$MASTER_DATA/archive_log/backup_in_progress"
 
 logger "pgpool_recovery_1: touched the backup_in_progress file"
 
+logger "pgpool_recovery_1: ssh -T $RECOVERY_TARGET pg_basebackup -h $MASTER_HOST -p {{ psql_db_port }}  -D $RECOVERY_DATA"
 # Perform a backup of the database.
-ssh -T $RECOVERY_TARGET \
-    "pg_basebackup -h $MASTER_HOST -p {{ psql_db_port }}  -D $RECOVERY_DATA"
+ssh -T "$RECOVERY_TARGET" "pg_basebackup -h $MASTER_HOST -p {{ psql_db_port }}  -D $RECOVERY_DATA"
 
-logger "pgpool_recovery_1: backup of the database from $MASTER_HOST to $RECOVERY_TARGET"
+logger "pgpool_recovery_1: backup of the database from $MASTER_HOST to $RECOVERY_TARGET completed"
 
-# Configure the restore_command to use the archive_log WALs we’ll copy
+# Configure the restore_command to use the archive_log WALs we will copy
 # over in 2nd_stage.sh.
-echo "restore_command = 'cp $RECOVERY_DATA/archive_log/%f %p'" | \
-    ssh -T $RECOVERY_TARGET "cat > $RECOVERY_DATA/recovery.conf"
+echo "restore_command = 'cp $RECOVERY_DATA/archive_log/%f %p'" | ssh -T $RECOVERY_TARGET "cat > $RECOVERY_DATA/recovery.conf"
 
 logger "pgpool_recovery_1: create the restore command on $RECOVERY_TARGET"