diff --git a/src/backend/utils/adt/format_type.c b/src/backend/utils/adt/format_type.c
index df0bdeb610..f2816e4f37 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/adt/format_type.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/adt/format_type.c
@@ -96,13 +96,16 @@ format_type(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
  * - FORMAT_TYPE_ALLOW_INVALID
  *			if the type OID is invalid or unknown, return ??? or such instead
  *			of failing
+ * - FORMAT_TYPE_INVALID_AS_NULL
+ *			if the type OID is invalid or unknown, return NULL instead of ???
+ *			or such
  * - FORMAT_TYPE_FORCE_QUALIFY
  *			always schema-qualify type names, regardless of search_path
  *
  * Note that TYPEMOD_GIVEN is not interchangeable with "typemod == -1";
  * see the comments above for format_type().
  *
- * Returns a palloc'd string.
+ * Returns a palloc'd string, or NULL.
  */
 char *
 format_type_extended(Oid type_oid, int32 typemod, bits16 flags)
@@ -114,13 +117,20 @@ format_type_extended(Oid type_oid, int32 typemod, bits16 flags)
 	char	   *buf;
 	bool		with_typemod;
 
-	if (type_oid == InvalidOid && (flags & FORMAT_TYPE_ALLOW_INVALID) != 0)
-		return pstrdup("-");
+	if (type_oid == InvalidOid)
+	{
+		if ((flags & FORMAT_TYPE_INVALID_AS_NULL) != 0)
+			return NULL;
+		else if ((flags & FORMAT_TYPE_ALLOW_INVALID) != 0)
+			return pstrdup("-");
+	}
 
 	tuple = SearchSysCache1(TYPEOID, ObjectIdGetDatum(type_oid));
 	if (!HeapTupleIsValid(tuple))
 	{
-		if ((flags & FORMAT_TYPE_ALLOW_INVALID) != 0)
+		if ((flags & FORMAT_TYPE_INVALID_AS_NULL) != 0)
+			return NULL;
+		else if ((flags & FORMAT_TYPE_ALLOW_INVALID) != 0)
 			return pstrdup("???");
 		else
 			elog(ERROR, "cache lookup failed for type %u", type_oid);
@@ -144,7 +154,9 @@ format_type_extended(Oid type_oid, int32 typemod, bits16 flags)
 		tuple = SearchSysCache1(TYPEOID, ObjectIdGetDatum(array_base_type));
 		if (!HeapTupleIsValid(tuple))
 		{
-			if ((flags & FORMAT_TYPE_ALLOW_INVALID) != 0)
+			if ((flags & FORMAT_TYPE_INVALID_AS_NULL) != 0)
+				return NULL;
+			else if ((flags & FORMAT_TYPE_ALLOW_INVALID) != 0)
 				return pstrdup("???[]");
 			else
 				elog(ERROR, "cache lookup failed for type %u", type_oid);
diff --git a/src/include/utils/builtins.h b/src/include/utils/builtins.h
index f8595642da..3ca5e938f8 100644
--- a/src/include/utils/builtins.h
+++ b/src/include/utils/builtins.h
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ extern Datum numeric_float8_no_overflow(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS);
 #define FORMAT_TYPE_TYPEMOD_GIVEN	0x01	/* typemod defined by caller */
 #define FORMAT_TYPE_ALLOW_INVALID	0x02	/* allow invalid types */
 #define FORMAT_TYPE_FORCE_QUALIFY	0x04	/* force qualification of type */
+#define FORMAT_TYPE_INVALID_AS_NULL	0x08	/* NULL if undefined */
 extern char *format_type_extended(Oid type_oid, int32 typemod, bits16 flags);
 
 extern char *format_type_be(Oid type_oid);