diff --git a/src/backend/commands/trigger.c b/src/backend/commands/trigger.c
index 72b113476e..a7f49a6731 100644
--- a/src/backend/commands/trigger.c
+++ b/src/backend/commands/trigger.c
@@ -4390,8 +4390,12 @@ AfterTriggerExecute(EState *estate,
 	bool		should_free_new = false;
 
 	/*
-	 * Locate trigger in trigdesc.
+	 * Locate trigger in trigdesc.  It might not be present, and in fact the
+	 * trigdesc could be NULL, if the trigger was dropped since the event was
+	 * queued.  In that case, silently do nothing.
 	 */
+	if (trigdesc == NULL)
+		return;
 	for (tgindx = 0; tgindx < trigdesc->numtriggers; tgindx++)
 	{
 		if (trigdesc->triggers[tgindx].tgoid == tgoid)
@@ -4401,7 +4405,7 @@ AfterTriggerExecute(EState *estate,
 		}
 	}
 	if (LocTriggerData.tg_trigger == NULL)
-		elog(ERROR, "could not find trigger %u", tgoid);
+		return;
 
 	/*
 	 * If doing EXPLAIN ANALYZE, start charging time to this trigger. We want
@@ -4782,6 +4786,7 @@ afterTriggerInvokeEvents(AfterTriggerEventList *events,
 					/* Catch calls with insufficient relcache refcounting */
 					Assert(!RelationHasReferenceCountZero(rel));
 					trigdesc = rInfo->ri_TrigDesc;
+					/* caution: trigdesc could be NULL here */
 					finfo = rInfo->ri_TrigFunctions;
 					instr = rInfo->ri_TrigInstrument;
 					if (slot1 != NULL)
@@ -4797,9 +4802,6 @@ afterTriggerInvokeEvents(AfterTriggerEventList *events,
 						slot2 = MakeSingleTupleTableSlot(rel->rd_att,
 														 &TTSOpsMinimalTuple);
 					}
-					if (trigdesc == NULL)	/* should not happen */
-						elog(ERROR, "relation %u has no triggers",
-							 evtshared->ats_relid);
 				}
 
 				/*
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/triggers.out b/src/test/regress/expected/triggers.out
index 4dd95e2680..0d2c5daab3 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/triggers.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/triggers.out
@@ -3372,6 +3372,17 @@ select * from trig_table;
 
 drop table refd_table, trig_table;
 --
+-- Test that we can drop a not-yet-fired deferred trigger
+--
+create table refd_table (id int primary key);
+create table trig_table (fk int references refd_table initially deferred);
+begin;
+insert into trig_table values (1);
+drop table refd_table cascade;
+NOTICE:  drop cascades to constraint trig_table_fk_fkey on table trig_table
+commit;
+drop table trig_table;
+--
 -- self-referential FKs are even more fun
 --
 create table self_ref (a int primary key,
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/triggers.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/triggers.sql
index 6c9e066397..51610788b2 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/triggers.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/triggers.sql
@@ -2478,6 +2478,20 @@ select * from trig_table;
 
 drop table refd_table, trig_table;
 
+--
+-- Test that we can drop a not-yet-fired deferred trigger
+--
+
+create table refd_table (id int primary key);
+create table trig_table (fk int references refd_table initially deferred);
+
+begin;
+insert into trig_table values (1);
+drop table refd_table cascade;
+commit;
+
+drop table trig_table;
+
 --
 -- self-referential FKs are even more fun
 --