diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/libpq.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/libpq.sgml
index f9558dec3b..af278660eb 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/libpq.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/libpq.sgml
@@ -5055,10 +5055,11 @@ int PQflush(PGconn *conn);
   </para>
 
   <para>
-   While the pipeline API was introduced in
+   While <application>libpq</application>'s pipeline API was introduced in
    <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> 14, it is a client-side feature
    which doesn't require special server support and works on any server
-   that supports the v3 extended query protocol.
+   that supports the v3 extended query protocol.  For more information see
+   <xref linkend="protocol-flow-pipelining"/>.
   </para>
 
   <sect2 id="libpq-pipeline-using">
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/protocol.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/protocol.sgml
index 5fdd429e05..03312e07e2 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/protocol.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/protocol.sgml
@@ -1093,9 +1093,10 @@ SELCT 1/0;<!-- this typo is intentional -->
     implicit <command>ROLLBACK</command> if they failed.  However, there
     are a few DDL commands (such as <command>CREATE DATABASE</command>)
     that cannot be executed inside a transaction block.  If one of
-    these is executed in a pipeline, it will, upon success, force an
-    immediate commit to preserve database consistency.
-    A Sync immediately following one of these has no effect except to
+    these is executed in a pipeline, it will fail unless it is the first
+    command in the pipeline.  Furthermore, upon success it will force an
+    immediate commit to preserve database consistency.  Thus a Sync
+    immediately following one of these commands has no effect except to
     respond with ReadyForQuery.
    </para>
 
@@ -1103,7 +1104,7 @@ SELCT 1/0;<!-- this typo is intentional -->
     When using this method, completion of the pipeline must be determined
     by counting ReadyForQuery messages and waiting for that to reach the
     number of Syncs sent.  Counting command completion responses is
-    unreliable, since some of the commands may not be executed and thus not
+    unreliable, since some of the commands may be skipped and thus not
     produce a completion message.
    </para>
   </sect2>
diff --git a/src/backend/access/transam/xact.c b/src/backend/access/transam/xact.c
index 8086b857b9..b7c7fd9f00 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/transam/xact.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/transam/xact.c
@@ -3488,6 +3488,16 @@ PreventInTransactionBlock(bool isTopLevel, const char *stmtType)
 				 errmsg("%s cannot run inside a subtransaction",
 						stmtType)));
 
+	/*
+	 * inside a pipeline that has started an implicit transaction?
+	 */
+	if (MyXactFlags & XACT_FLAGS_PIPELINING)
+		ereport(ERROR,
+				(errcode(ERRCODE_ACTIVE_SQL_TRANSACTION),
+		/* translator: %s represents an SQL statement name */
+				 errmsg("%s cannot be executed within a pipeline",
+						stmtType)));
+
 	/*
 	 * inside a function call?
 	 */
@@ -3577,9 +3587,11 @@ CheckTransactionBlock(bool isTopLevel, bool throwError, const char *stmtType)
  *	a transaction block than when running as single commands.  ANALYZE is
  *	currently the only example.
  *
- *	If this routine returns "false", then the calling statement is
- *	guaranteed that if it completes without error, its results will be
- *	committed immediately.
+ *	If this routine returns "false", then the calling statement is allowed
+ *	to perform internal transaction-commit-and-start cycles; there is not a
+ *	risk of messing up any transaction already in progress.  (Note that this
+ *	is not the identical guarantee provided by PreventInTransactionBlock,
+ *	since we will not force a post-statement commit.)
  *
  *	isTopLevel: passed down from ProcessUtility to determine whether we are
  *	inside a function.
@@ -3597,6 +3609,9 @@ IsInTransactionBlock(bool isTopLevel)
 	if (IsSubTransaction())
 		return true;
 
+	if (MyXactFlags & XACT_FLAGS_PIPELINING)
+		return true;
+
 	if (!isTopLevel)
 		return true;
 
@@ -3604,13 +3619,6 @@ IsInTransactionBlock(bool isTopLevel)
 		CurrentTransactionState->blockState != TBLOCK_STARTED)
 		return true;
 
-	/*
-	 * If we tell the caller we're not in a transaction block, then inform
-	 * postgres.c that it had better commit when the statement is done.
-	 * Otherwise our report could be a lie.
-	 */
-	MyXactFlags |= XACT_FLAGS_NEEDIMMEDIATECOMMIT;
-
 	return false;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/backend/tcop/postgres.c b/src/backend/tcop/postgres.c
index f8808d2191..01d264b5ab 100644
--- a/src/backend/tcop/postgres.c
+++ b/src/backend/tcop/postgres.c
@@ -2228,6 +2228,12 @@ exec_execute_message(const char *portal_name, long max_rows)
 			 */
 			CommandCounterIncrement();
 
+			/*
+			 * Set XACT_FLAGS_PIPELINING whenever we complete an Execute
+			 * message without immediately committing the transaction.
+			 */
+			MyXactFlags |= XACT_FLAGS_PIPELINING;
+
 			/*
 			 * Disable statement timeout whenever we complete an Execute
 			 * message.  The next protocol message will start a fresh timeout.
@@ -2243,6 +2249,12 @@ exec_execute_message(const char *portal_name, long max_rows)
 		/* Portal run not complete, so send PortalSuspended */
 		if (whereToSendOutput == DestRemote)
 			pq_putemptymessage('s');
+
+		/*
+		 * Set XACT_FLAGS_PIPELINING whenever we suspend an Execute message,
+		 * too.
+		 */
+		MyXactFlags |= XACT_FLAGS_PIPELINING;
 	}
 
 	/*
diff --git a/src/include/access/xact.h b/src/include/access/xact.h
index c604ee11f8..898b065b4f 100644
--- a/src/include/access/xact.h
+++ b/src/include/access/xact.h
@@ -113,6 +113,13 @@ extern PGDLLIMPORT int MyXactFlags;
  */
 #define XACT_FLAGS_NEEDIMMEDIATECOMMIT			(1U << 2)
 
+/*
+ * XACT_FLAGS_PIPELINING - set when we complete an extended-query-protocol
+ * Execute message.  This is useful for detecting that an implicit transaction
+ * block has been created via pipelining.
+ */
+#define XACT_FLAGS_PIPELINING					(1U << 3)
+
 /*
  *	start- and end-of-transaction callbacks for dynamically loaded modules
  */