diff --git a/src/backend/access/heap/heapam.c b/src/backend/access/heap/heapam.c
index e4bd090669..22babd9b84 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/heap/heapam.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/heap/heapam.c
@@ -1366,10 +1366,13 @@ heap_getnextslot(TableScanDesc sscan, ScanDirection direction, TupleTableSlot *s
  * must unpin the buffer when done with the tuple.
  *
  * If the tuple is not found (ie, item number references a deleted slot),
- * then tuple->t_data is set to NULL and false is returned.
+ * then tuple->t_data is set to NULL, *userbuf is set to InvalidBuffer,
+ * and false is returned.
  *
  * If the tuple is found but fails the time qual check, then false is returned
- * but tuple->t_data is left pointing to the tuple.
+ * and *userbuf is set to InvalidBuffer, but tuple->t_data is left pointing
+ * to the tuple.  (Note that it is unsafe to dereference tuple->t_data in
+ * this case, but callers might choose to test it for NULL-ness.)
  *
  * heap_fetch does not follow HOT chains: only the exact TID requested will
  * be fetched.
@@ -1388,6 +1391,25 @@ heap_fetch(Relation relation,
 		   Snapshot snapshot,
 		   HeapTuple tuple,
 		   Buffer *userbuf)
+{
+	return heap_fetch_extended(relation, snapshot, tuple, userbuf, false);
+}
+
+/*
+ *	heap_fetch_extended		- fetch tuple even if it fails snapshot test
+ *
+ * If keep_buf is true, then upon finding a tuple that is valid but fails
+ * the snapshot check, we return the tuple pointer in tuple->t_data and the
+ * buffer ID in *userbuf, keeping the buffer pin, just as if it had passed
+ * the snapshot.  (The function result is still "false" though.)
+ * If keep_buf is false then this behaves identically to heap_fetch().
+ */
+bool
+heap_fetch_extended(Relation relation,
+					Snapshot snapshot,
+					HeapTuple tuple,
+					Buffer *userbuf,
+					bool keep_buf)
 {
 	ItemPointer tid = &(tuple->t_self);
 	ItemId		lp;
@@ -1470,9 +1492,14 @@ heap_fetch(Relation relation,
 		return true;
 	}
 
-	/* Tuple failed time qual */
-	ReleaseBuffer(buffer);
-	*userbuf = InvalidBuffer;
+	/* Tuple failed time qual, but maybe caller wants to see it anyway. */
+	if (keep_buf)
+		*userbuf = buffer;
+	else
+	{
+		ReleaseBuffer(buffer);
+		*userbuf = InvalidBuffer;
+	}
 
 	return false;
 }
@@ -1495,8 +1522,7 @@ heap_fetch(Relation relation,
  * are vacuumable, false if not.
  *
  * Unlike heap_fetch, the caller must already have pin and (at least) share
- * lock on the buffer; it is still pinned/locked at exit.  Also unlike
- * heap_fetch, we do not report any pgstats count; caller may do so if wanted.
+ * lock on the buffer; it is still pinned/locked at exit.
  */
 bool
 heap_hot_search_buffer(ItemPointer tid, Relation relation, Buffer buffer,
diff --git a/src/backend/access/heap/heapam_handler.c b/src/backend/access/heap/heapam_handler.c
index 5deceeb86e..b772f71323 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/heap/heapam_handler.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/heap/heapam_handler.c
@@ -399,7 +399,8 @@ tuple_lock_retry:
 							 errmsg("tuple to be locked was already moved to another partition due to concurrent update")));
 
 				tuple->t_self = *tid;
-				if (heap_fetch(relation, &SnapshotDirty, tuple, &buffer))
+				if (heap_fetch_extended(relation, &SnapshotDirty, tuple,
+										&buffer, true))
 				{
 					/*
 					 * If xmin isn't what we're expecting, the slot must have
@@ -498,6 +499,7 @@ tuple_lock_retry:
 				 */
 				if (tuple->t_data == NULL)
 				{
+					Assert(!BufferIsValid(buffer));
 					return TM_Deleted;
 				}
 
@@ -507,8 +509,7 @@ tuple_lock_retry:
 				if (!TransactionIdEquals(HeapTupleHeaderGetXmin(tuple->t_data),
 										 priorXmax))
 				{
-					if (BufferIsValid(buffer))
-						ReleaseBuffer(buffer);
+					ReleaseBuffer(buffer);
 					return TM_Deleted;
 				}
 
@@ -524,13 +525,12 @@ tuple_lock_retry:
 				 *
 				 * As above, it should be safe to examine xmax and t_ctid
 				 * without the buffer content lock, because they can't be
-				 * changing.
+				 * changing.  We'd better hold a buffer pin though.
 				 */
 				if (ItemPointerEquals(&tuple->t_self, &tuple->t_data->t_ctid))
 				{
 					/* deleted, so forget about it */
-					if (BufferIsValid(buffer))
-						ReleaseBuffer(buffer);
+					ReleaseBuffer(buffer);
 					return TM_Deleted;
 				}
 
@@ -538,8 +538,7 @@ tuple_lock_retry:
 				*tid = tuple->t_data->t_ctid;
 				/* updated row should have xmin matching this xmax */
 				priorXmax = HeapTupleHeaderGetUpdateXid(tuple->t_data);
-				if (BufferIsValid(buffer))
-					ReleaseBuffer(buffer);
+				ReleaseBuffer(buffer);
 				/* loop back to fetch next in chain */
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/src/include/access/heapam.h b/src/include/access/heapam.h
index f279edc473..2818343bdc 100644
--- a/src/include/access/heapam.h
+++ b/src/include/access/heapam.h
@@ -124,6 +124,9 @@ extern bool heap_getnextslot(TableScanDesc sscan,
 
 extern bool heap_fetch(Relation relation, Snapshot snapshot,
 					   HeapTuple tuple, Buffer *userbuf);
+extern bool heap_fetch_extended(Relation relation, Snapshot snapshot,
+								HeapTuple tuple, Buffer *userbuf,
+								bool keep_buf);
 extern bool heap_hot_search_buffer(ItemPointer tid, Relation relation,
 								   Buffer buffer, Snapshot snapshot, HeapTuple heapTuple,
 								   bool *all_dead, bool first_call);