diff --git a/src/bin/pg_basebackup/streamutil.c b/src/bin/pg_basebackup/streamutil.c
index 40d55d8012..4d1ff90ee8 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_basebackup/streamutil.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_basebackup/streamutil.c
@@ -233,10 +233,10 @@ GetConnection(void)
 /*
  * Run IDENTIFY_SYSTEM through a given connection and give back to caller
  * some result information if requested:
- * - Start LSN position
- * - Current timeline ID
  * - System identifier
- * - Plugin name
+ * - Current timeline ID
+ * - Start LSN position
+ * - Database name (NULL in servers prior to 9.4)
  */
 bool
 RunIdentifySystem(PGconn *conn, char **sysid, TimeLineID *starttli,
@@ -294,15 +294,21 @@ RunIdentifySystem(PGconn *conn, char **sysid, TimeLineID *starttli,
 	/* Get database name, only available in 9.4 and newer versions */
 	if (db_name != NULL)
 	{
-		if (PQnfields(res) < 4)
-			fprintf(stderr,
-					_("%s: could not identify system: got %d rows and %d fields, expected %d rows and %d or more fields\n"),
-					progname, PQntuples(res), PQnfields(res), 1, 4);
+		*db_name = NULL;
+		if (PQserverVersion(conn) >= 90400)
+		{
+			if (PQnfields(res) < 4)
+			{
+				fprintf(stderr,
+						_("%s: could not identify system: got %d rows and %d fields, expected %d rows and %d or more fields\n"),
+						progname, PQntuples(res), PQnfields(res), 1, 4);
 
-		if (PQgetisnull(res, 0, 3))
-			*db_name = NULL;
-		else
-			*db_name = pg_strdup(PQgetvalue(res, 0, 3));
+				PQclear(res);
+				return false;
+			}
+			if (!PQgetisnull(res, 0, 3))
+				*db_name = pg_strdup(PQgetvalue(res, 0, 3));
+		}
 	}
 
 	PQclear(res);