diff --git a/src/test/perl/PostgreSQL/Test/Utils.pm b/src/test/perl/PostgreSQL/Test/Utils.pm
index 0800502437..4e18730dd0 100644
--- a/src/test/perl/PostgreSQL/Test/Utils.pm
+++ b/src/test/perl/PostgreSQL/Test/Utils.pm
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ sub all_tests_passing
 
 Securely create a temporary directory inside C<$tmp_check>, like C<mkdtemp>,
 and return its name.  The directory will be removed automatically at the
-end of the tests.
+end of the tests, unless the environment variable PG_TEST_NOCLEAN is provided.
 
 If C<prefix> is given, the new directory is templated as C<${prefix}_XXXX>.
 Otherwise the template is C<tmp_test_XXXX>.
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ sub tempdir
 	return File::Temp::tempdir(
 		$prefix . '_XXXX',
 		DIR     => $tmp_check,
-		CLEANUP => 1);
+		CLEANUP => not defined $ENV{'PG_TEST_NOCLEAN'});
 }
 
 =pod
@@ -297,7 +297,8 @@ name, to avoid path length issues.
 sub tempdir_short
 {
 
-	return File::Temp::tempdir(CLEANUP => 1);
+	return File::Temp::tempdir(
+		CLEANUP => not defined $ENV{'PG_TEST_NOCLEAN'});
 }
 
 =pod
diff --git a/src/test/perl/README b/src/test/perl/README
index 4b160cce36..92acf42526 100644
--- a/src/test/perl/README
+++ b/src/test/perl/README
@@ -31,8 +31,9 @@ some lesser number of seconds.
 
 Data directories will also be left behind for analysis when a test fails;
 they are named according to the test filename.  But if the environment
-variable PG_TEST_NOCLEAN is set, data directories will be retained
-regardless of test status.
+variable PG_TEST_NOCLEAN is set, the data directories will be retained
+regardless of test status.  This environment variable also prevents the
+test's temporary directories from being removed.
 
 
 Writing tests