diff --git a/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/sqlda.c b/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/sqlda.c
index e06f25e487..c08c61b5df 100644
--- a/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/sqlda.c
+++ b/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/sqlda.c
@@ -228,7 +228,8 @@ ecpg_build_compat_sqlda(int line, PGresult *res, int row, enum COMPAT_MODE compa
 		strcpy(fname, PQfname(res, i));
 		sqlda->sqlvar[i].sqlname = fname;
 		fname += strlen(sqlda->sqlvar[i].sqlname) + 1;
-		sqlda->sqlvar[i].sqlformat = (char *) (long) PQfformat(res, i);
+		/* this is reserved for future use, so we leave it empty for the time being */
+		/* sqlda->sqlvar[i].sqlformat = (char *) (long) PQfformat(res, i);*/
 		sqlda->sqlvar[i].sqlxid = PQftype(res, i);
 		sqlda->sqlvar[i].sqltypelen = PQfsize(res, i);
 	}