diff --git a/src/backend/utils/adt/geo_ops.c b/src/backend/utils/adt/geo_ops.c
index f57380a4df..49c1608a63 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/adt/geo_ops.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/adt/geo_ops.c
@@ -4525,8 +4525,8 @@ poly_path(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 /*		circle_in		-		convert a string to internal form.
  *
  *		External format: (center and radius of circle)
- *				"((f8,f8)<f8>)"
- *				also supports quick entry style "(f8,f8,f8)"
+ *				"<(f8,f8),f8>"
+ *				also supports quick entry style "f8,f8,f8"
  */
 Datum
 circle_in(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
@@ -4540,16 +4540,19 @@ circle_in(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	s = str;
 	while (isspace((unsigned char) *s))
 		s++;
-	if ((*s == LDELIM_C) || (*s == LDELIM))
+	if (*s == LDELIM_C)
+		depth++, s++;
+	else if (*s == LDELIM)
 	{
-		depth++;
+		/* If there are two left parens, consume the first one */
 		cp = (s + 1);
 		while (isspace((unsigned char) *cp))
 			cp++;
 		if (*cp == LDELIM)
-			s = cp;
+			depth++, s = cp;
 	}
 
+	/* pair_decode will consume parens around the pair, if any */
 	pair_decode(s, &circle->center.x, &circle->center.y, &s, "circle", str);
 
 	if (*s == DELIM)
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/circle.out b/src/test/regress/expected/circle.out
index 9ba4a0495d..047bc35265 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/circle.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/circle.out
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@
 --
 CREATE TABLE CIRCLE_TBL (f1 circle);
 INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES ('<(5,1),3>');
-INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES ('<(1,2),100>');
-INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES ('1,3,5');
-INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES ('((1,2),3)');
-INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES ('<(100,200),10>');
-INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES ('<(100,1),115>');
+INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES ('((1,2),100)');
+INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES (' 1 , 3 , 5 ');
+INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES (' ( ( 1 , 2 ) , 3 ) ');
+INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES (' ( 100 , 200 ) , 10 ');
+INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES (' < ( 100 , 1 ) , 115 > ');
 -- bad values
 INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES ('<(-100,0),-100>');
 ERROR:  invalid input syntax for type circle: "<(-100,0),-100>"
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/circle.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/circle.sql
index c0284b2b59..8dd4445b0e 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/circle.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/circle.sql
@@ -6,15 +6,15 @@ CREATE TABLE CIRCLE_TBL (f1 circle);
 
 INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES ('<(5,1),3>');
 
-INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES ('<(1,2),100>');
+INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES ('((1,2),100)');
 
-INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES ('1,3,5');
+INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES (' 1 , 3 , 5 ');
 
-INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES ('((1,2),3)');
+INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES (' ( ( 1 , 2 ) , 3 ) ');
 
-INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES ('<(100,200),10>');
+INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES (' ( 100 , 200 ) , 10 ');
 
-INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES ('<(100,1),115>');
+INSERT INTO CIRCLE_TBL VALUES (' < ( 100 , 1 ) , 115 > ');
 
 -- bad values