diff --git a/src/backend/executor/nodeModifyTable.c b/src/backend/executor/nodeModifyTable.c
index c1f289a0fc..fd0789e9ba 100644
--- a/src/backend/executor/nodeModifyTable.c
+++ b/src/backend/executor/nodeModifyTable.c
@@ -2860,10 +2860,10 @@ ExecInitModifyTable(ModifyTable *node, EState *estate, int eflags)
 	 *   must be converted, and
 	 * - the root partitioned table used for tuple routing.
 	 *
-	 * If it's a partitioned table, the root partition doesn't appear
-	 * elsewhere in the plan and its RT index is given explicitly in
-	 * node->rootRelation.  Otherwise (i.e. table inheritance) the target
-	 * relation is the first relation in the node->resultRelations list.
+	 * If it's a partitioned or inherited table, the root partition or
+	 * appendrel RTE doesn't appear elsewhere in the plan and its RT index is
+	 * given explicitly in node->rootRelation.  Otherwise, the target relation
+	 * is the sole relation in the node->resultRelations list.
 	 *----------
 	 */
 	if (node->rootRelation > 0)
@@ -2874,6 +2874,7 @@ ExecInitModifyTable(ModifyTable *node, EState *estate, int eflags)
 	}
 	else
 	{
+		Assert(list_length(node->resultRelations) == 1);
 		mtstate->rootResultRelInfo = mtstate->resultRelInfo;
 		ExecInitResultRelation(estate, mtstate->resultRelInfo,
 							   linitial_int(node->resultRelations));
diff --git a/src/backend/optimizer/plan/planner.c b/src/backend/optimizer/plan/planner.c
index fe2e029908..5da863d85d 100644
--- a/src/backend/optimizer/plan/planner.c
+++ b/src/backend/optimizer/plan/planner.c
@@ -1725,6 +1725,9 @@ grouping_planner(PlannerInfo *root, double tuple_fraction)
 														   parse->resultRelation);
 				int			resultRelation = -1;
 
+				/* Pass the root result rel forward to the executor. */
+				rootRelation = parse->resultRelation;
+
 				/* Add only leaf children to ModifyTable. */
 				while ((resultRelation = bms_next_member(root->leaf_result_relids,
 														 resultRelation)) >= 0)
@@ -1809,6 +1812,7 @@ grouping_planner(PlannerInfo *root, double tuple_fraction)
 			else
 			{
 				/* Single-relation INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE. */
+				rootRelation = 0;	/* there's no separate root rel */
 				resultRelations = list_make1_int(parse->resultRelation);
 				if (parse->commandType == CMD_UPDATE)
 					updateColnosLists = list_make1(root->update_colnos);
@@ -1818,16 +1822,6 @@ grouping_planner(PlannerInfo *root, double tuple_fraction)
 					returningLists = list_make1(parse->returningList);
 			}
 
-			/*
-			 * If target is a partition root table, we need to mark the
-			 * ModifyTable node appropriately for that.
-			 */
-			if (rt_fetch(parse->resultRelation, parse->rtable)->relkind ==
-				RELKIND_PARTITIONED_TABLE)
-				rootRelation = parse->resultRelation;
-			else
-				rootRelation = 0;
-
 			/*
 			 * If there was a FOR [KEY] UPDATE/SHARE clause, the LockRows node
 			 * will have dealt with fetching non-locked marked rows, else we
diff --git a/src/backend/optimizer/util/pathnode.c b/src/backend/optimizer/util/pathnode.c
index 3afc081345..f8642d5662 100644
--- a/src/backend/optimizer/util/pathnode.c
+++ b/src/backend/optimizer/util/pathnode.c
@@ -3609,7 +3609,7 @@ create_lockrows_path(PlannerInfo *root, RelOptInfo *rel,
  * 'operation' is the operation type
  * 'canSetTag' is true if we set the command tag/es_processed
  * 'nominalRelation' is the parent RT index for use of EXPLAIN
- * 'rootRelation' is the partitioned table root RT index, or 0 if none
+ * 'rootRelation' is the partitioned/inherited table root RTI, or 0 if none
  * 'partColsUpdated' is true if any partitioning columns are being updated,
  *		either from the target relation or a descendent partitioned table.
  * 'resultRelations' is an integer list of actual RT indexes of target rel(s)
diff --git a/src/include/nodes/pathnodes.h b/src/include/nodes/pathnodes.h
index a24ba2fdcd..3c034fa3c5 100644
--- a/src/include/nodes/pathnodes.h
+++ b/src/include/nodes/pathnodes.h
@@ -1884,7 +1884,7 @@ typedef struct ModifyTablePath
 	CmdType		operation;		/* INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE */
 	bool		canSetTag;		/* do we set the command tag/es_processed? */
 	Index		nominalRelation;	/* Parent RT index for use of EXPLAIN */
-	Index		rootRelation;	/* Root RT index, if target is partitioned */
+	Index		rootRelation;	/* Root RT index, if partitioned/inherited */
 	bool		partColsUpdated;	/* some part key in hierarchy updated? */
 	List	   *resultRelations;	/* integer list of RT indexes */
 	List	   *updateColnosLists;	/* per-target-table update_colnos lists */
diff --git a/src/include/nodes/plannodes.h b/src/include/nodes/plannodes.h
index 2308c80dde..1c9357f6a7 100644
--- a/src/include/nodes/plannodes.h
+++ b/src/include/nodes/plannodes.h
@@ -204,11 +204,12 @@ typedef struct ProjectSet
  *		Apply rows produced by outer plan to result table(s),
  *		by inserting, updating, or deleting.
  *
- * If the originally named target table is a partitioned table, both
- * nominalRelation and rootRelation contain the RT index of the partition
- * root, which is not otherwise mentioned in the plan.  Otherwise rootRelation
- * is zero.  However, nominalRelation will always be set, as it's the rel that
- * EXPLAIN should claim is the INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE target.
+ * If the originally named target table is a partitioned table or inheritance
+ * tree, both nominalRelation and rootRelation contain the RT index of the
+ * partition root or appendrel RTE, which is not otherwise mentioned in the
+ * plan.  Otherwise rootRelation is zero.  However, nominalRelation will
+ * always be set, as it's the rel that EXPLAIN should claim is the
+ * INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE target.
  *
  * Note that rowMarks and epqParam are presumed to be valid for all the
  * table(s); they can't contain any info that varies across tables.
@@ -220,7 +221,7 @@ typedef struct ModifyTable
 	CmdType		operation;		/* INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE */
 	bool		canSetTag;		/* do we set the command tag/es_processed? */
 	Index		nominalRelation;	/* Parent RT index for use of EXPLAIN */
-	Index		rootRelation;	/* Root RT index, if target is partitioned */
+	Index		rootRelation;	/* Root RT index, if partitioned/inherited */
 	bool		partColsUpdated;	/* some part key in hierarchy updated? */
 	List	   *resultRelations;	/* integer list of RT indexes */
 	List	   *updateColnosLists;	/* per-target-table update_colnos lists */
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/inherit.out b/src/test/regress/expected/inherit.out
index 445b9e2467..2162542735 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/inherit.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/inherit.out
@@ -539,6 +539,33 @@ CREATE TEMP TABLE z (b TEXT, PRIMARY KEY(aa, b)) inherits (a);
 INSERT INTO z VALUES (NULL, 'text'); -- should fail
 ERROR:  null value in column "aa" of relation "z" violates not-null constraint
 DETAIL:  Failing row contains (null, text).
+-- Check inherited UPDATE with first child excluded
+create table some_tab (f1 int, f2 int, f3 int, check (f1 < 10) no inherit);
+create table some_tab_child () inherits(some_tab);
+insert into some_tab_child select i, i+1, 0 from generate_series(1,1000) i;
+create index on some_tab_child(f1, f2);
+-- while at it, also check that statement-level triggers fire
+create function some_tab_stmt_trig_func() returns trigger as
+$$begin raise notice 'updating some_tab'; return NULL; end;$$
+language plpgsql;
+create trigger some_tab_stmt_trig
+  before update on some_tab execute function some_tab_stmt_trig_func();
+explain (costs off)
+update some_tab set f3 = 11 where f1 = 12 and f2 = 13;
+                                     QUERY PLAN                                     
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ Update on some_tab
+   Update on some_tab_child some_tab_1
+   ->  Result
+         ->  Index Scan using some_tab_child_f1_f2_idx on some_tab_child some_tab_1
+               Index Cond: ((f1 = 12) AND (f2 = 13))
+(5 rows)
+
+update some_tab set f3 = 11 where f1 = 12 and f2 = 13;
+NOTICE:  updating some_tab
+drop table some_tab cascade;
+NOTICE:  drop cascades to table some_tab_child
+drop function some_tab_stmt_trig_func();
 -- Check inherited UPDATE with all children excluded
 create table some_tab (a int, b int);
 create table some_tab_child () inherits (some_tab);
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/inherit.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/inherit.sql
index 1aa59e8355..d3674fa29d 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/inherit.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/inherit.sql
@@ -97,6 +97,25 @@ SELECT relname, d.* FROM ONLY d, pg_class where d.tableoid = pg_class.oid;
 CREATE TEMP TABLE z (b TEXT, PRIMARY KEY(aa, b)) inherits (a);
 INSERT INTO z VALUES (NULL, 'text'); -- should fail
 
+-- Check inherited UPDATE with first child excluded
+create table some_tab (f1 int, f2 int, f3 int, check (f1 < 10) no inherit);
+create table some_tab_child () inherits(some_tab);
+insert into some_tab_child select i, i+1, 0 from generate_series(1,1000) i;
+create index on some_tab_child(f1, f2);
+-- while at it, also check that statement-level triggers fire
+create function some_tab_stmt_trig_func() returns trigger as
+$$begin raise notice 'updating some_tab'; return NULL; end;$$
+language plpgsql;
+create trigger some_tab_stmt_trig
+  before update on some_tab execute function some_tab_stmt_trig_func();
+
+explain (costs off)
+update some_tab set f3 = 11 where f1 = 12 and f2 = 13;
+update some_tab set f3 = 11 where f1 = 12 and f2 = 13;
+
+drop table some_tab cascade;
+drop function some_tab_stmt_trig_func();
+
 -- Check inherited UPDATE with all children excluded
 create table some_tab (a int, b int);
 create table some_tab_child () inherits (some_tab);