diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/indexam.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/indexam.sgml
index 401b11598e..ac512588e2 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/indexam.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/indexam.sgml
@@ -551,15 +551,19 @@ amgettuple (IndexScanDesc scan,
   <para>
    If the index supports <link linkend="indexes-index-only-scans">index-only
    scans</link> (i.e., <function>amcanreturn</function> returns TRUE for it),
-   then on success the AM must also check
-   <literal>scan-&gt;xs_want_itup</>, and if that is true it must return
-   the original indexed data for the index entry, in the form of an
+   then on success the AM must also check <literal>scan-&gt;xs_want_itup</>,
+   and if that is true it must return the originally indexed data for the
+   index entry.  The data can be returned in the form of an
    <structname>IndexTuple</> pointer stored at <literal>scan-&gt;xs_itup</>,
-   with tuple descriptor <literal>scan-&gt;xs_itupdesc</>.
-   (Management of the data referenced by the pointer is the access method's
+   with tuple descriptor <literal>scan-&gt;xs_itupdesc</>; or in the form of
+   a <structname>HeapTuple</> pointer stored at <literal>scan-&gt;xs_hitup</>,
+   with tuple descriptor <literal>scan-&gt;xs_hitupdesc</>.  (The latter
+   format should be used when reconstructing data that might possibly not fit
+   into an IndexTuple.)  In either case,
+   management of the data referenced by the pointer is the access method's
    responsibility.  The data must remain good at least until the next
    <function>amgettuple</>, <function>amrescan</>, or <function>amendscan</>
-   call for the scan.)
+   call for the scan.
   </para>
 
   <para>
diff --git a/src/backend/access/gist/gistget.c b/src/backend/access/gist/gistget.c
index eea366b1ad..122dc38db5 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/gist/gistget.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/gist/gistget.c
@@ -441,12 +441,13 @@ gistScanPage(IndexScanDesc scan, GISTSearchItem *pageItem, double *myDistances,
 			so->pageData[so->nPageData].offnum = i;
 
 			/*
-			 * In an index-only scan, also fetch the data from the tuple.
+			 * In an index-only scan, also fetch the data from the tuple.  The
+			 * reconstructed tuples are stored in pageDataCxt.
 			 */
 			if (scan->xs_want_itup)
 			{
 				oldcxt = MemoryContextSwitchTo(so->pageDataCxt);
-				so->pageData[so->nPageData].ftup =
+				so->pageData[so->nPageData].recontup =
 					gistFetchTuple(giststate, r, it);
 				MemoryContextSwitchTo(oldcxt);
 			}
@@ -478,7 +479,7 @@ gistScanPage(IndexScanDesc scan, GISTSearchItem *pageItem, double *myDistances,
 				 * In an index-only scan, also fetch the data from the tuple.
 				 */
 				if (scan->xs_want_itup)
-					item->data.heap.ftup = gistFetchTuple(giststate, r, it);
+					item->data.heap.recontup = gistFetchTuple(giststate, r, it);
 			}
 			else
 			{
@@ -540,11 +541,11 @@ getNextNearest(IndexScanDesc scan)
 	bool		res = false;
 	int			i;
 
-	if (scan->xs_itup)
+	if (scan->xs_hitup)
 	{
 		/* free previously returned tuple */
-		pfree(scan->xs_itup);
-		scan->xs_itup = NULL;
+		pfree(scan->xs_hitup);
+		scan->xs_hitup = NULL;
 	}
 
 	do
@@ -601,7 +602,7 @@ getNextNearest(IndexScanDesc scan)
 
 			/* in an index-only scan, also return the reconstructed tuple. */
 			if (scan->xs_want_itup)
-				scan->xs_itup = item->data.heap.ftup;
+				scan->xs_hitup = item->data.heap.recontup;
 			res = true;
 		}
 		else
@@ -685,7 +686,7 @@ gistgettuple(IndexScanDesc scan, ScanDirection dir)
 
 				/* in an index-only scan, also return the reconstructed tuple */
 				if (scan->xs_want_itup)
-					scan->xs_itup = so->pageData[so->curPageData].ftup;
+					scan->xs_hitup = so->pageData[so->curPageData].recontup;
 
 				so->curPageData++;
 
diff --git a/src/backend/access/gist/gistscan.c b/src/backend/access/gist/gistscan.c
index 33b388906a..81ff8fc8b6 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/gist/gistscan.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/gist/gistscan.c
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ gistrescan(IndexScanDesc scan, ScanKey key, int nkeys,
 	 * tuple descriptor to represent the returned index tuples and create a
 	 * memory context to hold them during the scan.
 	 */
-	if (scan->xs_want_itup && !scan->xs_itupdesc)
+	if (scan->xs_want_itup && !scan->xs_hitupdesc)
 	{
 		int			natts;
 		int			attno;
@@ -174,8 +174,9 @@ gistrescan(IndexScanDesc scan, ScanKey key, int nkeys,
 							   scan->indexRelation->rd_opcintype[attno - 1],
 							   -1, 0);
 		}
-		scan->xs_itupdesc = so->giststate->fetchTupdesc;
+		scan->xs_hitupdesc = so->giststate->fetchTupdesc;
 
+		/* Also create a memory context that will hold the returned tuples */
 		so->pageDataCxt = AllocSetContextCreate(so->giststate->scanCxt,
 												"GiST page data context",
 												ALLOCSET_DEFAULT_SIZES);
diff --git a/src/backend/access/gist/gistutil.c b/src/backend/access/gist/gistutil.c
index f92baedffd..75845ba0e7 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/gist/gistutil.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/gist/gistutil.c
@@ -624,9 +624,9 @@ gistFetchAtt(GISTSTATE *giststate, int nkey, Datum k, Relation r)
 
 /*
  * Fetch all keys in tuple.
- * returns new IndexTuple that contains GISTENTRY with fetched data
+ * Returns a new HeapTuple containing the originally-indexed data.
  */
-IndexTuple
+HeapTuple
 gistFetchTuple(GISTSTATE *giststate, Relation r, IndexTuple tuple)
 {
 	MemoryContext oldcxt = MemoryContextSwitchTo(giststate->tempCxt);
@@ -660,7 +660,7 @@ gistFetchTuple(GISTSTATE *giststate, Relation r, IndexTuple tuple)
 	}
 	MemoryContextSwitchTo(oldcxt);
 
-	return index_form_tuple(giststate->fetchTupdesc, fetchatt, isnull);
+	return heap_form_tuple(giststate->fetchTupdesc, fetchatt, isnull);
 }
 
 float
diff --git a/src/backend/access/index/genam.c b/src/backend/access/index/genam.c
index c4a393f34e..3599476930 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/index/genam.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/index/genam.c
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ RelationGetIndexScan(Relation indexRelation, int nkeys, int norderbys)
 
 	scan->xs_itup = NULL;
 	scan->xs_itupdesc = NULL;
+	scan->xs_hitup = NULL;
+	scan->xs_hitupdesc = NULL;
 
 	ItemPointerSetInvalid(&scan->xs_ctup.t_self);
 	scan->xs_ctup.t_data = NULL;
diff --git a/src/backend/access/index/indexam.c b/src/backend/access/index/indexam.c
index 4e7eca73cc..cc5ac8b857 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/index/indexam.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/index/indexam.c
@@ -535,8 +535,8 @@ index_getnext_tid(IndexScanDesc scan, ScanDirection direction)
 	/*
 	 * The AM's amgettuple proc finds the next index entry matching the scan
 	 * keys, and puts the TID into scan->xs_ctup.t_self.  It should also set
-	 * scan->xs_recheck and possibly scan->xs_itup, though we pay no attention
-	 * to those fields here.
+	 * scan->xs_recheck and possibly scan->xs_itup/scan->xs_hitup, though we
+	 * pay no attention to those fields here.
 	 */
 	found = scan->indexRelation->rd_amroutine->amgettuple(scan, direction);
 
diff --git a/src/backend/access/spgist/spgscan.c b/src/backend/access/spgist/spgscan.c
index 139d998600..2d96c0094e 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/spgist/spgscan.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/spgist/spgscan.c
@@ -92,11 +92,11 @@ resetSpGistScanOpaque(SpGistScanOpaque so)
 
 	if (so->want_itup)
 	{
-		/* Must pfree IndexTuples to avoid memory leak */
+		/* Must pfree reconstructed tuples to avoid memory leak */
 		int			i;
 
 		for (i = 0; i < so->nPtrs; i++)
-			pfree(so->indexTups[i]);
+			pfree(so->reconTups[i]);
 	}
 	so->iPtr = so->nPtrs = 0;
 }
@@ -195,8 +195,8 @@ spgbeginscan(Relation rel, int keysz, int orderbysz)
 										"SP-GiST search temporary context",
 										ALLOCSET_DEFAULT_SIZES);
 
-	/* Set up indexTupDesc and xs_itupdesc in case it's an index-only scan */
-	so->indexTupDesc = scan->xs_itupdesc = RelationGetDescr(rel);
+	/* Set up indexTupDesc and xs_hitupdesc in case it's an index-only scan */
+	so->indexTupDesc = scan->xs_hitupdesc = RelationGetDescr(rel);
 
 	scan->opaque = so;
 
@@ -591,12 +591,12 @@ storeGettuple(SpGistScanOpaque so, ItemPointer heapPtr,
 	if (so->want_itup)
 	{
 		/*
-		 * Reconstruct desired IndexTuple.  We have to copy the datum out of
-		 * the temp context anyway, so we may as well create the tuple here.
+		 * Reconstruct index data.  We have to copy the datum out of the temp
+		 * context anyway, so we may as well create the tuple here.
 		 */
-		so->indexTups[so->nPtrs] = index_form_tuple(so->indexTupDesc,
-													&leafValue,
-													&isnull);
+		so->reconTups[so->nPtrs] = heap_form_tuple(so->indexTupDesc,
+												   &leafValue,
+												   &isnull);
 	}
 	so->nPtrs++;
 }
@@ -619,18 +619,18 @@ spggettuple(IndexScanDesc scan, ScanDirection dir)
 			/* continuing to return tuples from a leaf page */
 			scan->xs_ctup.t_self = so->heapPtrs[so->iPtr];
 			scan->xs_recheck = so->recheck[so->iPtr];
-			scan->xs_itup = so->indexTups[so->iPtr];
+			scan->xs_hitup = so->reconTups[so->iPtr];
 			so->iPtr++;
 			return true;
 		}
 
 		if (so->want_itup)
 		{
-			/* Must pfree IndexTuples to avoid memory leak */
+			/* Must pfree reconstructed tuples to avoid memory leak */
 			int			i;
 
 			for (i = 0; i < so->nPtrs; i++)
-				pfree(so->indexTups[i]);
+				pfree(so->reconTups[i]);
 		}
 		so->iPtr = so->nPtrs = 0;
 
diff --git a/src/backend/executor/nodeIndexonlyscan.c b/src/backend/executor/nodeIndexonlyscan.c
index 66c2ad66d7..4a7f39a7c7 100644
--- a/src/backend/executor/nodeIndexonlyscan.c
+++ b/src/backend/executor/nodeIndexonlyscan.c
@@ -149,9 +149,26 @@ IndexOnlyNext(IndexOnlyScanState *node)
 		}
 
 		/*
-		 * Fill the scan tuple slot with data from the index.
+		 * Fill the scan tuple slot with data from the index.  This might be
+		 * provided in either HeapTuple or IndexTuple format.  Conceivably an
+		 * index AM might fill both fields, in which case we prefer the heap
+		 * format, since it's probably a bit cheaper to fill a slot from.
 		 */
-		StoreIndexTuple(slot, scandesc->xs_itup, scandesc->xs_itupdesc);
+		if (scandesc->xs_hitup)
+		{
+			/*
+			 * We don't take the trouble to verify that the provided tuple has
+			 * exactly the slot's format, but it seems worth doing a quick
+			 * check on the number of fields.
+			 */
+			Assert(slot->tts_tupleDescriptor->natts ==
+				   scandesc->xs_hitupdesc->natts);
+			ExecStoreTuple(scandesc->xs_hitup, slot, InvalidBuffer, false);
+		}
+		else if (scandesc->xs_itup)
+			StoreIndexTuple(slot, scandesc->xs_itup, scandesc->xs_itupdesc);
+		else
+			elog(ERROR, "no data returned for index-only scan");
 
 		/*
 		 * If the index was lossy, we have to recheck the index quals.
diff --git a/src/include/access/gist_private.h b/src/include/access/gist_private.h
index 5b3303056b..1ad4ed6da7 100644
--- a/src/include/access/gist_private.h
+++ b/src/include/access/gist_private.h
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ typedef struct GISTSearchHeapItem
 	ItemPointerData heapPtr;
 	bool		recheck;		/* T if quals must be rechecked */
 	bool		recheckDistances;		/* T if distances must be rechecked */
-	IndexTuple	ftup;			/* data fetched back from the index, used in
+	HeapTuple	recontup;		/* data reconstructed from the index, used in
 								 * index-only scans */
 	OffsetNumber offnum;		/* track offset in page to mark tuple as
 								 * LP_DEAD */
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ extern void gistMakeUnionItVec(GISTSTATE *giststate, IndexTuple *itvec, int len,
 extern bool gistKeyIsEQ(GISTSTATE *giststate, int attno, Datum a, Datum b);
 extern void gistDeCompressAtt(GISTSTATE *giststate, Relation r, IndexTuple tuple, Page p,
 				  OffsetNumber o, GISTENTRY *attdata, bool *isnull);
-extern IndexTuple gistFetchTuple(GISTSTATE *giststate, Relation r,
+extern HeapTuple gistFetchTuple(GISTSTATE *giststate, Relation r,
 			   IndexTuple tuple);
 extern void gistMakeUnionKey(GISTSTATE *giststate, int attno,
 				 GISTENTRY *entry1, bool isnull1,
diff --git a/src/include/access/relscan.h b/src/include/access/relscan.h
index ce3ca8d4ac..3fc726d712 100644
--- a/src/include/access/relscan.h
+++ b/src/include/access/relscan.h
@@ -104,9 +104,16 @@ typedef struct IndexScanDescData
 	/* index access method's private state */
 	void	   *opaque;			/* access-method-specific info */
 
-	/* in an index-only scan, this is valid after a successful amgettuple */
+	/*
+	 * In an index-only scan, a successful amgettuple call must fill either
+	 * xs_itup (and xs_itupdesc) or xs_hitup (and xs_hitupdesc) to provide the
+	 * data returned by the scan.  It can fill both, in which case the heap
+	 * format will be used.
+	 */
 	IndexTuple	xs_itup;		/* index tuple returned by AM */
 	TupleDesc	xs_itupdesc;	/* rowtype descriptor of xs_itup */
+	HeapTuple	xs_hitup;		/* index data returned by AM, as HeapTuple */
+	TupleDesc	xs_hitupdesc;	/* rowtype descriptor of xs_hitup */
 
 	/* xs_ctup/xs_cbuf/xs_recheck are valid after a successful index_getnext */
 	HeapTupleData xs_ctup;		/* current heap tuple, if any */
diff --git a/src/include/access/spgist_private.h b/src/include/access/spgist_private.h
index e42079b09f..4072c050de 100644
--- a/src/include/access/spgist_private.h
+++ b/src/include/access/spgist_private.h
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ typedef struct SpGistScanOpaqueData
 	int			iPtr;			/* index for scanning through same */
 	ItemPointerData heapPtrs[MaxIndexTuplesPerPage];	/* TIDs from cur page */
 	bool		recheck[MaxIndexTuplesPerPage]; /* their recheck flags */
-	IndexTuple	indexTups[MaxIndexTuplesPerPage];		/* reconstructed tuples */
+	HeapTuple	reconTups[MaxIndexTuplesPerPage];		/* reconstructed tuples */
 
 	/*
 	 * Note: using MaxIndexTuplesPerPage above is a bit hokey since