diff --git a/src/backend/access/transam/twophase.c b/src/backend/access/transam/twophase.c
index d2fecb1ecb..c5a2541807 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/transam/twophase.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/transam/twophase.c
@@ -1366,8 +1366,7 @@ FinishPreparedTransaction(const char *gid, bool isCommit)
 
 		for (fork = 0; fork <= MAX_FORKNUM; fork++)
 		{
-			if (smgrexists(srel, fork))
-				smgrdounlink(srel, fork, false);
+			smgrdounlink(srel, fork, false);
 		}
 		smgrclose(srel);
 	}
diff --git a/src/backend/access/transam/xact.c b/src/backend/access/transam/xact.c
index c383011b5f..4177a6c5cf 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/transam/xact.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/transam/xact.c
@@ -4595,11 +4595,8 @@ xact_redo_commit_internal(TransactionId xid, XLogRecPtr lsn,
 
 		for (fork = 0; fork <= MAX_FORKNUM; fork++)
 		{
-			if (smgrexists(srel, fork))
-			{
-				XLogDropRelation(xnodes[i], fork);
-				smgrdounlink(srel, fork, true);
-			}
+			XLogDropRelation(xnodes[i], fork);
+			smgrdounlink(srel, fork, true);
 		}
 		smgrclose(srel);
 	}
@@ -4738,11 +4735,8 @@ xact_redo_abort(xl_xact_abort *xlrec, TransactionId xid)
 
 		for (fork = 0; fork <= MAX_FORKNUM; fork++)
 		{
-			if (smgrexists(srel, fork))
-			{
-				XLogDropRelation(xlrec->xnodes[i], fork);
-				smgrdounlink(srel, fork, true);
-			}
+			XLogDropRelation(xlrec->xnodes[i], fork);
+			smgrdounlink(srel, fork, true);
 		}
 		smgrclose(srel);
 	}
diff --git a/src/backend/catalog/storage.c b/src/backend/catalog/storage.c
index fff933d403..450e292f40 100644
--- a/src/backend/catalog/storage.c
+++ b/src/backend/catalog/storage.c
@@ -361,8 +361,7 @@ smgrDoPendingDeletes(bool isCommit)
 				srel = smgropen(pending->relnode, pending->backend);
 				for (i = 0; i <= MAX_FORKNUM; i++)
 				{
-					if (smgrexists(srel, i))
-						smgrdounlink(srel, i, false);
+					smgrdounlink(srel, i, false);
 				}
 				smgrclose(srel);
 			}
diff --git a/src/backend/storage/smgr/md.c b/src/backend/storage/smgr/md.c
index a761369d39..7150a00407 100644
--- a/src/backend/storage/smgr/md.c
+++ b/src/backend/storage/smgr/md.c
@@ -323,7 +323,13 @@ mdcreate(SMgrRelation reln, ForkNumber forkNum, bool isRedo)
  * number until it's safe, because relfilenode assignment skips over any
  * existing file.
  *
- * If isRedo is true, it's okay for the relation to be already gone.
+ * All the above applies only to the relation's main fork; other forks can
+ * just be removed immediately, since they are not needed to prevent the
+ * relfilenode number from being recycled.  Also, we do not carefully
+ * track whether other forks have been created or not, but just attempt to
+ * unlink them unconditionally; so we should never complain about ENOENT.
+ *
+ * If isRedo is true, it's unsurprising for the relation to be already gone.
  * Also, we should remove the file immediately instead of queuing a request
  * for later, since during redo there's no possibility of creating a
  * conflicting relation.
@@ -351,13 +357,10 @@ mdunlink(RelFileNodeBackend rnode, ForkNumber forkNum, bool isRedo)
 	if (isRedo || forkNum != MAIN_FORKNUM)
 	{
 		ret = unlink(path);
-		if (ret < 0)
-		{
-			if (!isRedo || errno != ENOENT)
-				ereport(WARNING,
-						(errcode_for_file_access(),
-						 errmsg("could not remove file \"%s\": %m", path)));
-		}
+		if (ret < 0 && errno != ENOENT)
+			ereport(WARNING,
+					(errcode_for_file_access(),
+					 errmsg("could not remove file \"%s\": %m", path)));
 	}
 	else
 	{
@@ -380,6 +383,9 @@ mdunlink(RelFileNodeBackend rnode, ForkNumber forkNum, bool isRedo)
 			ereport(WARNING,
 					(errcode_for_file_access(),
 					 errmsg("could not truncate file \"%s\": %m", path)));
+
+		/* Register request to unlink first segment later */
+		register_unlink(rnode);
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -411,10 +417,6 @@ mdunlink(RelFileNodeBackend rnode, ForkNumber forkNum, bool isRedo)
 	}
 
 	pfree(path);
-
-	/* Register request to unlink first segment later */
-	if (!isRedo && forkNum == MAIN_FORKNUM)
-		register_unlink(rnode);
 }
 
 /*