diff --git a/src/backend/optimizer/plan/createplan.c b/src/backend/optimizer/plan/createplan.c
index 8b4f031d96..477b11f11d 100644
--- a/src/backend/optimizer/plan/createplan.c
+++ b/src/backend/optimizer/plan/createplan.c
@@ -62,10 +62,14 @@
  * any sortgrouprefs specified in its pathtarget, with appropriate
  * ressortgroupref labels.  This is passed down by parent nodes such as Sort
  * and Group, which need these values to be available in their inputs.
+ *
+ * CP_IGNORE_TLIST specifies that the caller plans to replace the targetlist,
+ * and therefore it doens't matter a bit what target list gets generated.
  */
 #define CP_EXACT_TLIST		0x0001	/* Plan must return specified tlist */
 #define CP_SMALL_TLIST		0x0002	/* Prefer narrower tlists */
 #define CP_LABEL_TLIST		0x0004	/* tlist must contain sortgrouprefs */
+#define CP_IGNORE_TLIST		0x0008	/* caller will replace tlist */
 
 
 static Plan *create_plan_recurse(PlannerInfo *root, Path *best_path,
@@ -87,7 +91,9 @@ static Material *create_material_plan(PlannerInfo *root, MaterialPath *best_path
 static Plan *create_unique_plan(PlannerInfo *root, UniquePath *best_path,
 				   int flags);
 static Gather *create_gather_plan(PlannerInfo *root, GatherPath *best_path);
-static Plan *create_projection_plan(PlannerInfo *root, ProjectionPath *best_path);
+static Plan *create_projection_plan(PlannerInfo *root,
+					   ProjectionPath *best_path,
+					   int flags);
 static Plan *inject_projection_plan(Plan *subplan, List *tlist, bool parallel_safe);
 static Sort *create_sort_plan(PlannerInfo *root, SortPath *best_path, int flags);
 static Group *create_group_plan(PlannerInfo *root, GroupPath *best_path);
@@ -400,7 +406,8 @@ create_plan_recurse(PlannerInfo *root, Path *best_path, int flags)
 			if (IsA(best_path, ProjectionPath))
 			{
 				plan = create_projection_plan(root,
-											  (ProjectionPath *) best_path);
+											  (ProjectionPath *) best_path,
+											  flags);
 			}
 			else if (IsA(best_path, MinMaxAggPath))
 			{
@@ -563,8 +570,16 @@ create_scan_plan(PlannerInfo *root, Path *best_path, int flags)
 	 * only those Vars actually needed by the query), we prefer to generate a
 	 * tlist containing all Vars in order.  This will allow the executor to
 	 * optimize away projection of the table tuples, if possible.
+	 *
+	 * But if the caller is going to ignore our tlist anyway, then don't
+	 * bother generating one at all.  We use an exact equality test here, so
+	 * that this only applies when CP_IGNORE_TLIST is the only flag set.
 	 */
-	if (use_physical_tlist(root, best_path, flags))
+	if (flags == CP_IGNORE_TLIST)
+	{
+		tlist = NULL;
+	}
+	else if (use_physical_tlist(root, best_path, flags))
 	{
 		if (best_path->pathtype == T_IndexOnlyScan)
 		{
@@ -1567,34 +1582,71 @@ create_gather_merge_plan(PlannerInfo *root, GatherMergePath *best_path)
  *	  but sometimes we can just let the subplan do the work.
  */
 static Plan *
-create_projection_plan(PlannerInfo *root, ProjectionPath *best_path)
+create_projection_plan(PlannerInfo *root, ProjectionPath *best_path, int flags)
 {
 	Plan	   *plan;
 	Plan	   *subplan;
 	List	   *tlist;
-
-	/* Since we intend to project, we don't need to constrain child tlist */
-	subplan = create_plan_recurse(root, best_path->subpath, 0);
-
-	tlist = build_path_tlist(root, &best_path->path);
+	bool		needs_result_node = false;
 
 	/*
-	 * We might not really need a Result node here, either because the subplan
-	 * can project or because it's returning the right list of expressions
-	 * anyway.  Usually create_projection_path will have detected that and set
-	 * dummypp if we don't need a Result; but its decision can't be final,
-	 * because some createplan.c routines change the tlists of their nodes.
-	 * (An example is that create_merge_append_plan might add resjunk sort
-	 * columns to a MergeAppend.)  So we have to recheck here.  If we do
-	 * arrive at a different answer than create_projection_path did, we'll
-	 * have made slightly wrong cost estimates; but label the plan with the
-	 * cost estimates we actually used, not "corrected" ones.  (XXX this could
-	 * be cleaned up if we moved more of the sortcolumn setup logic into Path
-	 * creation, but that would add expense to creating Paths we might end up
-	 * not using.)
+	 * Convert our subpath to a Plan and determine whether we need a Result
+	 * node.
+	 *
+	 * In most cases where we don't need to project, creation_projection_path
+	 * will have set dummypp, but not always.  First, some createplan.c
+	 * routines change the tlists of their nodes.  (An example is that
+	 * create_merge_append_plan might add resjunk sort columns to a
+	 * MergeAppend.)  Second, create_projection_path has no way of knowing
+	 * what path node will be placed on top of the projection path and
+	 * therefore can't predict whether it will require an exact tlist. For
+	 * both of these reasons, we have to recheck here.
 	 */
-	if (is_projection_capable_path(best_path->subpath) ||
-		tlist_same_exprs(tlist, subplan->targetlist))
+	if (use_physical_tlist(root, &best_path->path, flags))
+	{
+		/*
+		 * Our caller doesn't really care what tlist we return, so we don't
+		 * actually need to project.  However, we may still need to ensure
+		 * proper sortgroupref labels, if the caller cares about those.
+		 */
+		subplan = create_plan_recurse(root, best_path->subpath, 0);
+		tlist = subplan->targetlist;
+		if ((flags & CP_LABEL_TLIST) != 0)
+			apply_pathtarget_labeling_to_tlist(tlist,
+											   best_path->path.pathtarget);
+	}
+	else if (is_projection_capable_path(best_path->subpath))
+	{
+		/*
+		 * Our caller requires that we return the exact tlist, but no separate
+		 * result node is needed because the subpath is projection-capable.
+		 * Tell create_plan_recurse that we're going to ignore the tlist it
+		 * produces.
+		 */
+		subplan = create_plan_recurse(root, best_path->subpath,
+									  CP_IGNORE_TLIST);
+		tlist = build_path_tlist(root, &best_path->path);
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		/*
+		 * It looks like we need a result node, unless by good fortune the
+		 * requested tlist is exactly the one the child wants to produce.
+		 */
+		subplan = create_plan_recurse(root, best_path->subpath, 0);
+		tlist = build_path_tlist(root, &best_path->path);
+		needs_result_node = !tlist_same_exprs(tlist, subplan->targetlist);
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * If we make a different decision about whether to include a Result node
+	 * than create_projection_path did, we'll have made slightly wrong cost
+	 * estimates; but label the plan with the cost estimates we actually used,
+	 * not "corrected" ones.  (XXX this could be cleaned up if we moved more
+	 * of the sortcolumn setup logic into Path creation, but that would add
+	 * expense to creating Paths we might end up not using.)
+	 */
+	if (!needs_result_node)
 	{
 		/* Don't need a separate Result, just assign tlist to subplan */
 		plan = subplan;