diff --git a/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_backup_db.c b/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_backup_db.c
index a154593863..7c6f5c4128 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_backup_db.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_backup_db.c
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  *	Implements the basic DB functions used by the archiver.
  *
  * IDENTIFICATION
- *	  $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_backup_db.c,v 1.47 2003/05/14 03:26:02 tgl Exp $
+ *	  $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_backup_db.c,v 1.48 2003/06/22 00:56:58 tgl Exp $
  *
  *-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  */
@@ -53,29 +53,23 @@ _parse_version(ArchiveHandle *AH, const char *versionString)
 static void
 _check_database_version(ArchiveHandle *AH, bool ignoreVersion)
 {
-	PGresult   *res;
 	int			myversion;
 	const char *remoteversion_str;
 	int			remoteversion;
-	PGconn	   *conn = AH->connection;
 
 	myversion = _parse_version(AH, PG_VERSION);
 
-	res = PQexec(conn, "SELECT version();");
-	if (!res ||
-		PQresultStatus(res) != PGRES_TUPLES_OK ||
-		PQntuples(res) != 1)
-		die_horribly(AH, modulename, "could not get version from server: %s", PQerrorMessage(conn));
+	remoteversion_str = PQparameterStatus(AH->connection, "server_version");
+	if (!remoteversion_str)
+		die_horribly(AH, modulename, "could not get server_version from libpq\n");
 
-	remoteversion_str = PQgetvalue(res, 0, 0);
-	remoteversion = _parse_version(AH, remoteversion_str + 11);
-
-	PQclear(res);
+	remoteversion = _parse_version(AH, remoteversion_str);
 
 	AH->public.remoteVersion = remoteversion;
 
 	if (myversion != remoteversion
-		&& (remoteversion < AH->public.minRemoteVersion || remoteversion > AH->public.maxRemoteVersion))
+		&& (remoteversion < AH->public.minRemoteVersion ||
+			remoteversion > AH->public.maxRemoteVersion))
 	{
 		write_msg(NULL, "server version: %s; %s version: %s\n",
 				  remoteversion_str, progname, PG_VERSION);
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_dumpall.c b/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_dumpall.c
index a7b93155de..ad368a56ae 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_dumpall.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_dumpall.c
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  * Portions Copyright (c) 1994, Regents of the University of California
  *
  *
- * $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_dumpall.c,v 1.21 2003/06/11 05:13:11 momjian Exp $
+ * $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_dumpall.c,v 1.22 2003/06/22 00:56:58 tgl Exp $
  *
  *-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  */
@@ -701,7 +701,7 @@ connectDatabase(const char *dbname, const char *pghost, const char *pgport,
 	PGconn	   *conn;
 	char	   *password = NULL;
 	bool		need_pass = false;
-	PGresult   *res;
+	const char *remoteversion_str;
 
 	if (require_password)
 		password = simple_prompt("Password: ", 100, false);
@@ -745,23 +745,19 @@ connectDatabase(const char *dbname, const char *pghost, const char *pgport,
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
-	res = executeQuery(conn, "SELECT version();");
-	if (PQntuples(res) != 1)
+	remoteversion_str = PQparameterStatus(conn, "server_version");
+	if (!remoteversion_str)
 	{
 		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not get server version\n"), progname);
 		exit(1);
 	}
-	else
+	server_version = parse_version(remoteversion_str);
+	if (server_version < 0)
 	{
-		char *val = PQgetvalue(res, 0, 0);
-		server_version = parse_version(val + strcspn(val, "0123456789"));
-		if (server_version < 0)
-		{
-			fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not parse server version \"%s\"\n"), progname, val);
-			exit(1);
-		}
+		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not parse server version \"%s\"\n"),
+				progname, remoteversion_str);
+		exit(1);
 	}
-	PQclear(res);
 
 	return conn;
 }