diff --git a/src/backend/parser/parse_expr.c b/src/backend/parser/parse_expr.c
index 8fc3252d1b..36ffb8ed4c 100644
--- a/src/backend/parser/parse_expr.c
+++ b/src/backend/parser/parse_expr.c
@@ -2150,6 +2150,14 @@ transformRowExpr(ParseState *pstate, RowExpr *r, bool allowDefault)
 	newr->args = transformExpressionList(pstate, r->args,
 										 pstate->p_expr_kind, allowDefault);
 
+	/* Disallow more columns than will fit in a tuple */
+	if (list_length(newr->args) > MaxTupleAttributeNumber)
+		ereport(ERROR,
+				(errcode(ERRCODE_TOO_MANY_COLUMNS),
+				 errmsg("ROW expressions can have at most %d entries",
+						MaxTupleAttributeNumber),
+				 parser_errposition(pstate, r->location)));
+
 	/* Barring later casting, we consider the type RECORD */
 	newr->row_typeid = RECORDOID;
 	newr->row_format = COERCE_IMPLICIT_CAST;
diff --git a/src/backend/parser/parse_node.c b/src/backend/parser/parse_node.c
index 4d39cf9594..4014db4b80 100644
--- a/src/backend/parser/parse_node.c
+++ b/src/backend/parser/parse_node.c
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ free_parsestate(ParseState *pstate)
 	 */
 	if (pstate->p_next_resno - 1 > MaxTupleAttributeNumber)
 		ereport(ERROR,
-				(errcode(ERRCODE_PROGRAM_LIMIT_EXCEEDED),
+				(errcode(ERRCODE_TOO_MANY_COLUMNS),
 				 errmsg("target lists can have at most %d entries",
 						MaxTupleAttributeNumber)));