diff --git a/src/bin/psql/common.c b/src/bin/psql/common.c
index 3a820faf78..6ca9bbc9d8 100644
--- a/src/bin/psql/common.c
+++ b/src/bin/psql/common.c
@@ -628,7 +628,7 @@ StoreQueryTuple(const PGresult *result)
  * command.  In that event, we'll marshal data for the COPY and then cycle
  * through any subsequent PGresult objects.
  *
- * When the command string contained no affected COPY command, this function
+ * When the command string contained no such COPY command, this function
  * degenerates to an AcceptResult() call.
  *
  * Changes its argument to point to the last PGresult of the command string,
@@ -688,13 +688,28 @@ ProcessResult(PGresult **results)
 			 * Marshal the COPY data.  Either subroutine will get the
 			 * connection out of its COPY state, then call PQresultStatus()
 			 * once and report any error.
+			 *
+			 * If pset.copyStream is set, use that as data source/sink,
+			 * otherwise use queryFout or cur_cmd_source as appropriate.
 			 */
+			FILE	   *copystream = pset.copyStream;
+
 			SetCancelConn();
 			if (result_status == PGRES_COPY_OUT)
-				success = handleCopyOut(pset.db, pset.queryFout) && success;
+			{
+				if (!copystream)
+					copystream = pset.queryFout;
+				success = handleCopyOut(pset.db,
+										copystream) && success;
+			}
 			else
-				success = handleCopyIn(pset.db, pset.cur_cmd_source,
+			{
+				if (!copystream)
+					copystream = pset.cur_cmd_source;
+				success = handleCopyIn(pset.db,
+									   copystream,
 									   PQbinaryTuples(*results)) && success;
+			}
 			ResetCancelConn();
 
 			/*
diff --git a/src/bin/psql/copy.c b/src/bin/psql/copy.c
index 9e815b136e..a058f2ff0d 100644
--- a/src/bin/psql/copy.c
+++ b/src/bin/psql/copy.c
@@ -269,11 +269,8 @@ do_copy(const char *args)
 {
 	PQExpBufferData query;
 	FILE	   *copystream;
-	FILE	   *save_file;
-	FILE	  **override_file;
 	struct copy_options *options;
 	bool		success;
-	struct stat st;
 
 	/* parse options */
 	options = parse_slash_copy(args);
@@ -287,8 +284,6 @@ do_copy(const char *args)
 
 	if (options->from)
 	{
-		override_file = &pset.cur_cmd_source;
-
 		if (options->file)
 		{
 			if (options->program)
@@ -308,8 +303,6 @@ do_copy(const char *args)
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		override_file = &pset.queryFout;
-
 		if (options->file)
 		{
 			if (options->program)
@@ -345,6 +338,7 @@ do_copy(const char *args)
 
 	if (!options->program)
 	{
+		struct stat st;
 		int result;
 
 		/* make sure the specified file is not a directory */
@@ -375,11 +369,10 @@ do_copy(const char *args)
 	if (options->after_tofrom)
 		appendPQExpBufferStr(&query, options->after_tofrom);
 
-	/* Run it like a user command, interposing the data source or sink. */
-	save_file = *override_file;
-	*override_file = copystream;
+	/* run it like a user command, but with copystream as data source/sink */
+	pset.copyStream = copystream;
 	success = SendQuery(query.data);
-	*override_file = save_file;
+	pset.copyStream = NULL;
 	termPQExpBuffer(&query);
 
 	if (options->file != NULL)
diff --git a/src/bin/psql/settings.h b/src/bin/psql/settings.h
index 3e8328db9a..eecffb1073 100644
--- a/src/bin/psql/settings.h
+++ b/src/bin/psql/settings.h
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ typedef struct _psqlSettings
 	FILE	   *queryFout;		/* where to send the query results */
 	bool		queryFoutPipe;	/* queryFout is from a popen() */
 
+	FILE	   *copyStream;		/* Stream to read/write for \copy command */
+
 	printQueryOpt popt;
 
 	char	   *gfname;			/* one-shot file output argument for \g */
diff --git a/src/bin/psql/startup.c b/src/bin/psql/startup.c
index d5f1c0d408..45653a15a8 100644
--- a/src/bin/psql/startup.c
+++ b/src/bin/psql/startup.c
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	pset.encoding = PQenv2encoding();
 	pset.queryFout = stdout;
 	pset.queryFoutPipe = false;
+	pset.copyStream = NULL;
 	pset.cur_cmd_source = stdin;
 	pset.cur_cmd_interactive = false;