diff --git a/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c b/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
index a11406c741c..e46ee553d65 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
@@ -10206,7 +10206,7 @@ XLogFileNameP(TimeLineID tli, XLogSegNo segno)
  */
 XLogRecPtr
 do_pg_start_backup(const char *backupidstr, bool fast, TimeLineID *starttli_p,
-				   StringInfo labelfile, DIR *tblspcdir, List **tablespaces,
+				   StringInfo labelfile, List **tablespaces,
 				   StringInfo tblspcmapfile, bool infotbssize,
 				   bool needtblspcmapfile)
 {
@@ -10297,6 +10297,7 @@ do_pg_start_backup(const char *backupidstr, bool fast, TimeLineID *starttli_p,
 	PG_ENSURE_ERROR_CLEANUP(pg_start_backup_callback, (Datum) BoolGetDatum(exclusive));
 	{
 		bool		gotUniqueStartpoint = false;
+		DIR		   *tblspcdir;
 		struct dirent *de;
 		tablespaceinfo *ti;
 		int			datadirpathlen;
@@ -10428,6 +10429,7 @@ do_pg_start_backup(const char *backupidstr, bool fast, TimeLineID *starttli_p,
 		datadirpathlen = strlen(DataDir);
 
 		/* Collect information about all tablespaces */
+		tblspcdir = AllocateDir("pg_tblspc");
 		while ((de = ReadDir(tblspcdir, "pg_tblspc")) != NULL)
 		{
 			char		fullpath[MAXPGPATH + 10];
@@ -10476,7 +10478,6 @@ do_pg_start_backup(const char *backupidstr, bool fast, TimeLineID *starttli_p,
 				appendStringInfoChar(&buflinkpath, *s++);
 			}
 
-
 			/*
 			 * Relpath holds the relative path of the tablespace directory
 			 * when it's located within PGDATA, or NULL if it's located
@@ -10511,6 +10512,7 @@ do_pg_start_backup(const char *backupidstr, bool fast, TimeLineID *starttli_p,
 					 errmsg("tablespaces are not supported on this platform")));
 #endif
 		}
+		FreeDir(tblspcdir);
 
 		/*
 		 * Construct backup label file
diff --git a/src/backend/access/transam/xlogfuncs.c b/src/backend/access/transam/xlogfuncs.c
index 48d85c1ce5d..c41428ea2a3 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/transam/xlogfuncs.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/transam/xlogfuncs.c
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ pg_start_backup(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	bool		exclusive = PG_GETARG_BOOL(2);
 	char	   *backupidstr;
 	XLogRecPtr	startpoint;
-	DIR		   *dir;
 	SessionBackupState status = get_backup_status();
 
 	backupidstr = text_to_cstring(backupid);
@@ -85,18 +84,10 @@ pg_start_backup(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 				(errcode(ERRCODE_OBJECT_NOT_IN_PREREQUISITE_STATE),
 				 errmsg("a backup is already in progress in this session")));
 
-	/* Make sure we can open the directory with tablespaces in it */
-	dir = AllocateDir("pg_tblspc");
-	if (!dir)
-		ereport(ERROR,
-				(errcode_for_file_access(),
-				 errmsg("could not open directory \"%s\": %m",
-						"pg_tblspc")));
-
 	if (exclusive)
 	{
 		startpoint = do_pg_start_backup(backupidstr, fast, NULL, NULL,
-										dir, NULL, NULL, false, true);
+										NULL, NULL, false, true);
 	}
 	else
 	{
@@ -112,13 +103,11 @@ pg_start_backup(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 		MemoryContextSwitchTo(oldcontext);
 
 		startpoint = do_pg_start_backup(backupidstr, fast, NULL, label_file,
-										dir, NULL, tblspc_map_file, false, true);
+										NULL, tblspc_map_file, false, true);
 
 		before_shmem_exit(nonexclusive_base_backup_cleanup, (Datum) 0);
 	}
 
-	FreeDir(dir);
-
 	PG_RETURN_LSN(startpoint);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/backend/replication/basebackup.c b/src/backend/replication/basebackup.c
index b264b69aef6..cd7d391b2ff 100644
--- a/src/backend/replication/basebackup.c
+++ b/src/backend/replication/basebackup.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ static int64 _tarWriteDir(const char *pathbuf, int basepathlen, struct stat *sta
 static void send_int8_string(StringInfoData *buf, int64 intval);
 static void SendBackupHeader(List *tablespaces);
 static void base_backup_cleanup(int code, Datum arg);
-static void perform_base_backup(basebackup_options *opt, DIR *tblspcdir);
+static void perform_base_backup(basebackup_options *opt);
 static void parse_basebackup_options(List *options, basebackup_options *opt);
 static void SendXlogRecPtrResult(XLogRecPtr ptr, TimeLineID tli);
 static int	compareWalFileNames(const void *a, const void *b);
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ base_backup_cleanup(int code, Datum arg)
  * clobbered by longjmp" from stupider versions of gcc.
  */
 static void
-perform_base_backup(basebackup_options *opt, DIR *tblspcdir)
+perform_base_backup(basebackup_options *opt)
 {
 	XLogRecPtr	startptr;
 	TimeLineID	starttli;
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ perform_base_backup(basebackup_options *opt, DIR *tblspcdir)
 	tblspc_map_file = makeStringInfo();
 
 	startptr = do_pg_start_backup(opt->label, opt->fastcheckpoint, &starttli,
-								  labelfile, tblspcdir, &tablespaces,
+								  labelfile, &tablespaces,
 								  tblspc_map_file,
 								  opt->progress, opt->sendtblspcmapfile);
 
@@ -690,7 +690,6 @@ parse_basebackup_options(List *options, basebackup_options *opt)
 void
 SendBaseBackup(BaseBackupCmd *cmd)
 {
-	DIR		   *dir;
 	basebackup_options opt;
 
 	parse_basebackup_options(cmd->options, &opt);
@@ -706,17 +705,7 @@ SendBaseBackup(BaseBackupCmd *cmd)
 		set_ps_display(activitymsg, false);
 	}
 
-	/* Make sure we can open the directory with tablespaces in it */
-	dir = AllocateDir("pg_tblspc");
-	if (!dir)
-		ereport(ERROR,
-				(errcode_for_file_access(),
-				 errmsg("could not open directory \"%s\": %m",
-						"pg_tblspc")));
-
-	perform_base_backup(&opt, dir);
-
-	FreeDir(dir);
+	perform_base_backup(&opt);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/include/access/xlog.h b/src/include/access/xlog.h
index 8fd6010ba04..dd7d8b5e403 100644
--- a/src/include/access/xlog.h
+++ b/src/include/access/xlog.h
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ typedef enum SessionBackupState
 } SessionBackupState;
 
 extern XLogRecPtr do_pg_start_backup(const char *backupidstr, bool fast,
-				   TimeLineID *starttli_p, StringInfo labelfile, DIR *tblspcdir,
+				   TimeLineID *starttli_p, StringInfo labelfile,
 				   List **tablespaces, StringInfo tblspcmapfile, bool infotbssize,
 				   bool needtblspcmapfile);
 extern XLogRecPtr do_pg_stop_backup(char *labelfile, bool waitforarchive,