diff --git a/src/backend/access/transam/xlogutils.c b/src/backend/access/transam/xlogutils.c
index 8ffe1b0f84b..e8c040c6385 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/transam/xlogutils.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/transam/xlogutils.c
@@ -414,6 +414,9 @@ CreateFakeRelcacheEntry(RelFileNode rnode)
 void
 FreeFakeRelcacheEntry(Relation fakerel)
 {
+	/* make sure the fakerel is not referenced by the SmgrRelation anymore */
+	if (fakerel->rd_smgr != NULL)
+		smgrclearowner(&fakerel->rd_smgr, fakerel->rd_smgr);
 	pfree(fakerel);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/backend/storage/smgr/smgr.c b/src/backend/storage/smgr/smgr.c
index 7a35b0a8333..886176bc699 100644
--- a/src/backend/storage/smgr/smgr.c
+++ b/src/backend/storage/smgr/smgr.c
@@ -197,6 +197,24 @@ smgrsetowner(SMgrRelation *owner, SMgrRelation reln)
 	*owner = reln;
 }
 
+/*
+ * smgrclearowner() -- Remove long-lived reference to an SMgrRelation object
+ *					   if one exists
+ */
+void
+smgrclearowner(SMgrRelation *owner, SMgrRelation reln)
+{
+	/* Do nothing if the SMgrRelation object is not owned by the owner */
+	if (reln->smgr_owner != owner)
+		return;
+
+	/* unset the owner's reference */
+	*owner = NULL;
+
+	/* unset our reference to the owner */
+	reln->smgr_owner = NULL;
+}
+
 /*
  *	smgrexists() -- Does the underlying file for a fork exist?
  */
diff --git a/src/include/storage/smgr.h b/src/include/storage/smgr.h
index c037190b4ba..6eee0a44fdf 100644
--- a/src/include/storage/smgr.h
+++ b/src/include/storage/smgr.h
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ extern void smgrinit(void);
 extern SMgrRelation smgropen(RelFileNode rnode);
 extern bool smgrexists(SMgrRelation reln, ForkNumber forknum);
 extern void smgrsetowner(SMgrRelation *owner, SMgrRelation reln);
+extern void smgrclearowner(SMgrRelation *owner, SMgrRelation reln);
 extern void smgrclose(SMgrRelation reln);
 extern void smgrcloseall(void);
 extern void smgrclosenode(RelFileNode rnode);