diff --git a/src/backend/utils/activity/pgstat_shmem.c b/src/backend/utils/activity/pgstat_shmem.c
index 056c24c6ee1..8889e4cac26 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/activity/pgstat_shmem.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/activity/pgstat_shmem.c
@@ -525,9 +525,12 @@ pgstat_get_entry_ref(PgStat_Kind kind, Oid dboid, uint64 objid, bool create,
 			if (shheader == NULL)
 			{
 				/*
-				 * Failed the allocation of a new entry, so clean up the
-				 * shared hashtable before giving up.
+				 * Failed the allocation of a new entry, so clean up both the
+				 * local reference and the shared hashtable before giving up.
+				 * Clean the local state first, since releasing the dshash
+				 * lock can process a pending interrupt.
 				 */
+				pgstat_release_entry_ref(key, entry_ref, false);
 				dshash_delete_entry(pgStatLocal.shared_hash, shhashent);
 
 				ereport(ERROR,