diff --git a/contrib/pageinspect/brinfuncs.c b/contrib/pageinspect/brinfuncs.c
index 5a38d926689..44116c4cb17 100644
--- a/contrib/pageinspect/brinfuncs.c
+++ b/contrib/pageinspect/brinfuncs.c
@@ -121,6 +121,8 @@ verify_brin_page(bytea *raw_page, uint16 type, const char *strtype)
 	return page;
 }
 
+/* Number of output arguments (columns) for brin_page_items() */
+#define BRIN_PAGE_ITEMS_V1_12	8
 
 /*
  * Extract all item values from a BRIN index page
@@ -149,6 +151,21 @@ brin_page_items(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 
 	InitMaterializedSRF(fcinfo, 0);
 
+	/*
+	 * Version 1.12 added a new output column for the empty range flag. But as
+	 * it was added in the middle, it may cause crashes with function
+	 * definitions from older versions of the extension.
+	 *
+	 * There is no way to reliably avoid the problems created by the old
+	 * function definition at this point, so insist that the user update the
+	 * extension.
+	 */
+	if (rsinfo->setDesc->natts < BRIN_PAGE_ITEMS_V1_12)
+		ereport(ERROR,
+				(errcode(ERRCODE_INVALID_FUNCTION_DEFINITION),
+				 errmsg("function has wrong number of declared columns"),
+				 errhint("To resolve the problem, update the \"pageinspect\" extension to the latest version.")));
+
 	indexRel = index_open(indexRelid, AccessShareLock);
 
 	if (!IS_BRIN(indexRel))
diff --git a/contrib/pageinspect/expected/oldextversions.out b/contrib/pageinspect/expected/oldextversions.out
index f5c4b61bd79..2910891ece7 100644
--- a/contrib/pageinspect/expected/oldextversions.out
+++ b/contrib/pageinspect/expected/oldextversions.out
@@ -52,5 +52,19 @@ SELECT pagesize, version FROM page_header(get_raw_page('test1', 0));
      8192 |       4
 (1 row)
 
+-- brin_page_items() added a new "empty" flag in 1.12, make sure we detect
+-- an old function definition
+ALTER EXTENSION pageinspect UPDATE TO '1.11';
+CREATE INDEX test_1_a_brin_idx ON test1 USING BRIN (a);
+SELECT * FROM brin_page_items(get_raw_page('test_1_a_brin_idx', 2), 'test_1_a_brin_idx');
+ERROR:  function has wrong number of declared columns
+HINT:  To resolve the problem, update the "pageinspect" extension to the latest version.
+ALTER EXTENSION pageinspect UPDATE TO '1.12';
+SELECT * FROM brin_page_items(get_raw_page('test_1_a_brin_idx', 2), 'test_1_a_brin_idx');
+ itemoffset | blknum | attnum | allnulls | hasnulls | placeholder | empty |                  value                   
+------------+--------+--------+----------+----------+-------------+-------+------------------------------------------
+          1 |      0 |      1 | f        | f        | f           | f     | {72057594037927937 .. 72057594037927937}
+(1 row)
+
 DROP TABLE test1;
 DROP EXTENSION pageinspect;
diff --git a/contrib/pageinspect/sql/oldextversions.sql b/contrib/pageinspect/sql/oldextversions.sql
index 9f953492c23..44f564faec9 100644
--- a/contrib/pageinspect/sql/oldextversions.sql
+++ b/contrib/pageinspect/sql/oldextversions.sql
@@ -22,5 +22,14 @@ ALTER EXTENSION pageinspect UPDATE TO '1.9';
 \df page_header
 SELECT pagesize, version FROM page_header(get_raw_page('test1', 0));
 
+-- brin_page_items() added a new "empty" flag in 1.12, make sure we detect
+-- an old function definition
+ALTER EXTENSION pageinspect UPDATE TO '1.11';
+CREATE INDEX test_1_a_brin_idx ON test1 USING BRIN (a);
+SELECT * FROM brin_page_items(get_raw_page('test_1_a_brin_idx', 2), 'test_1_a_brin_idx');
+
+ALTER EXTENSION pageinspect UPDATE TO '1.12';
+SELECT * FROM brin_page_items(get_raw_page('test_1_a_brin_idx', 2), 'test_1_a_brin_idx');
+
 DROP TABLE test1;
 DROP EXTENSION pageinspect;