diff --git a/src/backend/postmaster/startup.c b/src/backend/postmaster/startup.c
index f781fdc6fca..22135d5e077 100644
--- a/src/backend/postmaster/startup.c
+++ b/src/backend/postmaster/startup.c
@@ -34,6 +34,17 @@
 #include "utils/timeout.h"
 
 
+#ifndef USE_POSTMASTER_DEATH_SIGNAL
+/*
+ * On systems that need to make a system call to find out if the postmaster has
+ * gone away, we'll do so only every Nth call to HandleStartupProcInterrupts().
+ * This only affects how long it takes us to detect the condition while we're
+ * busy replaying WAL.  Latch waits and similar which should react immediately
+ * through the usual techniques.
+ */
+#define POSTMASTER_POLL_RATE_LIMIT 1024
+#endif
+
 /*
  * Flags set by interrupt handlers for later service in the redo loop.
  */
@@ -134,6 +145,10 @@ StartupRereadConfig(void)
 void
 HandleStartupProcInterrupts(void)
 {
+#ifdef POSTMASTER_POLL_RATE_LIMIT
+	static uint32 postmaster_poll_count = 0;
+#endif
+
 	/*
 	 * Process any requests or signals received recently.
 	 */
@@ -151,9 +166,15 @@ HandleStartupProcInterrupts(void)
 
 	/*
 	 * Emergency bailout if postmaster has died.  This is to avoid the
-	 * necessity for manual cleanup of all postmaster children.
+	 * necessity for manual cleanup of all postmaster children.  Do this less
+	 * frequently on systems for which we don't have signals to make that
+	 * cheap.
 	 */
-	if (IsUnderPostmaster && !PostmasterIsAlive())
+	if (IsUnderPostmaster &&
+#ifdef POSTMASTER_POLL_RATE_LIMIT
+		postmaster_poll_count++ % POSTMASTER_POLL_RATE_LIMIT == 0 &&
+#endif
+		!PostmasterIsAlive())
 		exit(1);
 
 	/* Process barrier events */