diff --git a/src/backend/access/nbtree/nbtree.c b/src/backend/access/nbtree/nbtree.c
index 469c2ed83fd..e1727763d8a 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/nbtree/nbtree.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/nbtree/nbtree.c
@@ -208,13 +208,18 @@ btbuildempty(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	metapage = (Page) palloc(BLCKSZ);
 	_bt_initmetapage(metapage, P_NONE, 0);
 
-	/* Write the page.  If archiving/streaming, XLOG it. */
+	/*
+	 * Write the page and log it.  It might seem that an immediate sync
+	 * would be sufficient to guarantee that the file exists on disk, but
+	 * recovery itself might remove it while replaying, for example, an
+	 * XLOG_DBASE_CREATE or XLOG_TBLSPC_CREATE record.  Therefore, we
+	 * need this even when wal_level=minimal.
+	 */
 	PageSetChecksumInplace(metapage, BTREE_METAPAGE);
 	smgrwrite(index->rd_smgr, INIT_FORKNUM, BTREE_METAPAGE,
 			  (char *) metapage, true);
-	if (XLogIsNeeded())
-		log_newpage(&index->rd_smgr->smgr_rnode.node, INIT_FORKNUM,
-					BTREE_METAPAGE, metapage, false);
+	log_newpage(&index->rd_smgr->smgr_rnode.node, INIT_FORKNUM,
+				BTREE_METAPAGE, metapage, false);
 
 	/*
 	 * An immediate sync is required even if we xlog'd the page, because the
diff --git a/src/backend/access/spgist/spginsert.c b/src/backend/access/spgist/spginsert.c
index a4408f03bd3..cf3d11c34cb 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/spgist/spginsert.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/spgist/spginsert.c
@@ -163,13 +163,18 @@ spgbuildempty(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	page = (Page) palloc(BLCKSZ);
 	SpGistInitMetapage(page);
 
-	/* Write the page.  If archiving/streaming, XLOG it. */
+	/*
+	 * Write the page and log it unconditionally.  This is important
+	 * particularly for indexes created on tablespaces and databases
+	 * whose creation happened after the last redo pointer as recovery
+	 * removes any of their existing content when the corresponding
+	 * create records are replayed.
+	 */
 	PageSetChecksumInplace(page, SPGIST_METAPAGE_BLKNO);
 	smgrwrite(index->rd_smgr, INIT_FORKNUM, SPGIST_METAPAGE_BLKNO,
 			  (char *) page, true);
-	if (XLogIsNeeded())
-		log_newpage(&index->rd_smgr->smgr_rnode.node, INIT_FORKNUM,
-					SPGIST_METAPAGE_BLKNO, page, false);
+	log_newpage(&index->rd_smgr->smgr_rnode.node, INIT_FORKNUM,
+				SPGIST_METAPAGE_BLKNO, page, false);
 
 	/* Likewise for the root page. */
 	SpGistInitPage(page, SPGIST_LEAF);
@@ -177,9 +182,8 @@ spgbuildempty(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	PageSetChecksumInplace(page, SPGIST_ROOT_BLKNO);
 	smgrwrite(index->rd_smgr, INIT_FORKNUM, SPGIST_ROOT_BLKNO,
 			  (char *) page, true);
-	if (XLogIsNeeded())
-		log_newpage(&index->rd_smgr->smgr_rnode.node, INIT_FORKNUM,
-					SPGIST_ROOT_BLKNO, page, true);
+	log_newpage(&index->rd_smgr->smgr_rnode.node, INIT_FORKNUM,
+				SPGIST_ROOT_BLKNO, page, true);
 
 	/* Likewise for the null-tuples root page. */
 	SpGistInitPage(page, SPGIST_LEAF | SPGIST_NULLS);
@@ -187,9 +191,8 @@ spgbuildempty(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	PageSetChecksumInplace(page, SPGIST_NULL_BLKNO);
 	smgrwrite(index->rd_smgr, INIT_FORKNUM, SPGIST_NULL_BLKNO,
 			  (char *) page, true);
-	if (XLogIsNeeded())
-		log_newpage(&index->rd_smgr->smgr_rnode.node, INIT_FORKNUM,
-					SPGIST_NULL_BLKNO, page, true);
+	log_newpage(&index->rd_smgr->smgr_rnode.node, INIT_FORKNUM,
+				SPGIST_NULL_BLKNO, page, true);
 
 	/*
 	 * An immediate sync is required even if we xlog'd the pages, because the
diff --git a/src/backend/catalog/heap.c b/src/backend/catalog/heap.c
index 3a8cf53646a..5cc9697a8f2 100644
--- a/src/backend/catalog/heap.c
+++ b/src/backend/catalog/heap.c
@@ -1355,18 +1355,19 @@ heap_create_with_catalog(const char *relname,
 
 /*
  * Set up an init fork for an unlogged table so that it can be correctly
- * reinitialized on restart.  Since we're going to do an immediate sync, we
- * only need to xlog this if archiving or streaming is enabled.  And the
- * immediate sync is required, because otherwise there's no guarantee that
- * this will hit the disk before the next checkpoint moves the redo pointer.
+ * reinitialized on restart.  An immediate sync is required even if the
+ * page has been logged, because the write did not go through
+ * shared_buffers and therefore a concurrent checkpoint may have moved
+ * the redo pointer past our xlog record.  Recovery may as well remove it
+ * while replaying, for example, XLOG_DBASE_CREATE or XLOG_TBLSPC_CREATE
+ * record. Therefore, logging is necessary even if wal_level=minimal.
  */
 void
 heap_create_init_fork(Relation rel)
 {
 	RelationOpenSmgr(rel);
 	smgrcreate(rel->rd_smgr, INIT_FORKNUM, false);
-	if (XLogIsNeeded())
-		log_smgrcreate(&rel->rd_smgr->smgr_rnode.node, INIT_FORKNUM);
+	log_smgrcreate(&rel->rd_smgr->smgr_rnode.node, INIT_FORKNUM);
 	smgrimmedsync(rel->rd_smgr, INIT_FORKNUM);
 }