diff --git a/src/include/utils/ps_status.h b/src/include/utils/ps_status.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4ede04c753b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/include/utils/ps_status.h
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ *
+ * ps_status.h--
+ *
+ *	Defines macros to show backend status on the ps status line.
+ *	Unfortunately this is system dpendent.
+ *
+ *-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ */
+
+#ifndef PS_STATUS_H
+#define PS_STATUS_H
+
+#ifdef linux
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include "utils/trace.h"
+
+extern char *ps_status_buffer;
+
+#define PS_DEFINE_BUFFER \
+char *ps_status_buffer = NULL;
+
+#define PS_INIT_STATUS(argc, argv, execname, username, hostname, dbname) \
+	{ \
+		int	i; \
+		for (i = 0; i < (argc); i++) { \
+			memset((argv)[i], 0, strlen((argv)[i])); \
+		} \
+		ps_status_buffer = (argv)[0]; \
+		sprintf(ps_status_buffer, "%s %s %s %s ", execname, username, hostname, dbname); \
+		ps_status_buffer += strlen(ps_status_buffer); \
+	}
+
+#define PS_CLEAR_STATUS() \
+	{ if (ps_status_buffer) memset(ps_status_buffer, 0, strlen(ps_status_buffer)); }
+
+#define PS_SET_STATUS(status) \
+	{ \
+		if (ps_status_buffer) \
+		{ \
+			PS_CLEAR_STATUS(); \
+			strcat(ps_status_buffer, status); \
+		} \
+	}
+
+#define PS_STATUS (ps_status_buffer ? ps_status_buffer : "")
+
+#else							/* !linux */
+
+extern const char **ps_status; 
+
+#define PS_DEFINE_BUFFER \
+const char **ps_status = NULL;
+
+#define PS_INIT_STATUS(argc, argv, execname, username, hostname, dbname) \
+	{ \
+		int i; \
+		Assert(argc >= 5); \
+		argv[0] = execname; \
+		argv[1] = hostname; \
+		argv[2] = username; \
+		argv[3] = dbname; \
+		ps_status = (const char **)&argv[4]; \
+		for (i = 4; i < argc; i++) \
+			argv[i] = "";  /* blank them */ \
+	}
+
+#define PS_CLEAR_STATUS() \
+	{ if (ps_status) *ps_status = ""; }
+
+#define PS_SET_STATUS(status) \
+	{ if (ps_status) *ps_status = (status); }
+
+#define PS_STATUS (ps_status ? *ps_status : "")
+#endif
+
+#ifdef DONT_HAVE_PS_STATUS
+#define PS_DEFINE_BUFFER 
+#define PS_INIT_STATUS(argc, argv, execname, username, hostname, dbname)
+#define PS_CLEAR_STATUS()
+#define PS_SET_STATUS(status) { if ((status)); }
+#define PS_STATUS ""
+#endif							/* !linux */
+
+#endif							/* PS_STATUS_H */