diff --git a/src/backend/optimizer/plan/createplan.c b/src/backend/optimizer/plan/createplan.c
index b491065f03d..3445400988a 100644
--- a/src/backend/optimizer/plan/createplan.c
+++ b/src/backend/optimizer/plan/createplan.c
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
  *
  *
  * IDENTIFICATION
- *	  $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/backend/optimizer/plan/createplan.c,v 1.139 2003/05/06 00:20:32 tgl Exp $
+ *	  $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/backend/optimizer/plan/createplan.c,v 1.140 2003/05/11 15:03:52 tgl Exp $
  *
  *-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  */
@@ -295,6 +295,12 @@ use_physical_tlist(RelOptInfo *rel)
 	 */
 	if (rel->reloptkind != RELOPT_BASEREL)
 		return false;
+	/*
+	 * Can't do it if relation contains dropped columns.  This is detected
+	 * in plancat.c, see notes there.
+	 */
+	if (rel->varlist == NIL)
+		return false;
 	/*
 	 * Can't do it if any system columns are requested, either.  (This could
 	 * possibly be fixed but would take some fragile assumptions in setrefs.c,
diff --git a/src/backend/optimizer/util/plancat.c b/src/backend/optimizer/util/plancat.c
index 029ddae189c..943e5752faa 100644
--- a/src/backend/optimizer/util/plancat.c
+++ b/src/backend/optimizer/util/plancat.c
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
  *
  *
  * IDENTIFICATION
- *	  $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/backend/optimizer/util/plancat.c,v 1.79 2003/02/09 06:56:27 tgl Exp $
+ *	  $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/backend/optimizer/util/plancat.c,v 1.80 2003/05/11 15:03:52 tgl Exp $
  *
  *-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  */
@@ -62,8 +62,15 @@ get_relation_info(Oid relationObjectId, RelOptInfo *rel)
 	relation = heap_open(relationObjectId, AccessShareLock);
 
 	/*
-	 * Make list of physical Vars.  Note we do NOT ignore dropped columns;
-	 * the intent is to model the physical tuples of the relation.
+	 * Make list of physical Vars.  But if there are any dropped columns,
+	 * punt and set varlist to NIL.  (XXX Ideally we would like to include
+	 * dropped columns so that the varlist models the physical tuples
+	 * of the relation.  However this creates problems for ExecTypeFromTL,
+	 * which may be asked to build a tupdesc for a tlist that includes vars
+	 * of no-longer-existent types.  In theory we could dig out the required
+	 * info from the pg_attribute entries of the relation, but that data is
+	 * not readily available to ExecTypeFromTL.  For now, punt and don't
+	 * apply the physical-tlist optimization when there are dropped cols.)
 	 */
 	numattrs = RelationGetNumberOfAttributes(relation);
 
@@ -71,6 +78,13 @@ get_relation_info(Oid relationObjectId, RelOptInfo *rel)
 	{
 		Form_pg_attribute att_tup = relation->rd_att->attrs[attrno - 1];
 
+		if (att_tup->attisdropped)
+		{
+			/* found a dropped col, so punt */
+			varlist = NIL;
+			break;
+		}
+
 		varlist = lappend(varlist,
 						  makeVar(varno,
 								  attrno,