diff --git a/src/backend/commands/statscmds.c b/src/backend/commands/statscmds.c
index 6d8f4822b46..df6cb4a6f49 100644
--- a/src/backend/commands/statscmds.c
+++ b/src/backend/commands/statscmds.c
@@ -722,20 +722,14 @@ AlterStatistics(AlterStatsStmt *stmt)
 }
 
 /*
- * Guts of statistics object deletion.
- */
-void
-RemoveStatisticsById(Oid statsOid)
+ * Delete entry in pg_statistic_ext_data catalog.
+*/
+static void
+RemoveStatisticsDataById(Oid statsOid)
 {
 	Relation	relation;
 	HeapTuple	tup;
-	Form_pg_statistic_ext statext;
-	Oid			relid;
 
-	/*
-	 * First delete the pg_statistic_ext_data tuple holding the actual
-	 * statistical data.
-	 */
 	relation = table_open(StatisticExtDataRelationId, RowExclusiveLock);
 
 	tup = SearchSysCache1(STATEXTDATASTXOID, ObjectIdGetDatum(statsOid));
@@ -748,6 +742,19 @@ RemoveStatisticsById(Oid statsOid)
 	ReleaseSysCache(tup);
 
 	table_close(relation, RowExclusiveLock);
+}
+
+/*
+ * Guts of statistics object deletion.
+ */
+void
+RemoveStatisticsById(Oid statsOid)
+{
+	Relation	relation;
+	Relation	rel;
+	HeapTuple	tup;
+	Form_pg_statistic_ext statext;
+	Oid			relid;
 
 	/*
 	 * Delete the pg_statistic_ext tuple.  Also send out a cache inval on the
@@ -763,12 +770,24 @@ RemoveStatisticsById(Oid statsOid)
 	statext = (Form_pg_statistic_ext) GETSTRUCT(tup);
 	relid = statext->stxrelid;
 
+	/*
+	 * Delete the pg_statistic_ext_data tuple holding the actual statistical
+	 * data. We lock the user table first, to prevent other processes (e.g.
+	 * DROP STATISTICS) from removing the row concurrently.
+	 */
+	rel = table_open(relid, ShareUpdateExclusiveLock);
+
+	RemoveStatisticsDataById(statsOid);
+
 	CacheInvalidateRelcacheByRelid(relid);
 
 	CatalogTupleDelete(relation, &tup->t_self);
 
 	ReleaseSysCache(tup);
 
+	/* Keep lock until the end of the transaction. */
+	table_close(rel, NoLock);
+
 	table_close(relation, RowExclusiveLock);
 }