diff --git a/src/backend/utils/adt/tsquery_op.c b/src/backend/utils/adt/tsquery_op.c
index 6b7e976a431..41797b5e6a1 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/adt/tsquery_op.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/adt/tsquery_op.c
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  *
  *
  * IDENTIFICATION
- *	  $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/utils/adt/tsquery_op.c,v 1.6 2009/06/11 14:49:04 momjian Exp $
+ *	  $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/utils/adt/tsquery_op.c,v 1.6.2.1 2010/08/03 00:10:52 tgl Exp $
  *
  *-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  */
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ CompareTSQ(TSQuery a, TSQuery b)
 	{
 		return (VARSIZE(a) < VARSIZE(b)) ? -1 : 1;
 	}
-	else
+	else if (a->size != 0)
 	{
 		QTNode	   *an = QT2QTN(GETQUERY(a), GETOPERAND(a));
 		QTNode	   *bn = QT2QTN(GETQUERY(b), GETOPERAND(b));
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/adt/tsquery_util.c b/src/backend/utils/adt/tsquery_util.c
index 9efd5fa8d3b..831936696b7 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/adt/tsquery_util.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/adt/tsquery_util.c
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  *
  *
  * IDENTIFICATION
- *	  $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/utils/adt/tsquery_util.c,v 1.11 2009/06/11 14:49:04 momjian Exp $
+ *	  $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/utils/adt/tsquery_util.c,v 1.11.2.1 2010/08/03 00:10:52 tgl Exp $
  *
  *-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  */
@@ -113,13 +113,11 @@ QTNodeCompare(QTNode *an, QTNode *bn)
 		}
 		return 0;
 	}
-	else
+	else if (an->valnode->type == QI_VAL)
 	{
 		QueryOperand *ao = &an->valnode->operand;
 		QueryOperand *bo = &bn->valnode->operand;
 
-		Assert(an->valnode->type == QI_VAL);
-
 		if (ao->valcrc != bo->valcrc)
 		{
 			return (ao->valcrc > bo->valcrc) ? -1 : 1;
@@ -127,6 +125,11 @@ QTNodeCompare(QTNode *an, QTNode *bn)
 
 		return tsCompareString(an->word, ao->length, bn->word, bo->length, false);
 	}
+	else
+	{
+		elog(ERROR, "unrecognized QueryItem type: %d", an->valnode->type);
+		return 0;				/* keep compiler quiet */
+	}
 }
 
 static int