diff --git a/src/bin/pg_basebackup/pg_recvlogical.c b/src/bin/pg_basebackup/pg_recvlogical.c
index b9ea23e1426..a3447753119 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_basebackup/pg_recvlogical.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_basebackup/pg_recvlogical.c
@@ -944,13 +944,16 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 #endif
 
 	/*
-	 * Run IDENTIFY_SYSTEM to make sure we connected using a database specific
-	 * replication connection.
+	 * Run IDENTIFY_SYSTEM to check the connection type for each action.
+	 * --create-slot and --start actions require a database-specific
+	 * replication connection because they handle logical replication slots.
+	 * --drop-slot can remove replication slots from any replication
+	 * connection without this restriction.
 	 */
 	if (!RunIdentifySystem(conn, NULL, NULL, NULL, &db_name))
 		exit(1);
 
-	if (db_name == NULL)
+	if (!do_drop_slot && db_name == NULL)
 		pg_fatal("could not establish database-specific replication connection");
 
 	/*
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_basebackup/t/030_pg_recvlogical.pl b/src/bin/pg_basebackup/t/030_pg_recvlogical.pl
index a6e10600161..62bbc5a3f98 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_basebackup/t/030_pg_recvlogical.pl
+++ b/src/bin/pg_basebackup/t/030_pg_recvlogical.pl
@@ -127,4 +127,12 @@ $node->command_ok(
 	],
 	'replayed a two-phase transaction');
 
+$node->command_ok(
+	[
+		'pg_recvlogical',
+		'--slot' => 'test',
+		'--drop-slot'
+	],
+	'drop could work without dbname');
+
 done_testing();