diff --git a/contrib/postgres_fdw/postgres_fdw.c b/contrib/postgres_fdw/postgres_fdw.c
index a4babed2b04..20b25935ce6 100644
--- a/contrib/postgres_fdw/postgres_fdw.c
+++ b/contrib/postgres_fdw/postgres_fdw.c
@@ -3087,7 +3087,7 @@ estimate_path_cost_size(PlannerInfo *root,
 			numGroups = estimate_num_groups(root,
 											get_sortgrouplist_exprs(root->parse->groupClause,
 																	fpinfo->grouped_tlist),
-											input_rows, NULL);
+											input_rows, NULL, NULL);
 
 			/*
 			 * Get the retrieved_rows and rows estimates.  If there are HAVING
diff --git a/src/backend/optimizer/path/costsize.c b/src/backend/optimizer/path/costsize.c
index a25b674a192..b92c9485882 100644
--- a/src/backend/optimizer/path/costsize.c
+++ b/src/backend/optimizer/path/costsize.c
@@ -1969,7 +1969,8 @@ cost_incremental_sort(Path *path,
 
 	/* Estimate number of groups with equal presorted keys. */
 	if (!unknown_varno)
-		input_groups = estimate_num_groups(root, presortedExprs, input_tuples, NULL);
+		input_groups = estimate_num_groups(root, presortedExprs, input_tuples,
+										   NULL, NULL);
 
 	group_tuples = input_tuples / input_groups;
 	group_input_run_cost = input_run_cost / input_groups;
diff --git a/src/backend/optimizer/path/indxpath.c b/src/backend/optimizer/path/indxpath.c
index ff536e6b24b..53b24e9e8c8 100644
--- a/src/backend/optimizer/path/indxpath.c
+++ b/src/backend/optimizer/path/indxpath.c
@@ -1990,6 +1990,7 @@ adjust_rowcount_for_semijoins(PlannerInfo *root,
 			nunique = estimate_num_groups(root,
 										  sjinfo->semi_rhs_exprs,
 										  nraw,
+										  NULL,
 										  NULL);
 			if (rowcount > nunique)
 				rowcount = nunique;
diff --git a/src/backend/optimizer/plan/planner.c b/src/backend/optimizer/plan/planner.c
index f529d107d29..0886bf4ae8f 100644
--- a/src/backend/optimizer/plan/planner.c
+++ b/src/backend/optimizer/plan/planner.c
@@ -3702,7 +3702,8 @@ get_number_of_groups(PlannerInfo *root,
 					double		numGroups = estimate_num_groups(root,
 																groupExprs,
 																path_rows,
-																&gset);
+																&gset,
+																NULL);
 
 					gs->numGroups = numGroups;
 					rollup->numGroups += numGroups;
@@ -3727,7 +3728,8 @@ get_number_of_groups(PlannerInfo *root,
 					double		numGroups = estimate_num_groups(root,
 																groupExprs,
 																path_rows,
-																&gset);
+																&gset,
+																NULL);
 
 					gs->numGroups = numGroups;
 					gd->dNumHashGroups += numGroups;
@@ -3743,7 +3745,7 @@ get_number_of_groups(PlannerInfo *root,
 												 target_list);
 
 			dNumGroups = estimate_num_groups(root, groupExprs, path_rows,
-											 NULL);
+											 NULL, NULL);
 		}
 	}
 	else if (parse->groupingSets)
@@ -4792,7 +4794,7 @@ create_distinct_paths(PlannerInfo *root,
 												parse->targetList);
 		numDistinctRows = estimate_num_groups(root, distinctExprs,
 											  cheapest_input_path->rows,
-											  NULL);
+											  NULL, NULL);
 	}
 
 	/*
diff --git a/src/backend/optimizer/prep/prepunion.c b/src/backend/optimizer/prep/prepunion.c
index becdcbb8725..037dfaacfd4 100644
--- a/src/backend/optimizer/prep/prepunion.c
+++ b/src/backend/optimizer/prep/prepunion.c
@@ -338,6 +338,7 @@ recurse_set_operations(Node *setOp, PlannerInfo *root,
 				*pNumGroups = estimate_num_groups(subroot,
 												  get_tlist_exprs(subquery->targetList, false),
 												  subpath->rows,
+												  NULL,
 												  NULL);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/backend/optimizer/util/pathnode.c b/src/backend/optimizer/util/pathnode.c
index 69b83071cf2..d5c66780ac8 100644
--- a/src/backend/optimizer/util/pathnode.c
+++ b/src/backend/optimizer/util/pathnode.c
@@ -1713,6 +1713,7 @@ create_unique_path(PlannerInfo *root, RelOptInfo *rel, Path *subpath,
 	pathnode->path.rows = estimate_num_groups(root,
 											  sjinfo->semi_rhs_exprs,
 											  rel->rows,
+											  NULL,
 											  NULL);
 	numCols = list_length(sjinfo->semi_rhs_exprs);
 
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/adt/selfuncs.c b/src/backend/utils/adt/selfuncs.c
index 7e41bc56418..0963e2701cb 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/adt/selfuncs.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/adt/selfuncs.c
@@ -3241,6 +3241,7 @@ typedef struct
 	Node	   *var;			/* might be an expression, not just a Var */
 	RelOptInfo *rel;			/* relation it belongs to */
 	double		ndistinct;		/* # distinct values */
+	bool		isdefault;		/* true if DEFAULT_NUM_DISTINCT was used */
 } GroupVarInfo;
 
 static List *
@@ -3287,6 +3288,7 @@ add_unique_group_var(PlannerInfo *root, List *varinfos,
 	varinfo->var = var;
 	varinfo->rel = vardata->rel;
 	varinfo->ndistinct = ndistinct;
+	varinfo->isdefault = isdefault;
 	varinfos = lappend(varinfos, varinfo);
 	return varinfos;
 }
@@ -3311,6 +3313,12 @@ add_unique_group_var(PlannerInfo *root, List *varinfos,
  *	pgset - NULL, or a List** pointing to a grouping set to filter the
  *		groupExprs against
  *
+ * Outputs:
+ *	estinfo - When passed as non-NULL, the function will set bits in the
+ *		"flags" field in order to provide callers with additional information
+ *		about the estimation.  Currently, we only set the SELFLAG_USED_DEFAULT
+ *		bit if we used any default values in the estimation.
+ *
  * Given the lack of any cross-correlation statistics in the system, it's
  * impossible to do anything really trustworthy with GROUP BY conditions
  * involving multiple Vars.  We should however avoid assuming the worst
@@ -3358,7 +3366,7 @@ add_unique_group_var(PlannerInfo *root, List *varinfos,
  */
 double
 estimate_num_groups(PlannerInfo *root, List *groupExprs, double input_rows,
-					List **pgset)
+					List **pgset, EstimationInfo *estinfo)
 {
 	List	   *varinfos = NIL;
 	double		srf_multiplier = 1.0;
@@ -3366,6 +3374,10 @@ estimate_num_groups(PlannerInfo *root, List *groupExprs, double input_rows,
 	ListCell   *l;
 	int			i;
 
+	/* Zero the estinfo output parameter, if non-NULL */
+	if (estinfo != NULL)
+		memset(estinfo, 0, sizeof(EstimationInfo));
+
 	/*
 	 * We don't ever want to return an estimate of zero groups, as that tends
 	 * to lead to division-by-zero and other unpleasantness.  The input_rows
@@ -3577,6 +3589,14 @@ estimate_num_groups(PlannerInfo *root, List *groupExprs, double input_rows,
 					if (relmaxndistinct < varinfo2->ndistinct)
 						relmaxndistinct = varinfo2->ndistinct;
 					relvarcount++;
+
+					/*
+					 * When varinfo2's isdefault is set then we'd better set
+					 * the SELFLAG_USED_DEFAULT bit in the EstimationInfo.
+					 */
+					if (estinfo != NULL && varinfo2->isdefault)
+						estinfo->flags |= SELFLAG_USED_DEFAULT;
+
 				}
 
 				/* we're done with this relation */
diff --git a/src/include/utils/selfuncs.h b/src/include/utils/selfuncs.h
index f9be539602b..78cde58acc1 100644
--- a/src/include/utils/selfuncs.h
+++ b/src/include/utils/selfuncs.h
@@ -68,6 +68,20 @@
 			p = 1.0; \
 	} while (0)
 
+/*
+ * A set of flags which some selectivity estimation functions can pass back to
+ * callers to provide further details about some assumptions which were made
+ * during the estimation.
+ */
+#define SELFLAG_USED_DEFAULT		(1 << 0)	/* Estimation fell back on one
+												 * of the DEFAULTs as defined
+												 * above. */
+
+typedef struct EstimationInfo
+{
+	uint32			flags;		/* Flags, as defined above to mark special
+								 * properties of the estimation. */
+} EstimationInfo;
 
 /* Return data from examine_variable and friends */
 typedef struct VariableStatData
@@ -197,7 +211,8 @@ extern void mergejoinscansel(PlannerInfo *root, Node *clause,
 							 Selectivity *rightstart, Selectivity *rightend);
 
 extern double estimate_num_groups(PlannerInfo *root, List *groupExprs,
-								  double input_rows, List **pgset);
+								  double input_rows, List **pgset,
+								  EstimationInfo *estinfo);
 
 extern void estimate_hash_bucket_stats(PlannerInfo *root,
 									   Node *hashkey, double nbuckets,