diff --git a/contrib/pg_upgrade/exec.c b/contrib/pg_upgrade/exec.c
index c347484b81d..60d69571092 100644
--- a/contrib/pg_upgrade/exec.c
+++ b/contrib/pg_upgrade/exec.c
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 
 static void	check_data_dir(migratorContext *ctx, const char *pg_data);
-static void check_bin_dir(migratorContext *ctx, ClusterInfo *cluster);
+static void check_bin_dir(migratorContext *ctx, ClusterInfo *cluster, Cluster whichCluster);
 static int	check_exec(migratorContext *ctx, const char *dir, const char *cmdName);
 static const char *validate_exec(const char *path);
 
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ verify_directories(migratorContext *ctx)
 	check_ok(ctx);
 
 	prep_status(ctx, "Checking old bin directory (%s)", ctx->old.bindir);
-	check_bin_dir(ctx, &ctx->old);
+	check_bin_dir(ctx, &ctx->old, CLUSTER_OLD);
 	check_ok(ctx);
 
 	prep_status(ctx, "Checking new data directory (%s)", ctx->new.pgdata);
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ verify_directories(migratorContext *ctx)
 	check_ok(ctx);
 
 	prep_status(ctx, "Checking new bin directory (%s)", ctx->new.bindir);
-	check_bin_dir(ctx, &ctx->new);
+	check_bin_dir(ctx, &ctx->new, CLUSTER_NEW);
 	check_ok(ctx);
 }
 
@@ -158,12 +158,18 @@ check_data_dir(migratorContext *ctx, const char *pg_data)
  *	exit().
  */
 static void
-check_bin_dir(migratorContext *ctx, ClusterInfo *cluster)
+check_bin_dir(migratorContext *ctx, ClusterInfo *cluster, Cluster whichCluster)
 {
 	check_exec(ctx, cluster->bindir, "postgres");
-	check_exec(ctx, cluster->bindir, "psql");
 	check_exec(ctx, cluster->bindir, "pg_ctl");
-	check_exec(ctx, cluster->bindir, "pg_dumpall");
+	check_exec(ctx, cluster->bindir, "pg_resetxlog");
+	if (whichCluster == CLUSTER_NEW)
+	{
+		/* these are only needed in the new cluster */
+		check_exec(ctx, cluster->bindir, "pg_config");
+		check_exec(ctx, cluster->bindir, "psql");
+		check_exec(ctx, cluster->bindir, "pg_dumpall");
+	}
 }
 
 
diff --git a/contrib/pg_upgrade/option.c b/contrib/pg_upgrade/option.c
index d03b978619e..136364f017e 100644
--- a/contrib/pg_upgrade/option.c
+++ b/contrib/pg_upgrade/option.c
@@ -308,7 +308,11 @@ validateDirectoryOption(migratorContext *ctx, char **dirpath,
 static void
 get_pkglibdirs(migratorContext *ctx)
 {
-	ctx->old.libpath = get_pkglibdir(ctx, ctx->old.bindir);
+	/*
+	 * we do not need to know the libpath in the old cluster, and might not
+	 * have a working pg_config to ask for it anyway.
+	 */
+	ctx->old.libpath = NULL;
 	ctx->new.libpath = get_pkglibdir(ctx, ctx->new.bindir);
 }