diff --git a/src/backend/catalog/heap.c b/src/backend/catalog/heap.c
index 5dc90660dee..071266536df 100644
--- a/src/backend/catalog/heap.c
+++ b/src/backend/catalog/heap.c
@@ -403,7 +403,8 @@ CheckAttributeNamesTypes(TupleDesc tupdesc, char relkind)
 	for (i = 0; i < natts; i++)
 	{
 		CheckAttributeType(NameStr(tupdesc->attrs[i]->attname),
-						   tupdesc->attrs[i]->atttypid);
+						   tupdesc->attrs[i]->atttypid,
+						   NIL /* assume we're creating a new rowtype */);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -411,14 +412,23 @@ CheckAttributeNamesTypes(TupleDesc tupdesc, char relkind)
  *		CheckAttributeType
  *
  *		Verify that the proposed datatype of an attribute is legal.
- *		This is needed because there are types (and pseudo-types)
+ *		This is needed mainly because there are types (and pseudo-types)
  *		in the catalogs that we do not support as elements of real tuples.
+ *		We also check some other properties required of a table column.
+ *
+ * If the attribute is being proposed for addition to an existing table or
+ * composite type, pass a one-element list of the rowtype OID as
+ * containing_rowtypes.  When checking a to-be-created rowtype, it's
+ * sufficient to pass NIL, because there could not be any recursive reference
+ * to a not-yet-existing rowtype.
  * --------------------------------
  */
 void
-CheckAttributeType(const char *attname, Oid atttypid)
+CheckAttributeType(const char *attname, Oid atttypid,
+				   List *containing_rowtypes)
 {
 	char		att_typtype = get_typtype(atttypid);
+	Oid			att_typelem;
 
 	if (atttypid == UNKNOWNOID)
 	{
@@ -454,6 +464,20 @@ CheckAttributeType(const char *attname, Oid atttypid)
 		TupleDesc	tupdesc;
 		int			i;
 
+		/*
+		 * Check for self-containment.  Eventually we might be able to allow
+		 * this (just return without complaint, if so) but it's not clear how
+		 * many other places would require anti-recursion defenses before it
+		 * would be safe to allow tables to contain their own rowtype.
+		 */
+		if (list_member_oid(containing_rowtypes, atttypid))
+			ereport(ERROR,
+					(errcode(ERRCODE_INVALID_TABLE_DEFINITION),
+					 errmsg("composite type %s cannot be made a member of itself",
+							format_type_be(atttypid))));
+
+		containing_rowtypes = lcons_oid(atttypid, containing_rowtypes);
+
 		relation = relation_open(get_typ_typrelid(atttypid), AccessShareLock);
 
 		tupdesc = RelationGetDescr(relation);
@@ -464,10 +488,21 @@ CheckAttributeType(const char *attname, Oid atttypid)
 
 			if (attr->attisdropped)
 				continue;
-			CheckAttributeType(NameStr(attr->attname), attr->atttypid);
+			CheckAttributeType(NameStr(attr->attname), attr->atttypid,
+							   containing_rowtypes);
 		}
 
 		relation_close(relation, AccessShareLock);
+
+		containing_rowtypes = list_delete_first(containing_rowtypes);
+	}
+	else if (OidIsValid((att_typelem = get_element_type(atttypid))))
+	{
+		/*
+		 * Must recurse into array types, too, in case they are composite.
+		 */
+		CheckAttributeType(attname, att_typelem,
+						   containing_rowtypes);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/backend/catalog/index.c b/src/backend/catalog/index.c
index 73b5e6b91c4..487dbbf24d2 100644
--- a/src/backend/catalog/index.c
+++ b/src/backend/catalog/index.c
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ ConstructTupleDescriptor(Relation heapRelation,
 			 * whether a table column is of a safe type (which is why we
 			 * needn't check for the non-expression case).
 			 */
-			CheckAttributeType(NameStr(to->attname), to->atttypid);
+			CheckAttributeType(NameStr(to->attname), to->atttypid, NIL);
 		}
 
 		/*
diff --git a/src/backend/commands/tablecmds.c b/src/backend/commands/tablecmds.c
index da491e14ef2..5d30b0fb20a 100644
--- a/src/backend/commands/tablecmds.c
+++ b/src/backend/commands/tablecmds.c
@@ -3613,7 +3613,8 @@ ATExecAddColumn(AlteredTableInfo *tab, Relation rel,
 	typeOid = HeapTupleGetOid(typeTuple);
 
 	/* make sure datatype is legal for a column */
-	CheckAttributeType(colDef->colname, typeOid);
+	CheckAttributeType(colDef->colname, typeOid,
+					   list_make1_oid(rel->rd_rel->reltype));
 
 	/* construct new attribute's pg_attribute entry */
 	attribute.attrelid = myrelid;
@@ -5606,7 +5607,8 @@ ATPrepAlterColumnType(List **wqueue,
 	targettype = typenameTypeId(NULL, typename, &targettypmod);
 
 	/* make sure datatype is legal for a column */
-	CheckAttributeType(colName, targettype);
+	CheckAttributeType(colName, targettype,
+					   list_make1_oid(rel->rd_rel->reltype));
 
 	/*
 	 * Set up an expression to transform the old data value to the new type.
diff --git a/src/include/catalog/heap.h b/src/include/catalog/heap.h
index 2d6eb3c34ad..dac43b8adce 100644
--- a/src/include/catalog/heap.h
+++ b/src/include/catalog/heap.h
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ extern Form_pg_attribute SystemAttributeByName(const char *attname,
 
 extern void CheckAttributeNamesTypes(TupleDesc tupdesc, char relkind);
 
-extern void CheckAttributeType(const char *attname, Oid atttypid);
+extern void CheckAttributeType(const char *attname, Oid atttypid,
+							   List *containing_rowtypes);
 
 #endif   /* HEAP_H */
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/alter_table.out b/src/test/regress/expected/alter_table.out
index b14d61fd34f..e8887db00e9 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/alter_table.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/alter_table.out
@@ -1456,6 +1456,18 @@ select * from another;
 (3 rows)
 
 drop table another;
+-- disallow recursive containment of row types
+create temp table recur1 (f1 int);
+alter table recur1 add column f2 recur1; -- fails
+ERROR:  composite type recur1 cannot be made a member of itself
+alter table recur1 add column f2 recur1[]; -- fails
+ERROR:  composite type recur1 cannot be made a member of itself
+create temp table recur2 (f1 int, f2 recur1);
+alter table recur1 add column f2 recur2; -- fails
+ERROR:  composite type recur1 cannot be made a member of itself
+alter table recur1 add column f2 int;
+alter table recur1 alter column f2 type recur2; -- fails
+ERROR:  composite type recur1 cannot be made a member of itself
 --
 -- alter function
 --
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/alter_table.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/alter_table.sql
index e041cec8439..26b5f03c179 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/alter_table.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/alter_table.sql
@@ -1081,6 +1081,15 @@ select * from another;
 
 drop table another;
 
+-- disallow recursive containment of row types
+create temp table recur1 (f1 int);
+alter table recur1 add column f2 recur1; -- fails
+alter table recur1 add column f2 recur1[]; -- fails
+create temp table recur2 (f1 int, f2 recur1);
+alter table recur1 add column f2 recur2; -- fails
+alter table recur1 add column f2 int;
+alter table recur1 alter column f2 type recur2; -- fails
+
 --
 -- alter function
 --