diff --git a/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c b/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
index a5446d5..6941159 100644
--- a/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
+++ b/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
@@ -993,7 +993,133 @@ PostmasterMain(int argc, char *argv[])
 	 */
 	InitializeMaxBackends();
 
-	/* Report server startup in log */
+	/*
+	 * Set up shared memory and semaphores.
+	 */
+	reset_shared();
+
+	/*
+	 * Estimate number of openable files.  This must happen after setting up
+	 * semaphores, because on some platforms semaphores count as open files.
+	 */
+	set_max_safe_fds();
+
+	/*
+	 * Set reference point for stack-depth checking.
+	 */
+	set_stack_base();
+
+	/*
+	 * Initialize pipe (or process handle on Windows) that allows children to
+	 * wake up from sleep on postmaster death.
+	 */
+	InitPostmasterDeathWatchHandle();
+
+#ifdef WIN32
+
+	/*
+	 * Initialize I/O completion port used to deliver list of dead children.
+	 */
+	win32ChildQueue = CreateIoCompletionPort(INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE, NULL, 0, 1);
+	if (win32ChildQueue == NULL)
+		ereport(FATAL,
+				(errmsg("could not create I/O completion port for child queue")));
+#endif
+
+#ifdef EXEC_BACKEND
+	/* Write out nondefault GUC settings for child processes to use */
+	write_nondefault_variables(PGC_POSTMASTER);
+#endif
+
+	/*
+	 * Write the external PID file if requested
+	 */
+	if (external_pid_file)
+	{
+		FILE	   *fpidfile = fopen(external_pid_file, "w");
+
+		if (fpidfile)
+		{
+			fprintf(fpidfile, "%d\n", MyProcPid);
+			fclose(fpidfile);
+
+			/* Make PID file world readable */
+			if (chmod(external_pid_file, S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR | S_IRGRP | S_IROTH) != 0)
+				write_stderr("%s: could not change permissions of external PID file \"%s\": %s\n",
+							 progname, external_pid_file, strerror(errno));
+		}
+		else
+			write_stderr("%s: could not write external PID file \"%s\": %s\n",
+						 progname, external_pid_file, strerror(errno));
+
+		on_proc_exit(unlink_external_pid_file, 0);
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Remove old temporary files.  At this point there can be no other
+	 * Postgres processes running in this directory, so this should be safe.
+	 */
+	RemovePgTempFiles();
+
+	/*
+	 * Forcibly remove the files signaling a standby promotion request.
+	 * Otherwise, the existence of those files triggers a promotion too early,
+	 * whether a user wants that or not.
+	 *
+	 * This removal of files is usually unnecessary because they can exist
+	 * only during a few moments during a standby promotion. However there is
+	 * a race condition: if pg_ctl promote is executed and creates the files
+	 * during a promotion, the files can stay around even after the server is
+	 * brought up to new master. Then, if new standby starts by using the
+	 * backup taken from that master, the files can exist at the server
+	 * startup and should be removed in order to avoid an unexpected
+	 * promotion.
+	 *
+	 * Note that promotion signal files need to be removed before the startup
+	 * process is invoked. Because, after that, they can be used by
+	 * postmaster's SIGUSR1 signal handler.
+	 */
+	RemovePromoteSignalFiles();
+
+	/* Do the same for logrotate signal file */
+	RemoveLogrotateSignalFiles();
+
+	/* Remove any outdated file holding the current log filenames. */
+	if (unlink(LOG_METAINFO_DATAFILE) < 0 && errno != ENOENT)
+		ereport(LOG,
+				(errcode_for_file_access(),
+				 errmsg("could not remove file \"%s\": %m",
+						LOG_METAINFO_DATAFILE)));
+
+	/*
+	 * If enabled, start up syslogger collection subprocess
+	 */
+	SysLoggerPID = SysLogger_Start();
+
+	/*
+	 * Reset whereToSendOutput from DestDebug (its starting state) to
+	 * DestNone. This stops ereport from sending log messages to stderr unless
+	 * Log_destination permits.  We don't do this until the postmaster is
+	 * fully launched, since startup failures may as well be reported to
+	 * stderr.
+	 *
+	 * If we are in fact disabling logging to stderr, first emit a log message
+	 * saying so, to provide a breadcrumb trail for users who may not remember
+	 * that their logging is configured to go somewhere else.
+	 */
+	if (!(Log_destination & LOG_DESTINATION_STDERR))
+		ereport(LOG,
+				(errmsg("ending log output to stderr"),
+				 errhint("Future log output will go to log destination \"%s\".",
+						 Log_destination_string)));
+
+	whereToSendOutput = DestNone;
+
+	/*
+	 * Report server startup in log.  While we could emit this much earlier,
+	 * it seems best to do so after starting the log collector, if we intend
+	 * to use one.
+	 */
 	ereport(LOG,
 			(errmsg("starting %s", PG_VERSION_STR)));
 
@@ -1173,134 +1299,12 @@ PostmasterMain(int argc, char *argv[])
 		AddToDataDirLockFile(LOCK_FILE_LINE_LISTEN_ADDR, "");
 
 	/*
-	 * Set up shared memory and semaphores.
-	 */
-	reset_shared();
-
-	/*
-	 * Estimate number of openable files.  This must happen after setting up
-	 * semaphores, because on some platforms semaphores count as open files.
-	 */
-	set_max_safe_fds();
-
-	/*
-	 * Set reference point for stack-depth checking.
-	 */
-	set_stack_base();
-
-	/*
-	 * Initialize pipe (or process handle on Windows) that allows children to
-	 * wake up from sleep on postmaster death.
-	 */
-	InitPostmasterDeathWatchHandle();
-
-#ifdef WIN32
-
-	/*
-	 * Initialize I/O completion port used to deliver list of dead children.
-	 */
-	win32ChildQueue = CreateIoCompletionPort(INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE, NULL, 0, 1);
-	if (win32ChildQueue == NULL)
-		ereport(FATAL,
-				(errmsg("could not create I/O completion port for child queue")));
-#endif
-
-	/*
 	 * Record postmaster options.  We delay this till now to avoid recording
-	 * bogus options (eg, NBuffers too high for available memory).
+	 * bogus options (eg, unusable port number).
 	 */
 	if (!CreateOptsFile(argc, argv, my_exec_path))
 		ExitPostmaster(1);
 
-#ifdef EXEC_BACKEND
-	/* Write out nondefault GUC settings for child processes to use */
-	write_nondefault_variables(PGC_POSTMASTER);
-#endif
-
-	/*
-	 * Write the external PID file if requested
-	 */
-	if (external_pid_file)
-	{
-		FILE	   *fpidfile = fopen(external_pid_file, "w");
-
-		if (fpidfile)
-		{
-			fprintf(fpidfile, "%d\n", MyProcPid);
-			fclose(fpidfile);
-
-			/* Make PID file world readable */
-			if (chmod(external_pid_file, S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR | S_IRGRP | S_IROTH) != 0)
-				write_stderr("%s: could not change permissions of external PID file \"%s\": %s\n",
-							 progname, external_pid_file, strerror(errno));
-		}
-		else
-			write_stderr("%s: could not write external PID file \"%s\": %s\n",
-						 progname, external_pid_file, strerror(errno));
-
-		on_proc_exit(unlink_external_pid_file, 0);
-	}
-
-	/*
-	 * Remove old temporary files.  At this point there can be no other
-	 * Postgres processes running in this directory, so this should be safe.
-	 */
-	RemovePgTempFiles();
-
-	/*
-	 * Forcibly remove the files signaling a standby promotion request.
-	 * Otherwise, the existence of those files triggers a promotion too early,
-	 * whether a user wants that or not.
-	 *
-	 * This removal of files is usually unnecessary because they can exist
-	 * only during a few moments during a standby promotion. However there is
-	 * a race condition: if pg_ctl promote is executed and creates the files
-	 * during a promotion, the files can stay around even after the server is
-	 * brought up to new master. Then, if new standby starts by using the
-	 * backup taken from that master, the files can exist at the server
-	 * startup and should be removed in order to avoid an unexpected
-	 * promotion.
-	 *
-	 * Note that promotion signal files need to be removed before the startup
-	 * process is invoked. Because, after that, they can be used by
-	 * postmaster's SIGUSR1 signal handler.
-	 */
-	RemovePromoteSignalFiles();
-
-	/* Do the same for logrotate signal file */
-	RemoveLogrotateSignalFiles();
-
-	/* Remove any outdated file holding the current log filenames. */
-	if (unlink(LOG_METAINFO_DATAFILE) < 0 && errno != ENOENT)
-		ereport(LOG,
-				(errcode_for_file_access(),
-				 errmsg("could not remove file \"%s\": %m",
-						LOG_METAINFO_DATAFILE)));
-
-	/*
-	 * If enabled, start up syslogger collection subprocess
-	 */
-	SysLoggerPID = SysLogger_Start();
-
-	/*
-	 * Reset whereToSendOutput from DestDebug (its starting state) to
-	 * DestNone. This stops ereport from sending log messages to stderr unless
-	 * Log_destination permits.  We don't do this until the postmaster is
-	 * fully launched, since startup failures may as well be reported to
-	 * stderr.
-	 *
-	 * If we are in fact disabling logging to stderr, first emit a log message
-	 * saying so, to provide a breadcrumb trail for users who may not remember
-	 * that their logging is configured to go somewhere else.
-	 */
-	if (!(Log_destination & LOG_DESTINATION_STDERR))
-		ereport(LOG,
-				(errmsg("ending log output to stderr"),
-				 errhint("Future log output will go to log destination \"%s\".",
-						 Log_destination_string)));
-
-	whereToSendOutput = DestNone;
-
 	/*
 	 * Initialize stats collection subsystem (this does NOT start the
 	 * collector process!)
diff --git a/src/include/utils/pidfile.h b/src/include/utils/pidfile.h
index b2dcca6..21e7ccf 100644
--- a/src/include/utils/pidfile.h
+++ b/src/include/utils/pidfile.h
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@
  *
  * Lines 6 and up are added via AddToDataDirLockFile() after initial file
  * creation; also, line 5 is initially empty and is changed after the first
- * Unix socket is opened.
+ * Unix socket is opened.  Onlookers should not assume that lines 4 and up
+ * are filled in any particular order.
  *
  * Socket lock file(s), if used, have the same contents as lines 1-5, with
  * line 5 being their own directory.
