diff --git a/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c b/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
index ca09d81b08..1df1aa9b30 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
@@ -299,9 +299,6 @@ bool		wal_receiver_create_temp_slot = false;
 /* are we currently in standby mode? */
 bool		StandbyMode = false;
 
-/* whether request for fast promotion has been made yet */
-static bool fast_promote = false;
-
 /*
  * if recoveryStopsBefore/After returns true, it saves information of the stop
  * point here
@@ -6319,7 +6316,7 @@ StartupXLOG(void)
 	DBState		dbstate_at_startup;
 	XLogReaderState *xlogreader;
 	XLogPageReadPrivate private;
-	bool		fast_promoted = false;
+	bool		promoted = false;
 	struct stat st;
 
 	/*
@@ -7724,14 +7721,14 @@ StartupXLOG(void)
 		 * the rule that TLI only changes in shutdown checkpoints, which
 		 * allows some extra error checking in xlog_redo.
 		 *
-		 * In fast promotion, only create a lightweight end-of-recovery record
+		 * In promotion, only create a lightweight end-of-recovery record
 		 * instead of a full checkpoint. A checkpoint is requested later,
 		 * after we're fully out of recovery mode and already accepting
 		 * queries.
 		 */
 		if (bgwriterLaunched)
 		{
-			if (fast_promote)
+			if (LocalPromoteIsTriggered)
 			{
 				checkPointLoc = ControlFile->checkPoint;
 
@@ -7742,7 +7739,7 @@ StartupXLOG(void)
 				record = ReadCheckpointRecord(xlogreader, checkPointLoc, 1, false);
 				if (record != NULL)
 				{
-					fast_promoted = true;
+					promoted = true;
 
 					/*
 					 * Insert a special WAL record to mark the end of
@@ -7759,7 +7756,7 @@ StartupXLOG(void)
 				}
 			}
 
-			if (!fast_promoted)
+			if (!promoted)
 				RequestCheckpoint(CHECKPOINT_END_OF_RECOVERY |
 								  CHECKPOINT_IMMEDIATE |
 								  CHECKPOINT_WAIT);
@@ -7950,12 +7947,12 @@ StartupXLOG(void)
 	WalSndWakeup();
 
 	/*
-	 * If this was a fast promotion, request an (online) checkpoint now. This
+	 * If this was a promotion, request an (online) checkpoint now. This
 	 * isn't required for consistency, but the last restartpoint might be far
 	 * back, and in case of a crash, recovering from it might take a longer
 	 * than is appropriate now that we're not in standby mode anymore.
 	 */
-	if (fast_promoted)
+	if (promoted)
 		RequestCheckpoint(CHECKPOINT_FORCE);
 }
 
@@ -12577,29 +12574,10 @@ CheckForStandbyTrigger(void)
 	if (LocalPromoteIsTriggered)
 		return true;
 
-	if (IsPromoteSignaled())
+	if (IsPromoteSignaled() && CheckPromoteSignal())
 	{
-		/*
-		 * In 9.1 and 9.2 the postmaster unlinked the promote file inside the
-		 * signal handler. It now leaves the file in place and lets the
-		 * Startup process do the unlink. This allows Startup to know whether
-		 * it should create a full checkpoint before starting up (fallback
-		 * mode). Fast promotion takes precedence.
-		 */
-		if (stat(PROMOTE_SIGNAL_FILE, &stat_buf) == 0)
-		{
-			unlink(PROMOTE_SIGNAL_FILE);
-			unlink(FALLBACK_PROMOTE_SIGNAL_FILE);
-			fast_promote = true;
-		}
-		else if (stat(FALLBACK_PROMOTE_SIGNAL_FILE, &stat_buf) == 0)
-		{
-			unlink(FALLBACK_PROMOTE_SIGNAL_FILE);
-			fast_promote = false;
-		}
-
 		ereport(LOG, (errmsg("received promote request")));
-
+		RemovePromoteSignalFiles();
 		ResetPromoteSignaled();
 		SetPromoteIsTriggered();
 		return true;
@@ -12614,7 +12592,6 @@ CheckForStandbyTrigger(void)
 				(errmsg("promote trigger file found: %s", PromoteTriggerFile)));
 		unlink(PromoteTriggerFile);
 		SetPromoteIsTriggered();
-		fast_promote = true;
 		return true;
 	}
 	else if (errno != ENOENT)
@@ -12633,20 +12610,17 @@ void
 RemovePromoteSignalFiles(void)
 {
 	unlink(PROMOTE_SIGNAL_FILE);
-	unlink(FALLBACK_PROMOTE_SIGNAL_FILE);
 }
 
 /*
- * Check to see if a promote request has arrived. Should be
- * called by postmaster after receiving SIGUSR1.
+ * Check to see if a promote request has arrived.
  */
 bool
 CheckPromoteSignal(void)
 {
 	struct stat stat_buf;
 
-	if (stat(PROMOTE_SIGNAL_FILE, &stat_buf) == 0 ||
-		stat(FALLBACK_PROMOTE_SIGNAL_FILE, &stat_buf) == 0)
+	if (stat(PROMOTE_SIGNAL_FILE, &stat_buf) == 0)
 		return true;
 
 	return false;
diff --git a/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c b/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
index 160afe9f39..de0dbd7f08 100644
--- a/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
+++ b/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
@@ -5333,7 +5333,12 @@ sigusr1_handler(SIGNAL_ARGS)
 		 pmState == PM_HOT_STANDBY || pmState == PM_WAIT_READONLY) &&
 		CheckPromoteSignal())
 	{
-		/* Tell startup process to finish recovery */
+		/*
+		 * Tell startup process to finish recovery.
+		 *
+		 * Leave the promote signal file in place and let the Startup
+		 * process do the unlink.
+		 */
 		signal_child(StartupPID, SIGUSR2);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_ctl/pg_ctl.c b/src/bin/pg_ctl/pg_ctl.c
index 3c03ace7ed..1cdc3ebaa3 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_ctl/pg_ctl.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_ctl/pg_ctl.c
@@ -1195,11 +1195,6 @@ do_promote(void)
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * For 9.3 onwards, "fast" promotion is performed. Promotion with a full
-	 * checkpoint is still possible by writing a file called
-	 * "fallback_promote" instead of "promote"
-	 */
 	snprintf(promote_file, MAXPGPATH, "%s/promote", pg_data);
 
 	if ((prmfile = fopen(promote_file, "w")) == NULL)
diff --git a/src/include/access/xlog.h b/src/include/access/xlog.h
index e917dfe92d..657bc6b6e6 100644
--- a/src/include/access/xlog.h
+++ b/src/include/access/xlog.h
@@ -391,6 +391,5 @@ extern SessionBackupState get_backup_status(void);
 
 /* files to signal promotion to primary */
 #define PROMOTE_SIGNAL_FILE		"promote"
-#define FALLBACK_PROMOTE_SIGNAL_FILE  "fallback_promote"
 
 #endif							/* XLOG_H */