diff --git a/src/backend/catalog/pg_inherits.c b/src/backend/catalog/pg_inherits.c
index 3fd0880ca0..83093f9730 100644
--- a/src/backend/catalog/pg_inherits.c
+++ b/src/backend/catalog/pg_inherits.c
@@ -535,3 +535,39 @@ DeleteInheritsTuple(Oid inhrelid, Oid inhparent, bool detached,
 
 	return found;
 }
+
+bool
+PartitionHasPendingDetach(Oid partoid)
+{
+	Relation	catalogRelation;
+	ScanKeyData key;
+	SysScanDesc scan;
+	HeapTuple	inheritsTuple;
+
+	/*
+	 * Find pg_inherits entries by inhrelid.
+	 */
+	catalogRelation = table_open(InheritsRelationId, RowExclusiveLock);
+	ScanKeyInit(&key,
+				Anum_pg_inherits_inhrelid,
+				BTEqualStrategyNumber, F_OIDEQ,
+				ObjectIdGetDatum(partoid));
+	scan = systable_beginscan(catalogRelation, InheritsRelidSeqnoIndexId,
+							  true, NULL, 1, &key);
+
+	while (HeapTupleIsValid(inheritsTuple = systable_getnext(scan)))
+	{
+		bool	detached;
+
+		detached = ((Form_pg_inherits) GETSTRUCT(inheritsTuple))->inhdetached;
+
+		/* Done */
+		systable_endscan(scan);
+		table_close(catalogRelation, RowExclusiveLock);
+
+		return detached;
+	}
+
+	elog(ERROR, "relation %u is not a partition", partoid);
+	return false;				/* keep compiler quiet */
+}
diff --git a/src/backend/commands/tablecmds.c b/src/backend/commands/tablecmds.c
index 5986b4dd56..5074c0ff2b 100644
--- a/src/backend/commands/tablecmds.c
+++ b/src/backend/commands/tablecmds.c
@@ -17106,6 +17106,8 @@ ATExecDetachPartition(List **wqueue, AlteredTableInfo *tab, Relation rel,
 	 */
 	partRel = table_openrv(name, concurrent ? ShareLock :
 						   AccessExclusiveLock);
+	if (PartitionHasPendingDetach(RelationGetRelid(partRel)))
+		elog(ERROR, "hey, don't!");
 
 	/*
 	 * Check inheritance conditions and either delete the pg_inherits row
diff --git a/src/include/catalog/pg_inherits.h b/src/include/catalog/pg_inherits.h
index 155596907c..19243ea9e4 100644
--- a/src/include/catalog/pg_inherits.h
+++ b/src/include/catalog/pg_inherits.h
@@ -61,5 +61,6 @@ extern void StoreSingleInheritance(Oid relationId, Oid parentOid,
 								   int32 seqNumber);
 extern bool DeleteInheritsTuple(Oid inhrelid, Oid inhparent, bool allow_detached,
 								const char *childname);
+extern bool PartitionHasPendingDetach(Oid partoid);
 
 #endif							/* PG_INHERITS_H */