diff --git a/src/backend/optimizer/path/pathkeys.c b/src/backend/optimizer/path/pathkeys.c
index b5d6c977ee..5f0ead2db8 100644
--- a/src/backend/optimizer/path/pathkeys.c
+++ b/src/backend/optimizer/path/pathkeys.c
@@ -1890,11 +1890,13 @@ find_mergeclauses_for_outer_pathkeys(PlannerInfo *root,
  * Since we assume here that a sort is required, there is no particular use
  * in matching any available ordering of the outerrel.  (joinpath.c has an
  * entirely separate code path for considering sort-free mergejoins.)  Rather,
- * it's interesting to try to match the requested query_pathkeys so that a
- * second output sort may be avoided; and failing that, we try to list "more
- * popular" keys (those with the most unmatched EquivalenceClass peers)
- * earlier, in hopes of making the resulting ordering useful for as many
- * higher-level mergejoins as possible.
+ * it's interesting to try to match, or match a prefix of the requested
+ * query_pathkeys so that a second output sort may be avoided or an
+ * incremental sort may be done instead.  We can get away with just a prefix
+ * of the query_pathkeys when that prefix covers the entire join condition.
+ * Failing that, we try to list "more popular" keys  (those with the most
+ * unmatched EquivalenceClass peers) earlier, in hopes of making the resulting
+ * ordering useful for as many higher-level mergejoins as possible.
  */
 List *
 select_outer_pathkeys_for_merge(PlannerInfo *root,
@@ -1964,11 +1966,16 @@ select_outer_pathkeys_for_merge(PlannerInfo *root,
 
 	/*
 	 * Find out if we have all the ECs mentioned in query_pathkeys; if so we
-	 * can generate a sort order that's also useful for final output. There is
-	 * no percentage in a partial match, though, so we have to have 'em all.
+	 * can generate a sort order that's also useful for final output. If we
+	 * only have a prefix of the query_pathkeys, and that prefix is the entire
+	 * join condition, then it's useful to use the prefix as the pathkeys as
+	 * this increases the chances that an incremental sort will be able to be
+	 * used by the upper planner.
 	 */
 	if (root->query_pathkeys)
 	{
+		int		matches = 0;
+
 		foreach(lc, root->query_pathkeys)
 		{
 			PathKey    *query_pathkey = (PathKey *) lfirst(lc);
@@ -1981,6 +1988,8 @@ select_outer_pathkeys_for_merge(PlannerInfo *root,
 			}
 			if (j >= necs)
 				break;			/* didn't find match */
+
+			matches++;
 		}
 		/* if we got to the end of the list, we have them all */
 		if (lc == NULL)
@@ -2003,6 +2012,23 @@ select_outer_pathkeys_for_merge(PlannerInfo *root,
 				}
 			}
 		}
+
+		/*
+		 * If we didn't find a full match, but matched all of the join clauses
+		 * then we'll make use of these as partially sorted input is better
+		 * than nothing for the upper planner as it may lead to incremental
+		 * sorts instead of full sorts.
+		 */
+		else if (matches == nClauses)
+		{
+			pathkeys = list_copy_head(root->query_pathkeys, matches);
+
+			/* we have all of the join pathkeys, so nothing more to do */
+			pfree(ecs);
+			pfree(scores);
+
+			return pathkeys;
+		}
 	}
 
 	/*
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/join.out b/src/test/regress/expected/join.out
index e1d9d971d6..e83c552159 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/join.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/join.out
@@ -2437,6 +2437,37 @@ select count(*) from
  10000
 (1 row)
 
+set enable_hashjoin = 0;
+set enable_nestloop = 0;
+set enable_hashagg = 0;
+--
+-- check that we use the pathkeys from a prefix of the group by / order by
+-- clause for the join pathkeys when that prefix covers all join quals.  We
+-- expect this to lead to an incremental sort for the group by / order by.
+--
+explain (costs off)
+select x.thousand, x.twothousand, count(*)
+from tenk1 x inner join tenk1 y on x.thousand = y.thousand
+group by x.thousand, x.twothousand
+order by x.thousand desc, x.twothousand;
+                                    QUERY PLAN                                    
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ GroupAggregate
+   Group Key: x.thousand, x.twothousand
+   ->  Incremental Sort
+         Sort Key: x.thousand DESC, x.twothousand
+         Presorted Key: x.thousand
+         ->  Merge Join
+               Merge Cond: (y.thousand = x.thousand)
+               ->  Index Only Scan Backward using tenk1_thous_tenthous on tenk1 y
+               ->  Sort
+                     Sort Key: x.thousand DESC
+                     ->  Seq Scan on tenk1 x
+(11 rows)
+
+reset enable_hashagg;
+reset enable_nestloop;
+reset enable_hashjoin;
 --
 -- Clean up
 --
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/join.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/join.sql
index b5f41c4955..30c47fa957 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/join.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/join.sql
@@ -472,6 +472,24 @@ select count(*) from
   (select * from tenk1 y order by y.unique2) y
   on x.thousand = y.unique2 and x.twothousand = y.hundred and x.fivethous = y.unique2;
 
+set enable_hashjoin = 0;
+set enable_nestloop = 0;
+set enable_hashagg = 0;
+
+--
+-- check that we use the pathkeys from a prefix of the group by / order by
+-- clause for the join pathkeys when that prefix covers all join quals.  We
+-- expect this to lead to an incremental sort for the group by / order by.
+--
+explain (costs off)
+select x.thousand, x.twothousand, count(*)
+from tenk1 x inner join tenk1 y on x.thousand = y.thousand
+group by x.thousand, x.twothousand
+order by x.thousand desc, x.twothousand;
+
+reset enable_hashagg;
+reset enable_nestloop;
+reset enable_hashjoin;
 
 --
 -- Clean up