diff --git a/src/backend/access/transam/xlogreader.c b/src/backend/access/transam/xlogreader.c
index c9f9f6e98f..a6c57d50bf 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/transam/xlogreader.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/transam/xlogreader.c
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ XLogReaderAllocate(int wal_segment_size, const char *waldir,
 		return NULL;
 	}
 	state->errormsg_buf[0] = '\0';
+	state->errormsg_fatal =false;
 
 	/*
 	 * Allocate an initial readRecordBuf of minimal size, which can later be
@@ -196,6 +197,7 @@ XLogReaderFree(XLogReaderState *state)
 static bool
 allocate_recordbuf(XLogReaderState *state, uint32 reclength)
 {
+	static char fallback_buf[SizeOfXLogRecord];
 	uint32		newSize = reclength;
 
 	newSize += XLOG_BLCKSZ - (newSize % XLOG_BLCKSZ);
@@ -224,9 +226,12 @@ allocate_recordbuf(XLogReaderState *state, uint32 reclength)
 		pfree(state->readRecordBuf);
 	state->readRecordBuf =
 		(char *) palloc_extended(newSize, MCXT_ALLOC_NO_OOM);
+
 	if (state->readRecordBuf == NULL)
 	{
-		state->readRecordBufSize = 0;
+		/* failed to allocate buffer. use the fallback buffer instead */
+		state->readRecordBufSize = SizeOfXLogRecord;
+		state->readRecordBuf = fallback_buf;
 		return false;
 	}
 	state->readRecordBufSize = newSize;
@@ -547,6 +552,7 @@ XLogDecodeNextRecord(XLogReaderState *state, bool nonblocking)
 	int			readOff;
 	DecodedXLogRecord *decoded;
 	char	   *errormsg;		/* not used */
+	bool		verify_only;
 
 	/*
 	 * randAccess indicates whether to verify the previous-record pointer of
@@ -589,6 +595,7 @@ XLogDecodeNextRecord(XLogReaderState *state, bool nonblocking)
 	}
 
 restart:
+	verify_only = false;
 	state->nonblocking = nonblocking;
 	state->currRecPtr = RecPtr;
 	assembled = false;
@@ -702,8 +709,12 @@ restart:
 
 		/* We failed to allocate memory for an oversized record. */
 		report_invalid_record(state,
-							  "out of memory while trying to decode a record of length %u", total_len);
-		goto err;
+							  "out of memory while trying to decode a record of length %u at %X/%X",
+							  total_len, LSN_FORMAT_ARGS(RecPtr));
+		if (gotheader)
+			state->errormsg_fatal = true;
+					
+		verify_only = true;
 	}
 
 	len = XLOG_BLCKSZ - RecPtr % XLOG_BLCKSZ;
@@ -719,19 +730,19 @@ restart:
 
 		/*
 		 * Enlarge readRecordBuf as needed.
+		 * If failed, continue only performing verification.
 		 */
-		if (total_len > state->readRecordBufSize &&
+		if (!verify_only &&
+			total_len > state->readRecordBufSize &&
 			!allocate_recordbuf(state, total_len))
-		{
-			/* We treat this as a "bogus data" condition */
-			report_invalid_record(state, "record length %u at %X/%X too long",
-								  total_len, LSN_FORMAT_ARGS(RecPtr));
-			goto err;
-		}
+			verify_only = true;
 
 		/* Copy the first fragment of the record from the first page. */
-		memcpy(state->readRecordBuf,
-			   state->readBuf + RecPtr % XLOG_BLCKSZ, len);
+		Assert(!verify_only || gotheader || len < SizeOfXLogRecord);
+		if (!verify_only || !gotheader)
+			memcpy(state->readRecordBuf,
+				   state->readBuf + RecPtr % XLOG_BLCKSZ, len);
+			
 		buffer = state->readRecordBuf + len;
 		gotlen = len;
 
@@ -811,13 +822,23 @@ restart:
 				readOff = ReadPageInternal(state, targetPagePtr,
 										   pageHeaderSize + len);
 
-			memcpy(buffer, (char *) contdata, len);
+			if (!verify_only)
+				memcpy(buffer, (char *) contdata, len);
+				
 			buffer += len;
 			gotlen += len;
 
 			/* If we just reassembled the record header, validate it. */
 			if (!gotheader)
 			{
+				if (verify_only)
+				{
+					Assert(gotlen - len < SizeOfXLogRecord &&
+						   gotlen + len >= SizeOfXLogRecord);
+					memcpy(buffer, (char *) contdata,
+						   SizeOfXLogRecord - (gotlen - len));
+				}
+					
 				record = (XLogRecord *) state->readRecordBuf;
 				if (!ValidXLogRecordHeader(state, RecPtr, state->DecodeRecPtr,
 										   record, randAccess))
@@ -828,6 +849,15 @@ restart:
 
 		Assert(gotheader);
 
+		if (verify_only)
+		{
+			report_invalid_record(state,
+								  "out of memory while trying to decode a record of length %u at %X/%X",
+								  total_len, LSN_FORMAT_ARGS(RecPtr));
+			state->errormsg_fatal = true;
+			goto err;
+		}
+
 		record = (XLogRecord *) state->readRecordBuf;
 		if (!ValidXLogRecord(state, record, RecPtr))
 			goto err;
diff --git a/src/backend/access/transam/xlogrecovery.c b/src/backend/access/transam/xlogrecovery.c
index becc2bda62..f37d85254f 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/transam/xlogrecovery.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/transam/xlogrecovery.c
@@ -3099,8 +3099,16 @@ ReadRecord(XLogPrefetcher *xlogprefetcher, int emode,
 			 * shouldn't loop anymore in that case.
 			 */
 			if (errormsg)
-				ereport(emode_for_corrupt_record(emode, xlogreader->EndRecPtr),
+			{
+				int tmp_emode =
+					emode_for_corrupt_record(emode, xlogreader->EndRecPtr);
+
+				if (xlogreader->errormsg_fatal)
+					tmp_emode = ERROR;
+				ereport(tmp_emode,
 						(errmsg_internal("%s", errormsg) /* already translated */ ));
+			}
+			
 		}
 
 		/*
diff --git a/src/include/access/xlogreader.h b/src/include/access/xlogreader.h
index da32c7db77..a2fca907e4 100644
--- a/src/include/access/xlogreader.h
+++ b/src/include/access/xlogreader.h
@@ -310,7 +310,8 @@ struct XLogReaderState
 	/* Buffer to hold error message */
 	char	   *errormsg_buf;
 	bool		errormsg_deferred;
-
+	bool		errormsg_fatal;
+	
 	/*
 	 * Flag to indicate to XLogPageReadCB that it should not block waiting for
 	 * data.