diff --git a/src/backend/main/main.c b/src/backend/main/main.c
index 2d98d97e8d..864714107c 100644
--- a/src/backend/main/main.c
+++ b/src/backend/main/main.c
@@ -113,6 +113,12 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	MyProcPid = getpid();
 	MemoryContextInit();
 
+	/*
+	 * Set reference point for stack-depth checking.  (There's no point in
+	 * enabling this before error reporting works.)
+	 */
+	(void) set_stack_base();
+
 	/*
 	 * Set up locale information
 	 */
diff --git a/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c b/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
index 6f37822c88..6f849ffbcb 100644
--- a/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
+++ b/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
@@ -985,11 +985,6 @@ PostmasterMain(int argc, char *argv[])
 	 */
 	set_max_safe_fds();
 
-	/*
-	 * Set reference point for stack-depth checking.
-	 */
-	(void) set_stack_base();
-
 	/*
 	 * Initialize pipe (or process handle on Windows) that allows children to
 	 * wake up from sleep on postmaster death.
diff --git a/src/backend/tcop/postgres.c b/src/backend/tcop/postgres.c
index e0a603f42b..eede65b567 100644
--- a/src/backend/tcop/postgres.c
+++ b/src/backend/tcop/postgres.c
@@ -128,8 +128,7 @@ typedef struct BindParamCbData
 static long max_stack_depth_bytes = 100 * 1024L;
 
 /*
- * Stack base pointer -- initialized by PostmasterMain and inherited by
- * subprocesses (but see also InitPostmasterChild).
+ * Stack base pointer -- initialized by main().
  */
 static char *stack_base_ptr = NULL;
 
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/init/miscinit.c b/src/backend/utils/init/miscinit.c
index 3b7b2ebec0..d24ac133fb 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/init/miscinit.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/init/miscinit.c
@@ -106,13 +106,6 @@ InitPostmasterChild(void)
 	pgwin32_signal_initialize();
 #endif
 
-	/*
-	 * Set reference point for stack-depth checking.  This might seem
-	 * redundant in !EXEC_BACKEND builds, but it's better to keep the depth
-	 * logic the same with and without that build option.
-	 */
-	(void) set_stack_base();
-
 	InitProcessGlobals();
 
 	/*