diff --git a/src/backend/replication/logical/conflict.c b/src/backend/replication/logical/conflict.c
index 527ee2b27a5..d5146d21bc4 100644
--- a/src/backend/replication/logical/conflict.c
+++ b/src/backend/replication/logical/conflict.c
@@ -131,7 +131,8 @@ static const char *const ConflictTypeNames[] = {
 	[CT_MULTIPLE_UNIQUE_CONFLICTS] = "multiple_unique_conflicts"
 };
 
-static Relation get_conflictlog_dest_and_table(ConflictLogDest *log_dest);
+static Relation get_conflictlog_dest_and_table(int elevel,
+											   ConflictLogDest *log_dest);
 static int	errcode_apply_conflict(ConflictType type);
 static void errdetail_apply_conflict(EState *estate,
 									 ResultRelInfo *relinfo,
@@ -335,25 +336,13 @@ ReportApplyConflict(EState *estate, ResultRelInfo *relinfo, int elevel,
 					TupleTableSlot *remoteslot, List *conflicttuples)
 {
 	Relation	localrel = relinfo->ri_RelationDesc;
-	ConflictLogDest dest = CONFLICT_LOG_DEST_LOG;
-	Relation	conflictlogrel = NULL;
-	bool		log_dest_table;
-	bool		log_dest_logfile;
+	ConflictLogDest dest;
+	Relation	conflictlogrel;
 	StringInfoData err_detail;
 
 	pgstat_report_subscription_conflict(MySubscription->oid, type);
 
-	/*
-	 * Only LOG-level conflicts (i.e. resolved conflicts where the transaction
-	 * continues) are recorded in the conflict log table.  ERROR-level
-	 * conflicts halt replication and abort the transaction, so they are
-	 * always reported exclusively to the server log.
-	 */
-	if (elevel < ERROR)
-		conflictlogrel = get_conflictlog_dest_and_table(&dest);
-
-	log_dest_table = CONFLICTS_LOGGED_TO_TABLE(dest);
-	log_dest_logfile = CONFLICTS_LOGGED_TO_LOG(dest);
+	conflictlogrel = get_conflictlog_dest_and_table(elevel, &dest);
 
 	initStringInfo(&err_detail);
 
@@ -363,7 +352,7 @@ ReportApplyConflict(EState *estate, ResultRelInfo *relinfo, int elevel,
 	 * Otherwise (table-only for LOG-level conflicts), emit a shorter message
 	 * noting that the details are captured in the conflict log table.
 	 */
-	if (log_dest_logfile)
+	if (CONFLICTS_LOGGED_TO_LOG(dest))
 	{
 		/* Form errdetail message by combining conflicting tuples information. */
 		if (conflicttuples != NIL)
@@ -388,7 +377,7 @@ ReportApplyConflict(EState *estate, ResultRelInfo *relinfo, int elevel,
 									 &err_detail);
 		}
 	}
-	else if (log_dest_table)
+	else
 	{
 		appendStringInfo(&err_detail,
 						 _("Conflict details are logged to the conflict log table: %s.%s"),
@@ -408,11 +397,8 @@ ReportApplyConflict(EState *estate, ResultRelInfo *relinfo, int elevel,
 	 * Insert into the conflict log table for LOG-level conflicts if
 	 * requested.
 	 */
-	if (log_dest_table)
+	if (conflictlogrel)
 	{
-		Assert(conflictlogrel != NULL);
-		Assert(elevel < ERROR);
-
 		insert_conflict_log_tuple(estate,
 								  relinfo->ri_RelationDesc,
 								  conflictlogrel,
@@ -457,22 +443,28 @@ InitConflictIndexes(ResultRelInfo *relInfo)
 /*
  * get_conflictlog_dest_and_table
  *
- * Fetches conflict logging metadata from the cached MySubscription pointer.
- * Sets the destination enum in *log_dest and, if a table is one of the
- * destinations, opens and returns the relation handle for the conflict log
- * table.
+ * Decides where a conflict of the given elevel is to be reported, based on
+ * the subscription's conflict_log_destination.  Sets *log_dest to the
+ * effective destination and, if that includes the conflict log table, returns
+ * the table opened for insertion.  Otherwise returns NULL.
  *
- * The table is opened with try_table_open(), so NULL is returned if the
- * conflict log table has been dropped concurrently (e.g. by an ALTER
- * SUBSCRIPTION that changed conflict_log_destination). In that case
- * *log_dest falls back to server-log reporting.
+ * Only LOG-level conflicts (i.e. resolved conflicts where the transaction
+ * continues) are recorded in the conflict log table.  ERROR-level conflicts
+ * halt replication and abort the transaction, so they are always reported
+ * exclusively to the server log.
  */
 static Relation
-get_conflictlog_dest_and_table(ConflictLogDest *log_dest)
+get_conflictlog_dest_and_table(int elevel, ConflictLogDest *log_dest)
 {
 	Relation	conflictlogrel;
 	Oid			conflictlogrelid;
 
+	if (elevel >= ERROR)
+	{
+		*log_dest = CONFLICT_LOG_DEST_LOG;
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * Convert the text log destination to the internal enum.  MySubscription
 	 * already contains the data from pg_subscription.
@@ -488,10 +480,10 @@ get_conflictlog_dest_and_table(ConflictLogDest *log_dest)
 	Assert(OidIsValid(conflictlogrelid));
 
 	/*
-	 * Use try_table_open(): the table may have been dropped concurrently by an
-	 * ALTER SUBSCRIPTION that changed conflict_log_destination.  Returning
-	 * NULL and tell the caller to fall back to the server log instead of
-	 * failing.
+	 * Use try_table_open() because the table may have been dropped
+	 * concurrently by an ALTER SUBSCRIPTION that changed
+	 * conflict_log_destination.  In that case, fall back to the server log
+	 * instead of failing.
 	 */
 	conflictlogrel = try_table_open(conflictlogrelid, RowExclusiveLock);