diff --git a/contrib/dblink/dblink.c b/contrib/dblink/dblink.c
index d68b12a..c358734 100644
--- a/contrib/dblink/dblink.c
+++ b/contrib/dblink/dblink.c
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ static char *generate_relation_name(Relation rel);
 static void dblink_connstr_check(const char *connstr);
 static void dblink_security_check(PGconn *conn, remoteConn *rconn);
 static void dblink_res_error(const char *conname, PGresult *res, const char *dblink_context_msg, bool fail);
+static void dblink_set_client_encoding(PGconn *conn);
 static char *get_connect_string(const char *servername);
 static char *escape_param_str(const char *from);
 static void validate_pkattnums(Relation rel,
@@ -190,7 +191,7 @@ typedef struct remoteConnHashEnt
 							 errdetail("%s", msg))); \
 				} \
 				dblink_security_check(conn, rconn); \
-				PQsetClientEncoding(conn, GetDatabaseEncodingName()); \
+				dblink_set_client_encoding(conn); \
 				freeconn = true; \
 			} \
 	} while (0)
@@ -270,7 +271,7 @@ dblink_connect(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	dblink_security_check(conn, rconn);
 
 	/* attempt to set client encoding to match server encoding */
-	PQsetClientEncoding(conn, GetDatabaseEncodingName());
+	dblink_set_client_encoding(conn);
 
 	if (connname)
 	{
@@ -2328,6 +2329,13 @@ dblink_res_error(const char *conname, PGresult *res, const char *dblink_context_
 					 dblink_context_conname, dblink_context_msg)));
 }
 
+static void
+dblink_set_client_encoding(PGconn *conn)
+{
+	if (PQclientEncoding(conn) != GetDatabaseEncoding())
+		PQsetClientEncoding(conn, GetDatabaseEncodingName());
+}
+
 /*
  * Obtain connection string for a foreign server
  */