diff --git a/src/bin/pg_ctl/pg_ctl.c b/src/bin/pg_ctl/pg_ctl.c
new file mode 100644
index 0dbaa6e..90c98ee
*** a/src/bin/pg_ctl/pg_ctl.c
--- b/src/bin/pg_ctl/pg_ctl.c
*************** static bool allow_core_files = false;
*** 97,102 ****
--- 97,103 ----
  static time_t start_time;
  
  static char postopts_file[MAXPGPATH];
+ static char version_file[MAXPGPATH];
  static char pid_file[MAXPGPATH];
  static char backup_file[MAXPGPATH];
  static char recovery_file[MAXPGPATH];
*************** get_pgpid(void)
*** 250,255 ****
--- 251,275 ----
  {
  	FILE	   *pidf;
  	long		pid;
+ 	struct stat statbuf;
+ 
+ 	if (stat(pg_data, &statbuf) != 0)
+ 	{
+ 		if (errno == ENOENT)
+ 			printf(_("%s: directory \"%s\" does not exist\n"), progname,
+ 					 pg_data);
+ 		else
+ 			printf(_("%s: cannot access directory \"%s\"\n"), progname,
+ 					 pg_data);
+ 		exit(1);
+ 	}
+ 
+ 	if (stat(version_file, &statbuf) != 0 && errno == ENOENT)
+ 	{
+ 		printf(_("%s: directory \"%s\" is not a database cluster directory\n"),
+ 				 progname, pg_data);
+ 		exit(1);
+ 	}
  
  	pidf = fopen(pid_file, "r");
  	if (pidf == NULL)
*************** main(int argc, char **argv)
*** 2285,2290 ****
--- 2305,2311 ----
  	if (pg_data)
  	{
  		snprintf(postopts_file, MAXPGPATH, "%s/postmaster.opts", pg_data);
+ 		snprintf(version_file, MAXPGPATH, "%s/PG_VERSION", pg_data);
  		snprintf(pid_file, MAXPGPATH, "%s/postmaster.pid", pg_data);
  		snprintf(backup_file, MAXPGPATH, "%s/backup_label", pg_data);
  		snprintf(recovery_file, MAXPGPATH, "%s/recovery.conf", pg_data);