diff --git a/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c b/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
index c80b14ed97..9d664559e8 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
@@ -11848,8 +11848,7 @@ WaitForWALToBecomeAvailable(XLogRecPtr RecPtr, bool randAccess,
 									 tli, curFileTLI);
 						}
 						curFileTLI = tli;
-						RequestXLogStreaming(tli, ptr, PrimaryConnInfo,
-											 PrimarySlotName);
+						RequestXLogStreaming(tli, ptr);
 						receivedUpto = 0;
 					}
 
diff --git a/src/backend/replication/walreceiver.c b/src/backend/replication/walreceiver.c
index 9643c2ed7b..3e4449583e 100644
--- a/src/backend/replication/walreceiver.c
+++ b/src/backend/replication/walreceiver.c
@@ -188,9 +188,7 @@ DisableWalRcvImmediateExit(void)
 void
 WalReceiverMain(void)
 {
-	char		conninfo[MAXCONNINFO];
 	char	   *tmp_conninfo;
-	char		slotname[NAMEDATALEN];
 	XLogRecPtr	startpoint;
 	TimeLineID	startpointTLI;
 	TimeLineID	primaryTLI;
@@ -250,8 +248,6 @@ WalReceiverMain(void)
 
 	/* Fetch information required to start streaming */
 	walrcv->ready_to_display = false;
-	strlcpy(conninfo, (char *) walrcv->conninfo, MAXCONNINFO);
-	strlcpy(slotname, (char *) walrcv->slotname, NAMEDATALEN);
 	startpoint = walrcv->receiveStart;
 	startpointTLI = walrcv->receiveStartTLI;
 
@@ -291,9 +287,14 @@ WalReceiverMain(void)
 	/* Unblock signals (they were blocked when the postmaster forked us) */
 	PG_SETMASK(&UnBlockSig);
 
+	if (PrimaryConnInfo == NULL || PrimaryConnInfo[0] == '\0')
+		ereport(ERROR,
+				(errcode(ERRCODE_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE),
+				 errmsg("cannot connect to the primary server as \"primary_conninfo\" is not defined")));
+
 	/* Establish the connection to the primary for XLOG streaming */
 	EnableWalRcvImmediateExit();
-	wrconn = walrcv_connect(conninfo, false, "walreceiver", &err);
+	wrconn = walrcv_connect(PrimaryConnInfo, false, "walreceiver", &err);
 	if (!wrconn)
 		ereport(ERROR,
 				(errmsg("could not connect to the primary server: %s", err)));
@@ -311,6 +312,10 @@ WalReceiverMain(void)
 	if (tmp_conninfo)
 		strlcpy((char *) walrcv->conninfo, tmp_conninfo, MAXCONNINFO);
 
+	memset(walrcv->slotname, 0, NAMEDATALEN);
+	if (PrimarySlotName)
+		strlcpy((char *) walrcv->slotname, PrimarySlotName, NAMEDATALEN);
+
 	memset(walrcv->sender_host, 0, NI_MAXHOST);
 	if (sender_host)
 		strlcpy((char *) walrcv->sender_host, sender_host, NI_MAXHOST);
@@ -387,7 +392,8 @@ WalReceiverMain(void)
 		 */
 		options.logical = false;
 		options.startpoint = startpoint;
-		options.slotname = slotname[0] != '\0' ? slotname : NULL;
+		options.slotname = (PrimarySlotName && PrimarySlotName[0] != '\0') ?
+			PrimarySlotName : NULL;
 		options.proto.physical.startpointTLI = startpointTLI;
 		ThisTimeLineID = startpointTLI;
 		if (walrcv_startstreaming(wrconn, &options))
diff --git a/src/backend/replication/walreceiverfuncs.c b/src/backend/replication/walreceiverfuncs.c
index 67b1a074cc..82dc128d10 100644
--- a/src/backend/replication/walreceiverfuncs.c
+++ b/src/backend/replication/walreceiverfuncs.c
@@ -220,8 +220,7 @@ ShutdownWalRcv(void)
  * of a replication slot to acquire.
  */
 void
-RequestXLogStreaming(TimeLineID tli, XLogRecPtr recptr, const char *conninfo,
-					 const char *slotname)
+RequestXLogStreaming(TimeLineID tli, XLogRecPtr recptr)
 {
 	WalRcvData *walrcv = WalRcv;
 	bool		launch = false;
@@ -243,15 +242,8 @@ RequestXLogStreaming(TimeLineID tli, XLogRecPtr recptr, const char *conninfo,
 	Assert(walrcv->walRcvState == WALRCV_STOPPED ||
 		   walrcv->walRcvState == WALRCV_WAITING);
 
-	if (conninfo != NULL)
-		strlcpy((char *) walrcv->conninfo, conninfo, MAXCONNINFO);
-	else
-		walrcv->conninfo[0] = '\0';
-
-	if (slotname != NULL)
-		strlcpy((char *) walrcv->slotname, slotname, NAMEDATALEN);
-	else
-		walrcv->slotname[0] = '\0';
+	walrcv->conninfo[0] = '\0';
+	walrcv->slotname[0] = '\0';
 
 	if (walrcv->walRcvState == WALRCV_STOPPED)
 	{
diff --git a/src/include/replication/walreceiver.h b/src/include/replication/walreceiver.h
index 5913b580c2..ba18b1f93f 100644
--- a/src/include/replication/walreceiver.h
+++ b/src/include/replication/walreceiver.h
@@ -306,8 +306,7 @@ extern void WalRcvShmemInit(void);
 extern void ShutdownWalRcv(void);
 extern bool WalRcvStreaming(void);
 extern bool WalRcvRunning(void);
-extern void RequestXLogStreaming(TimeLineID tli, XLogRecPtr recptr,
-					 const char *conninfo, const char *slotname);
+extern void RequestXLogStreaming(TimeLineID tli, XLogRecPtr recptr);
 extern XLogRecPtr GetWalRcvWriteRecPtr(XLogRecPtr *latestChunkStart, TimeLineID *receiveTLI);
 extern int	GetReplicationApplyDelay(void);
 extern int	GetReplicationTransferLatency(void);