diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/logical-replication.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/logical-replication.sgml
index 92ec175af1..fa8ae536d9 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/logical-replication.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/logical-replication.sgml
@@ -110,11 +110,29 @@
    Publications can choose to limit the changes they produce to
    any combination of <command>INSERT</command>, <command>UPDATE</command>, and
    <command>DELETE</command>, similar to how triggers are fired by
-   particular event types.  If a table without a <literal>REPLICA
-   IDENTITY</literal> is added to a publication that
-   replicates <command>UPDATE</command> or <command>DELETE</command>
-   operations then subsequent <command>UPDATE</command>
-   or <command>DELETE</command> operations will fail on the publisher.
+   particular event types.  By default, all operation types are replicated.
+  </para>
+
+  <para>
+   A published table must have a <quote>replica identity</quote> configured in
+   order to be able to replicate <command>UPDATE</command>
+   and <command>DELETE</command> operations, so that appropriate rows to
+   update or delete can be identified on the subscriber side.  By default,
+   this is the primary key, if there is one.  Another unique index (with
+   certain additional requirements) can also be set to be the replica
+   identity.  If the table does not have any suitable key, then it can be set
+   to replica identity <quote>full</quote>, which means the entire row becomes
+   the key.  This, however, is very inefficient and should only be used as a
+   fallback if no other solution is possible.  If a replica identity other
+   than <quote>full</quote> is set on the publisher side, a replica identity
+   comprising the same or fewer columns must also be set on the subscriber
+   side.  See <xref linkend="SQL-CREATETABLE-REPLICA-IDENTITY"> for details on
+   how to set the replica identity.  If a table without a replica identity is
+   added to a publication that replicates <command>UPDATE</command>
+   or <command>DELETE</command> operations then
+   subsequent <command>UPDATE</command> or <command>DELETE</command>
+   operations will cause an error on the publisher.  <command>INSERT</command>
+   operations can proceed regardless of any replica identity.
   </para>
 
   <para>
diff --git a/src/backend/executor/execReplication.c b/src/backend/executor/execReplication.c
index 6dae79a8f0..59f14e997f 100644
--- a/src/backend/executor/execReplication.c
+++ b/src/backend/executor/execReplication.c
@@ -24,12 +24,14 @@
 #include "parser/parsetree.h"
 #include "storage/bufmgr.h"
 #include "storage/lmgr.h"
+#include "utils/builtins.h"
 #include "utils/datum.h"
 #include "utils/lsyscache.h"
 #include "utils/memutils.h"
 #include "utils/rel.h"
 #include "utils/snapmgr.h"
 #include "utils/syscache.h"
+#include "utils/typcache.h"
 #include "utils/tqual.h"
 
 
@@ -224,13 +226,15 @@ tuple_equals_slot(TupleDesc desc, HeapTuple tup, TupleTableSlot *slot)
 	Datum		values[MaxTupleAttributeNumber];
 	bool		isnull[MaxTupleAttributeNumber];
 	int			attrnum;
-	Form_pg_attribute att;
 
 	heap_deform_tuple(tup, desc, values, isnull);
 
 	/* Check equality of the attributes. */
 	for (attrnum = 0; attrnum < desc->natts; attrnum++)
 	{
+		Form_pg_attribute att;
+		TypeCacheEntry *typentry;
+
 		/*
 		 * If one value is NULL and other is not, then they are certainly not
 		 * equal
@@ -245,8 +249,17 @@ tuple_equals_slot(TupleDesc desc, HeapTuple tup, TupleTableSlot *slot)
 			continue;
 
 		att = desc->attrs[attrnum];
-		if (!datumIsEqual(values[attrnum], slot->tts_values[attrnum],
-						  att->attbyval, att->attlen))
+
+		typentry = lookup_type_cache(att->atttypid, TYPECACHE_EQ_OPR_FINFO);
+		if (!OidIsValid(typentry->eq_opr_finfo.fn_oid))
+			ereport(ERROR,
+					(errcode(ERRCODE_UNDEFINED_FUNCTION),
+					 errmsg("could not identify an equality operator for type %s",
+							format_type_be(att->atttypid))));
+
+		if (!DatumGetBool(FunctionCall2(&typentry->eq_opr_finfo,
+										values[attrnum],
+										slot->tts_values[attrnum])))
 			return false;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/test/subscription/t/001_rep_changes.pl b/src/test/subscription/t/001_rep_changes.pl
index f9cf5e4392..a63c679848 100644
--- a/src/test/subscription/t/001_rep_changes.pl
+++ b/src/test/subscription/t/001_rep_changes.pl
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use strict;
 use warnings;
 use PostgresNode;
 use TestLib;
-use Test::More tests => 15;
+use Test::More tests => 16;
 
 # Initialize publisher node
 my $node_publisher = get_new_node('publisher');
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ $node_publisher->safe_psql('postgres',
 	"CREATE TABLE tab_ins AS SELECT generate_series(1,1002) AS a");
 $node_publisher->safe_psql('postgres',
 	"CREATE TABLE tab_full AS SELECT generate_series(1,10) AS a");
+$node_publisher->safe_psql('postgres',
+	"CREATE TABLE tab_full2 (x text)");
+$node_publisher->safe_psql('postgres',
+	"INSERT INTO tab_full2 VALUES ('a'), ('b'), ('b')");
 $node_publisher->safe_psql('postgres',
 	"CREATE TABLE tab_rep (a int primary key)");
 $node_publisher->safe_psql('postgres',
@@ -33,6 +37,7 @@ $node_publisher->safe_psql('postgres',
 $node_subscriber->safe_psql('postgres', "CREATE TABLE tab_notrep (a int)");
 $node_subscriber->safe_psql('postgres', "CREATE TABLE tab_ins (a int)");
 $node_subscriber->safe_psql('postgres', "CREATE TABLE tab_full (a int)");
+$node_subscriber->safe_psql('postgres', "CREATE TABLE tab_full2 (x text)");
 $node_subscriber->safe_psql('postgres',
 	"CREATE TABLE tab_rep (a int primary key)");
 # different column count and order than on publisher
@@ -45,7 +50,7 @@ $node_publisher->safe_psql('postgres', "CREATE PUBLICATION tap_pub");
 $node_publisher->safe_psql('postgres',
 	"CREATE PUBLICATION tap_pub_ins_only WITH (publish = insert)");
 $node_publisher->safe_psql('postgres',
-	"ALTER PUBLICATION tap_pub ADD TABLE tab_rep, tab_full, tab_mixed");
+	"ALTER PUBLICATION tap_pub ADD TABLE tab_rep, tab_full, tab_full2, tab_mixed");
 $node_publisher->safe_psql('postgres',
 	"ALTER PUBLICATION tap_pub_ins_only ADD TABLE tab_ins");
 
@@ -108,13 +113,18 @@ $node_publisher->safe_psql('postgres',
 	"ALTER TABLE tab_full REPLICA IDENTITY FULL");
 $node_subscriber->safe_psql('postgres',
 	"ALTER TABLE tab_full REPLICA IDENTITY FULL");
+$node_publisher->safe_psql('postgres',
+	"ALTER TABLE tab_full2 REPLICA IDENTITY FULL");
+$node_subscriber->safe_psql('postgres',
+	"ALTER TABLE tab_full2 REPLICA IDENTITY FULL");
 $node_publisher->safe_psql('postgres',
 	"ALTER TABLE tab_ins REPLICA IDENTITY FULL");
 $node_subscriber->safe_psql('postgres',
 	"ALTER TABLE tab_ins REPLICA IDENTITY FULL");
 
-# and do the update
+# and do the updates
 $node_publisher->safe_psql('postgres', "UPDATE tab_full SET a = a * a");
+$node_publisher->safe_psql('postgres', "UPDATE tab_full2 SET x = 'bb' WHERE x = 'b'");
 
 # Wait for subscription to catch up
 $node_publisher->poll_query_until('postgres', $caughtup_query)
@@ -125,6 +135,13 @@ $result = $node_subscriber->safe_psql('postgres',
 is($result, qq(20|1|100),
 	'update works with REPLICA IDENTITY FULL and duplicate tuples');
 
+$result = $node_subscriber->safe_psql('postgres',
+	"SELECT x FROM tab_full2 ORDER BY 1");
+is($result, qq(a
+bb
+bb),
+	'update works with REPLICA IDENTITY FULL and text datums');
+
 # check that change of connection string and/or publication list causes
 # restart of subscription workers. Not all of these are registered as tests
 # as we need to poll for a change but the test suite will fail none the less