diff --git a/contrib/start-scripts/linux b/contrib/start-scripts/linux
index 2d36a560fa..b950cf512c 100644
--- a/contrib/start-scripts/linux
+++ b/contrib/start-scripts/linux
@@ -89,12 +89,12 @@ case $1 in
 	;;
   stop)
 	echo -n "Stopping PostgreSQL: "
-	su - $PGUSER -c "$PGCTL stop -I -D '$PGDATA' -s -m fast"
+	su - $PGUSER -c "$PGCTL stop -D '$PGDATA' -s -m fast"
 	echo "ok"
 	;;
   restart)
 	echo -n "Restarting PostgreSQL: "
-	su - $PGUSER -c "$PGCTL stop -I -D '$PGDATA' -s -m fast -w"
+	su - $PGUSER -c "$PGCTL stop -D '$PGDATA' -s -m fast -w"
 	test x"$OOM_SCORE_ADJ" != x && echo "$OOM_SCORE_ADJ" > /proc/self/oom_score_adj
 	test x"$OOM_ADJ" != x && echo "$OOM_ADJ" > /proc/self/oom_adj
 	su - $PGUSER -c "$DAEMON -D '$PGDATA' &" >>$PGLOG 2>&1
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_ctl-ref.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_ctl-ref.sgml
index 549730da6f..3107514901 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_ctl-ref.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_ctl-ref.sgml
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ PostgreSQL documentation
    <arg choice="opt"><option>-o</option> <replaceable>options</replaceable></arg>
    <arg choice="opt"><option>-p</option> <replaceable>path</replaceable></arg>
    <arg choice="opt"><option>-c</option></arg>
-   <arg choice="opt"><option>-I</option></arg>
   </cmdsynopsis>
 
   <cmdsynopsis>
@@ -56,7 +55,6 @@ PostgreSQL documentation
        <arg choice="plain"><option>i[mmediate]</option></arg>
      </group>
    </arg>
-   <arg choice="opt"><option>-I</option></arg>
   </cmdsynopsis>
 
   <cmdsynopsis>
@@ -272,25 +270,6 @@ PostgreSQL documentation
       </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
 
-     <varlistentry>
-      <term><option>-I</option></term>
-      <term><option>--idempotent</option></term>
-      <listitem>
-       <para>
-        When used with the <literal>start</literal> or <literal>stop</literal>
-        actions, return exit code 0 if the server is already running or
-        stopped, respectively.  Otherwise, an error is raised and a nonzero
-        exit code is returned in these cases.
-       </para>
-
-       <para>
-        This option is useful for System-V-style init scripts, which require
-        the <literal>start</literal> and <literal>stop</literal> actions to be
-        idempotent.
-       </para>
-      </listitem>
-     </varlistentry>
-
      <varlistentry>
       <term><option>-l <replaceable class="parameter">filename</replaceable></option></term>
       <term><option>--log <replaceable class="parameter">filename</replaceable></option></term>
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_ctl/pg_ctl.c b/src/bin/pg_ctl/pg_ctl.c
index 14365e6079..8113e507cb 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_ctl/pg_ctl.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_ctl/pg_ctl.c
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ static char *pg_config = NULL;
 static char *pgdata_opt = NULL;
 static char *post_opts = NULL;
 static const char *progname;
-static bool idempotent = false;
 static char *log_file = NULL;
 static char *exec_path = NULL;
 static char *register_servicename = "PostgreSQL";		/* FIXME: + version ID? */
@@ -774,15 +773,9 @@ do_start(void)
 	{
 		old_pid = get_pgpid();
 		if (old_pid != 0)
-		{
-			if (idempotent)
-				exit(0);
-			else
-			{
-				write_stderr(_("%s: another server might be running\n"), progname);
-				exit(1);
-			}
-		}
+			write_stderr(_("%s: another server might be running; "
+						   "trying to start server anyway\n"),
+						 progname);
 	}
 
 	read_post_opts();
@@ -866,8 +859,6 @@ do_stop(void)
 
 	if (pid == 0)				/* no pid file */
 	{
-		if (idempotent)
-			exit(0);
 		write_stderr(_("%s: PID file \"%s\" does not exist\n"), progname, pid_file);
 		write_stderr(_("Is server running?\n"));
 		exit(1);
@@ -1771,9 +1762,9 @@ do_help(void)
 	printf(_("%s is a utility to initialize, start, stop, or control a PostgreSQL server.\n\n"), progname);
 	printf(_("Usage:\n"));
 	printf(_("  %s init[db]               [-D DATADIR] [-s] [-o \"OPTIONS\"]\n"), progname);
-	printf(_("  %s start   [-w] [-t SECS] [-D DATADIR] [-s] [-I] [-l FILENAME] [-o \"OPTIONS\"]\n"), progname);
-	printf(_("  %s stop    [-W] [-t SECS] [-D DATADIR] [-s] [-I] [-m SHUTDOWN-MODE]\n"), progname);
-	printf(_("  %s restart [-w] [-t SECS] [-D DATADIR] [-s]      [-m SHUTDOWN-MODE]\n"
+	printf(_("  %s start   [-w] [-t SECS] [-D DATADIR] [-s] [-l FILENAME] [-o \"OPTIONS\"]\n"), progname);
+	printf(_("  %s stop    [-W] [-t SECS] [-D DATADIR] [-s] [-m SHUTDOWN-MODE]\n"), progname);
+	printf(_("  %s restart [-w] [-t SECS] [-D DATADIR] [-s] [-m SHUTDOWN-MODE]\n"
 			 "                 [-o \"OPTIONS\"]\n"), progname);
 	printf(_("  %s reload  [-D DATADIR] [-s]\n"), progname);
 	printf(_("  %s status  [-D DATADIR]\n"), progname);
@@ -1806,8 +1797,6 @@ do_help(void)
 	printf(_("  -o OPTIONS             command line options to pass to postgres\n"
 	 "                         (PostgreSQL server executable) or initdb\n"));
 	printf(_("  -p PATH-TO-POSTGRES    normally not necessary\n"));
-	printf(_("\nOptions for start or stop:\n"));
-	printf(_("  -I, --idempotent       don't error if server already running or stopped\n"));
 	printf(_("\nOptions for stop, restart, or promote:\n"));
 	printf(_("  -m, --mode=MODE        MODE can be \"smart\", \"fast\", or \"immediate\"\n"));
 
@@ -1986,7 +1975,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		{"silent", no_argument, NULL, 's'},
 		{"timeout", required_argument, NULL, 't'},
 		{"core-files", no_argument, NULL, 'c'},
-		{"idempotent", no_argument, NULL, 'I'},
 		{NULL, 0, NULL, 0}
 	};
 
@@ -2052,7 +2040,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	/* process command-line options */
 	while (optind < argc)
 	{
-		while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "cD:Il:m:N:o:p:P:sS:t:U:wW", long_options, &option_index)) != -1)
+		while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "cD:l:m:N:o:p:P:sS:t:U:wW", long_options, &option_index)) != -1)
 		{
 			switch (c)
 			{
@@ -2078,9 +2066,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 								 pgdata_D);
 						break;
 					}
-				case 'I':
-					idempotent = true;
-					break;
 				case 'l':
 					log_file = pg_strdup(optarg);
 					break;