diff --git a/src/backend/commands/dbcommands.c b/src/backend/commands/dbcommands.c
index 6e8e27a748..6f2923e6a8 100644
--- a/src/backend/commands/dbcommands.c
+++ b/src/backend/commands/dbcommands.c
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
  *
  *
  * IDENTIFICATION
- *	  $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/backend/commands/dbcommands.c,v 1.70 2000/11/30 08:46:22 vadim Exp $
+ *	  $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/backend/commands/dbcommands.c,v 1.71 2001/01/14 22:14:10 tgl Exp $
  *
  *-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  */
@@ -153,7 +153,8 @@ createdb(const char *dbname, const char *dbpath,
 		elog(ERROR, "database path may not contain single quotes");
 	/* ... otherwise we'd be open to shell exploits below */
 
-	/* Force dirty buffers out to disk, to ensure source database is
+	/*
+	 * Force dirty buffers out to disk, to ensure source database is
 	 * up-to-date for the copy.  (We really only need to flush buffers
 	 * for the source database...)
 	 */
@@ -253,7 +254,8 @@ createdb(const char *dbname, const char *dbpath,
 	/* Close pg_database, but keep lock till commit */
 	heap_close(pg_database_rel, NoLock);
 
-	/* Force dirty buffers out to disk, so that newly-connecting backends
+	/*
+	 * Force dirty buffers out to disk, so that newly-connecting backends
 	 * will see the new database in pg_database right away.  (They'll see
 	 * an uncommitted tuple, but they don't care; see GetRawDatabaseInfo.)
 	 */
@@ -369,6 +371,14 @@ dropdb(const char *dbname)
 	 * Remove the database's subdirectory and everything in it.
 	 */
 	remove_dbdirs(nominal_loc, alt_loc);
+
+	/*
+	 * Force dirty buffers out to disk, so that newly-connecting backends
+	 * will see the database tuple marked dead in pg_database right away.
+	 * (They'll see an uncommitted deletion, but they don't care; see
+	 * GetRawDatabaseInfo.)
+	 */
+	BufferSync();
 }