diff --git a/src/backend/access/transam/twophase.c b/src/backend/access/transam/twophase.c
index 0d94697084..3be0a38cb2 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/transam/twophase.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/transam/twophase.c
@@ -1271,8 +1271,7 @@ FinishPreparedTransaction(const char *gid, bool isCommit)
 
 		for (fork = 0; fork <= MAX_FORKNUM; fork++)
 		{
-			if (smgrexists(srel, fork))
-				smgrdounlink(srel, fork, false, false);
+			smgrdounlink(srel, fork, false, false);
 		}
 		smgrclose(srel);
 	}
diff --git a/src/backend/access/transam/xact.c b/src/backend/access/transam/xact.c
index cc20929fae..f2c5c16927 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/transam/xact.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/transam/xact.c
@@ -4270,11 +4270,8 @@ xact_redo_commit(xl_xact_commit *xlrec, TransactionId xid)
 
 		for (fork = 0; fork <= MAX_FORKNUM; fork++)
 		{
-			if (smgrexists(srel, fork))
-			{
-				XLogDropRelation(xlrec->xnodes[i], fork);
-				smgrdounlink(srel, fork, false, true);
-			}
+			XLogDropRelation(xlrec->xnodes[i], fork);
+			smgrdounlink(srel, fork, false, true);
 		}
 		smgrclose(srel);
 	}
@@ -4313,11 +4310,8 @@ xact_redo_abort(xl_xact_abort *xlrec, TransactionId xid)
 
 		for (fork = 0; fork <= MAX_FORKNUM; fork++)
 		{
-			if (smgrexists(srel, fork))
-			{
-				XLogDropRelation(xlrec->xnodes[i], fork);
-				smgrdounlink(srel, fork, false, true);
-			}
+			XLogDropRelation(xlrec->xnodes[i], fork);
+			smgrdounlink(srel, fork, false, true);
 		}
 		smgrclose(srel);
 	}
diff --git a/src/backend/catalog/storage.c b/src/backend/catalog/storage.c
index 67236ddd81..326e76f283 100644
--- a/src/backend/catalog/storage.c
+++ b/src/backend/catalog/storage.c
@@ -278,11 +278,10 @@ smgrDoPendingDeletes(bool isCommit)
 				srel = smgropen(pending->relnode);
 				for (i = 0; i <= MAX_FORKNUM; i++)
 				{
-					if (smgrexists(srel, i))
-						smgrdounlink(srel,
-									 i,
-									 pending->isTemp,
-									 false);
+					smgrdounlink(srel,
+								 i,
+								 pending->isTemp,
+								 false);
 				}
 				smgrclose(srel);
 			}
diff --git a/src/backend/storage/smgr/md.c b/src/backend/storage/smgr/md.c
index 0c4861d6db..e69c7d3bb8 100644
--- a/src/backend/storage/smgr/md.c
+++ b/src/backend/storage/smgr/md.c
@@ -310,7 +310,13 @@ mdcreate(SMgrRelation reln, ForkNumber forkNum, bool isRedo)
  * number until it's safe, because relfilenode assignment skips over any
  * existing file.
  *
- * If isRedo is true, it's okay for the relation to be already gone.
+ * All the above applies only to the relation's main fork; other forks can
+ * just be removed immediately, since they are not needed to prevent the
+ * relfilenode number from being recycled.  Also, we do not carefully
+ * track whether other forks have been created or not, but just attempt to
+ * unlink them unconditionally; so we should never complain about ENOENT.
+ *
+ * If isRedo is true, it's unsurprising for the relation to be already gone.
  * Also, we should remove the file immediately instead of queuing a request
  * for later, since during redo there's no possibility of creating a
  * conflicting relation.
@@ -355,18 +361,15 @@ mdunlink(RelFileNode rnode, ForkNumber forkNum, bool isRedo)
 		else
 			ret = -1;
 	}
-	if (ret < 0)
-	{
-		if (!isRedo || errno != ENOENT)
-			ereport(WARNING,
-					(errcode_for_file_access(),
-					 errmsg("could not remove relation %s: %m", path)));
-	}
+	if (ret < 0 && errno != ENOENT)
+		ereport(WARNING,
+				(errcode_for_file_access(),
+				 errmsg("could not remove relation %s: %m", path)));
 
 	/*
 	 * Delete any additional segments.
 	 */
-	else
+	if (ret >= 0)
 	{
 		char	   *segpath = (char *) palloc(strlen(path) + 12);
 		BlockNumber segno;