diff --git a/src/backend/optimizer/path/equivclass.c b/src/backend/optimizer/path/equivclass.c
index de335fdb4d..9132ce235f 100644
--- a/src/backend/optimizer/path/equivclass.c
+++ b/src/backend/optimizer/path/equivclass.c
@@ -729,8 +729,7 @@ get_eclass_for_sort_expr(PlannerInfo *root,
 				continue;
 			}
 
-			Assert(rel->reloptkind == RELOPT_BASEREL ||
-				   rel->reloptkind == RELOPT_DEADREL);
+			Assert(rel->reloptkind == RELOPT_BASEREL);
 
 			rel->eclass_indexes = bms_add_member(rel->eclass_indexes,
 												 ec_index);
diff --git a/src/backend/optimizer/plan/analyzejoins.c b/src/backend/optimizer/plan/analyzejoins.c
index 7fd11df9af..0dfefd71f2 100644
--- a/src/backend/optimizer/plan/analyzejoins.c
+++ b/src/backend/optimizer/plan/analyzejoins.c
@@ -331,12 +331,6 @@ remove_rel_from_query(PlannerInfo *root, int relid, int ojrelid,
 	Index		rti;
 	ListCell   *l;
 
-	/*
-	 * Mark the rel as "dead" to show it is no longer part of the join tree.
-	 * (Removing it from the baserel array altogether seems too risky.)
-	 */
-	rel->reloptkind = RELOPT_DEADREL;
-
 	/*
 	 * Remove references to the rel from other baserels' attr_needed arrays.
 	 */
@@ -487,6 +481,16 @@ remove_rel_from_query(PlannerInfo *root, int relid, int ojrelid,
 	 * There may be references to the rel in root->fkey_list, but if so,
 	 * match_foreign_keys_to_quals() will get rid of them.
 	 */
+
+	/*
+	 * Finally, remove the rel from the baserel array to prevent it from being
+	 * referenced again.  (We can't do this earlier because
+	 * remove_join_clause_from_rels will touch it.)
+	 */
+	root->simple_rel_array[relid] = NULL;
+
+	/* And nuke the RelOptInfo, just in case there's another access path */
+	pfree(rel);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/backend/optimizer/plan/initsplan.c b/src/backend/optimizer/plan/initsplan.c
index 2b2c6af9ef..fe4c8c63c9 100644
--- a/src/backend/optimizer/plan/initsplan.c
+++ b/src/backend/optimizer/plan/initsplan.c
@@ -2886,8 +2886,9 @@ match_foreign_keys_to_quals(PlannerInfo *root)
 
 		/*
 		 * Either relid might identify a rel that is in the query's rtable but
-		 * isn't referenced by the jointree so won't have a RelOptInfo.  Hence
-		 * don't use find_base_rel() here.  We can ignore such FKs.
+		 * isn't referenced by the jointree, or has been removed by join
+		 * removal, so that it won't have a RelOptInfo.  Hence don't use
+		 * find_base_rel() here.  We can ignore such FKs.
 		 */
 		if (fkinfo->con_relid >= root->simple_rel_array_size ||
 			fkinfo->ref_relid >= root->simple_rel_array_size)
@@ -2901,8 +2902,7 @@ match_foreign_keys_to_quals(PlannerInfo *root)
 
 		/*
 		 * Ignore FK unless both rels are baserels.  This gets rid of FKs that
-		 * link to inheritance child rels (otherrels) and those that link to
-		 * rels removed by join removal (dead rels).
+		 * link to inheritance child rels (otherrels).
 		 */
 		if (con_rel->reloptkind != RELOPT_BASEREL ||
 			ref_rel->reloptkind != RELOPT_BASEREL)
diff --git a/src/include/nodes/pathnodes.h b/src/include/nodes/pathnodes.h
index be4d791212..d61a62da19 100644
--- a/src/include/nodes/pathnodes.h
+++ b/src/include/nodes/pathnodes.h
@@ -638,9 +638,6 @@ typedef struct PartitionSchemeData *PartitionScheme;
  * Many of the fields in these RelOptInfos are meaningless, but their Path
  * fields always hold Paths showing ways to do that processing step.
  *
- * Lastly, there is a RelOptKind for "dead" relations, which are base rels
- * that we have proven we don't need to join after all.
- *
  * Parts of this data structure are specific to various scan and join
  * mechanisms.  It didn't seem worth creating new node types for them.
  *
@@ -823,8 +820,7 @@ typedef enum RelOptKind
 	RELOPT_OTHER_MEMBER_REL,
 	RELOPT_OTHER_JOINREL,
 	RELOPT_UPPER_REL,
-	RELOPT_OTHER_UPPER_REL,
-	RELOPT_DEADREL
+	RELOPT_OTHER_UPPER_REL
 } RelOptKind;
 
 /*