diff --git a/src/bin/pg_rewind/filemap.c b/src/bin/pg_rewind/filemap.c
index 435742d20d..a2e2110fb1 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_rewind/filemap.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_rewind/filemap.c
@@ -39,14 +39,14 @@
  * appearing in source and target systems.
  */
 static uint32 hash_string_pointer(const char *s);
-#define SH_PREFIX		filehash
-#define SH_ELEMENT_TYPE	file_entry_t
-#define SH_KEY_TYPE		const char *
-#define	SH_KEY			path
+#define SH_PREFIX				filehash
+#define SH_ELEMENT_TYPE			file_entry_t
+#define SH_KEY_TYPE				const char *
+#define SH_KEY					path
 #define SH_HASH_KEY(tb, key)	hash_string_pointer(key)
 #define SH_EQUAL(tb, a, b)		(strcmp(a, b) == 0)
-#define	SH_SCOPE		static inline
-#define SH_RAW_ALLOCATOR	pg_malloc0
+#define SH_SCOPE				static inline
+#define SH_RAW_ALLOCATOR		pg_malloc0
 #define SH_DECLARE
 #define SH_DEFINE
 #include "lib/simplehash.h"
@@ -61,7 +61,36 @@ static char *datasegpath(RelFileLocator rlocator, ForkNumber forknum,
 
 static file_entry_t *insert_filehash_entry(const char *path);
 static file_entry_t *lookup_filehash_entry(const char *path);
+
+/*
+ * A separate hash table which tracks WAL files that must not be deleted.
+ */
+typedef struct keepwal_entry
+{
+	const char *path;
+	uint32		status;
+} keepwal_entry;
+
+#define SH_PREFIX				keepwal
+#define SH_ELEMENT_TYPE			keepwal_entry
+#define SH_KEY_TYPE				const char *
+#define SH_KEY					path
+#define SH_HASH_KEY(tb, key)	hash_string_pointer(key)
+#define SH_EQUAL(tb, a, b)		(strcmp(a, b) == 0)
+#define SH_SCOPE				static inline
+#define SH_RAW_ALLOCATOR		pg_malloc0
+#define SH_DECLARE
+#define SH_DEFINE
+#include "lib/simplehash.h"
+
+#define KEEPWAL_INITIAL_SIZE	1000
+
+
+static keepwal_hash *keepwal = NULL;
+static bool keepwal_entry_exists(const char *path);
+
 static int	final_filemap_cmp(const void *a, const void *b);
+
 static bool check_file_excluded(const char *path, bool is_source);
 
 /*
@@ -207,6 +236,39 @@ lookup_filehash_entry(const char *path)
 	return filehash_lookup(filehash, path);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Initialize a hash table to store WAL file names that must be kept.
+ */
+void
+keepwal_init(void)
+{
+	/* An initial hash size out of thin air */
+	keepwal = keepwal_create(KEEPWAL_INITIAL_SIZE, NULL);
+}
+
+/* Mark the given file to prevent its removal */
+void
+keepwal_add_entry(const char *path)
+{
+	keepwal_entry *entry;
+	bool		found;
+
+	/* Should only be called with keepwal initialized */
+	Assert(keepwal != NULL);
+
+	entry = keepwal_insert(keepwal, path, &found);
+
+	if (!found)
+		entry->path = pg_strdup(path);
+}
+
+/* Return true if file is marked as not to be removed, false otherwise */
+static bool
+keepwal_entry_exists(const char *path)
+{
+	return keepwal_lookup(keepwal, path) != NULL;
+}
+
 /*
  * Callback for processing source file list.
  *
@@ -686,7 +748,15 @@ decide_file_action(file_entry_t *entry)
 	}
 	else if (entry->target_exists && !entry->source_exists)
 	{
-		/* File exists in target, but not source. Remove it. */
+		/*
+		 * For files that exist in target but not in source, we check the
+		 * keepwal hash table; any files listed therein must not be removed.
+		 */
+		if (keepwal_entry_exists(path))
+		{
+			pg_log_debug("Not removing file \"%s\" because it is required for recovery", path);
+			return FILE_ACTION_NONE;
+		}
 		return FILE_ACTION_REMOVE;
 	}
 	else if (!entry->target_exists && !entry->source_exists)
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_rewind/filemap.h b/src/bin/pg_rewind/filemap.h
index 48f240dff1..289ae9cab6 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_rewind/filemap.h
+++ b/src/bin/pg_rewind/filemap.h
@@ -110,4 +110,7 @@ extern filemap_t *decide_file_actions(void);
 extern void calculate_totals(filemap_t *filemap);
 extern void print_filemap(filemap_t *filemap);
 
+extern void keepwal_init(void);
+extern void keepwal_add_entry(const char *path);
+
 #endif							/* FILEMAP_H */
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_rewind/meson.build b/src/bin/pg_rewind/meson.build
index fd22818be4..880346f37b 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_rewind/meson.build
+++ b/src/bin/pg_rewind/meson.build
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ tests += {
       't/007_standby_source.pl',
       't/008_min_recovery_point.pl',
       't/009_growing_files.pl',
+      't/010_keep_recycled_wals.pl',
     ],
   },
 }
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_rewind/parsexlog.c b/src/bin/pg_rewind/parsexlog.c
index 27782237d0..0ed0884152 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_rewind/parsexlog.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_rewind/parsexlog.c
@@ -175,6 +175,8 @@ findLastCheckpoint(const char *datadir, XLogRecPtr forkptr, int tliIndex,
 	XLogReaderState *xlogreader;
 	char	   *errormsg;
 	XLogPageReadPrivate private;
+	XLogSegNo	current_segno = 0;
+	TimeLineID	current_tli = 0;
 
 	/*
 	 * The given fork pointer points to the end of the last common record,
@@ -217,6 +219,25 @@ findLastCheckpoint(const char *datadir, XLogRecPtr forkptr, int tliIndex,
 						 LSN_FORMAT_ARGS(searchptr));
 		}
 
+		/* Detect if a new WAL file has been opened */
+		if (xlogreader->seg.ws_tli != current_tli ||
+			xlogreader->seg.ws_segno != current_segno)
+		{
+			char		xlogfname[MAXFNAMELEN];
+
+			snprintf(xlogfname, MAXFNAMELEN, XLOGDIR "/");
+
+			/* update curent values */
+			current_tli = xlogreader->seg.ws_tli;
+			current_segno = xlogreader->seg.ws_segno;
+
+			XLogFileName(xlogfname + sizeof(XLOGDIR),
+						 current_tli, current_segno, WalSegSz);
+
+			/* Track this filename as one to not remove */
+			keepwal_add_entry(xlogfname);
+		}
+
 		/*
 		 * Check if it is a checkpoint record. This checkpoint record needs to
 		 * be the latest checkpoint before WAL forked and not the checkpoint
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_rewind/pg_rewind.c b/src/bin/pg_rewind/pg_rewind.c
index 53110e0f4b..c2c0f0b9f2 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_rewind/pg_rewind.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_rewind/pg_rewind.c
@@ -446,6 +446,9 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		exit(0);
 	}
 
+	/* Initialize hashtable that tracks WAL files protected from removal */
+	keepwal_init();
+
 	findLastCheckpoint(datadir_target, divergerec, lastcommontliIndex,
 					   &chkptrec, &chkpttli, &chkptredo, restore_command);
 	pg_log_info("rewinding from last common checkpoint at %X/%X on timeline %u",
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_rewind/t/010_keep_recycled_wals.pl b/src/bin/pg_rewind/t/010_keep_recycled_wals.pl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e6dfce2a54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/bin/pg_rewind/t/010_keep_recycled_wals.pl
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2021-2024, PostgreSQL Global Development Group
+#
+# Test situation where a target data directory contains
+# WAL files that were already recycled by the new primary.
+#
+
+use strict;
+use warnings FATAL => 'all';
+use PostgreSQL::Test::Utils;
+use Test::More;
+
+use FindBin;
+use lib $FindBin::RealBin;
+use RewindTest;
+
+RewindTest::setup_cluster();
+$node_primary->enable_archiving();
+RewindTest::start_primary();
+
+RewindTest::create_standby();
+$node_standby->enable_restoring($node_primary, 0);
+$node_standby->reload();
+
+RewindTest::primary_psql("CHECKPOINT");    # last common checkpoint
+
+# We use "perl -e 'exit(1)'" as an alternative to "false", because the latter
+# might not be available on Windows.
+my $false = "$^X -e 'exit(1)'";
+$node_primary->append_conf(
+	'postgresql.conf', qq(
+archive_command = '$false'
+));
+$node_primary->reload();
+
+# advance WAL on primary; this WAL segment will never make it to the archive
+RewindTest::primary_psql("CREATE TABLE t(a int)");
+RewindTest::primary_psql("INSERT INTO t VALUES(0)");
+RewindTest::primary_psql("SELECT pg_switch_wal()");
+
+RewindTest::promote_standby;
+
+# new primary loses diverging WAL segment
+RewindTest::standby_psql("INSERT INTO t values(0)");
+RewindTest::standby_psql("SELECT pg_switch_wal()");
+
+$node_standby->stop();
+$node_primary->stop();
+
+my ($stdout, $stderr) = run_command(
+	[
+		'pg_rewind', '--debug',
+		'--source-pgdata', $node_standby->data_dir,
+		'--target-pgdata', $node_primary->data_dir,
+		'--no-sync',
+	]);
+
+like(
+	$stderr,
+	qr/Not removing file .* because it is required for recovery/,
+	"some WAL files were skipped");
+
+done_testing();
diff --git a/src/tools/pgindent/typedefs.list b/src/tools/pgindent/typedefs.list
index d48f424fe6..a21c039c5b 100644
--- a/src/tools/pgindent/typedefs.list
+++ b/src/tools/pgindent/typedefs.list
@@ -3430,6 +3430,8 @@ json_manifest_perwalrange_callback
 json_ofield_action
 json_scalar_action
 json_struct_action
+keepwal_entry
+keepwal_hash
 keyEntryData
 key_t
 lclContext