diff --git a/src/backend/optimizer/plan/analyzejoins.c b/src/backend/optimizer/plan/analyzejoins.c
index 97f8839ff2c..2a913578eba 100644
--- a/src/backend/optimizer/plan/analyzejoins.c
+++ b/src/backend/optimizer/plan/analyzejoins.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include "optimizer/pathnode.h"
 #include "optimizer/paths.h"
 #include "optimizer/planmain.h"
+#include "optimizer/var.h"
 
 /* local functions */
 static bool join_is_removable(PlannerInfo *root, SpecialJoinInfo *sjinfo);
@@ -197,16 +198,23 @@ join_is_removable(PlannerInfo *root, SpecialJoinInfo *sjinfo)
 	}
 
 	/*
-	 * Similarly check that the inner rel doesn't produce any PlaceHolderVars
-	 * that will be used above the join.
+	 * Similarly check that the inner rel isn't needed by any PlaceHolderVars
+	 * that will be used above the join.  We only need to fail if such a PHV
+	 * actually references some inner-rel attributes; but the correct check
+	 * for that is relatively expensive, so we first check against ph_eval_at,
+	 * which must mention the inner rel if the PHV uses any inner-rel attrs.
 	 */
 	foreach(l, root->placeholder_list)
 	{
 		PlaceHolderInfo *phinfo = (PlaceHolderInfo *) lfirst(l);
 
-		if (bms_is_subset(phinfo->ph_eval_at, innerrel->relids) &&
-			!bms_is_subset(phinfo->ph_needed, joinrelids))
-			return false;
+		if (bms_is_subset(phinfo->ph_needed, joinrelids))
+			continue;			/* PHV is not used above the join */
+		if (!bms_overlap(phinfo->ph_eval_at, innerrel->relids))
+			continue;			/* it definitely doesn't reference innerrel */
+		if (bms_overlap(pull_varnos((Node *) phinfo->ph_var),
+						innerrel->relids))
+			return false;		/* it does reference innerrel */
 	}
 
 	/*
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/join.out b/src/test/regress/expected/join.out
index 5299a10ac4e..795495b14d1 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/join.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/join.out
@@ -2644,3 +2644,24 @@ SELECT b.* FROM b LEFT JOIN a ON (b.a_id = a.id) WHERE (a.id IS NULL OR a.id > 0
 (1 row)
 
 rollback;
+-- another join removal bug: this is not optimizable, either
+begin;
+create temp table innertab (id int8 primary key, dat1 int8);
+NOTICE:  CREATE TABLE / PRIMARY KEY will create implicit index "innertab_pkey" for table "innertab"
+insert into innertab values(123, 42);
+SELECT * FROM
+    (SELECT 1 AS x) ss1
+  LEFT JOIN
+    (SELECT q1, q2, COALESCE(dat1, q1) AS y
+     FROM int8_tbl LEFT JOIN innertab ON q2 = id) ss2
+  ON true;
+ x |        q1        |        q2         |        y         
+---+------------------+-------------------+------------------
+ 1 |              123 |               456 |              123
+ 1 |              123 |  4567890123456789 |              123
+ 1 | 4567890123456789 |               123 |               42
+ 1 | 4567890123456789 |  4567890123456789 | 4567890123456789
+ 1 | 4567890123456789 | -4567890123456789 | 4567890123456789
+(5 rows)
+
+rollback;
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/join.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/join.sql
index ea237f977f1..b5971b60448 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/join.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/join.sql
@@ -644,3 +644,18 @@ SELECT * FROM b LEFT JOIN a ON (b.a_id = a.id) WHERE (a.id IS NULL OR a.id > 0);
 SELECT b.* FROM b LEFT JOIN a ON (b.a_id = a.id) WHERE (a.id IS NULL OR a.id > 0);
 
 rollback;
+
+-- another join removal bug: this is not optimizable, either
+begin;
+
+create temp table innertab (id int8 primary key, dat1 int8);
+insert into innertab values(123, 42);
+
+SELECT * FROM
+    (SELECT 1 AS x) ss1
+  LEFT JOIN
+    (SELECT q1, q2, COALESCE(dat1, q1) AS y
+     FROM int8_tbl LEFT JOIN innertab ON q2 = id) ss2
+  ON true;
+
+rollback;