diff --git a/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c b/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
index f3ddf82..b8b97a1 100644
--- a/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
+++ b/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
@@ -4576,6 +4576,7 @@ internal_forkexec(int argc, char *argv[], Port *port)
 	SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES sa;
 	char		paramHandleStr[32];
 	win32_deadchild_waitinfo *childinfo;
+	UINT		errorMode;
 
 	/* Make sure caller set up argv properly */
 	Assert(argc >= 3);
@@ -4643,14 +4644,20 @@ retry:
 	/*
 	 * Create the subprocess in a suspended state. This will be resumed later,
 	 * once we have written out the parameter file.
+	 *
+	 * Start the subprocess with the default error mode, so that a crash before
+	 * main() generates a crash dump.
 	 */
+	errorMode = SetErrorMode(0);
 	if (!CreateProcess(NULL, cmdLine, NULL, NULL, TRUE, CREATE_SUSPENDED,
 					   NULL, NULL, &si, &pi))
 	{
 		elog(LOG, "CreateProcess call failed: %m (error code %lu)",
 			 GetLastError());
+		SetErrorMode(errorMode);
 		return -1;
 	}
+	SetErrorMode(errorMode);
 
 	if (!save_backend_variables(param, port, pi.hProcess, pi.dwProcessId))
 	{