diff --git a/src/backend/postmaster/checksumhelper.c b/src/backend/postmaster/checksumhelper.c
index 44535f9976..997bffa416 100644
--- a/src/backend/postmaster/checksumhelper.c
+++ b/src/backend/postmaster/checksumhelper.c
@@ -586,6 +588,8 @@ ChecksumHelperWorkerMain(Datum arg)
 	ereport(DEBUG1,
 			(errmsg("Checksum worker starting for database oid %d", dboid)));
 
+	SetConfigOption("ignore_connection_restriction", "true", PGC_SU_BACKEND, PGC_S_OVERRIDE);
+
 	BackgroundWorkerInitializeConnectionByOid(dboid, InvalidOid);
 
 	/*
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/init/postinit.c b/src/backend/utils/init/postinit.c
index 484628987f..7034697e1b 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/init/postinit.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/init/postinit.c
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ CheckMyDatabase(const char *name, bool am_superuser)
 		/*
 		 * Check that the database is currently allowing connections.
 		 */
-		if (!dbform->datallowconn)
+		if (!dbform->datallowconn && !IgnoreDatAllowConn)
 			ereport(FATAL,
 					(errcode(ERRCODE_OBJECT_NOT_IN_PREREQUISITE_STATE),
 					 errmsg("database \"%s\" is not currently accepting connections",
@@ -999,14 +999,6 @@ InitPostgres(const char *in_dbname, Oid dboid, const char *username,
 	/* set up ACL framework (so CheckMyDatabase can check permissions) */
 	initialize_acl();
 
-	/*
-	 * Re-read the pg_database row for our database, check permissions and set
-	 * up database-specific GUC settings.  We can't do this until all the
-	 * database-access infrastructure is up.  (Also, it wants to know if the
-	 * user is a superuser, so the above stuff has to happen first.)
-	 */
-	if (!bootstrap)
-		CheckMyDatabase(dbname, am_superuser);
 
 	/*
 	 * Now process any command-line switches and any additional GUC variable
@@ -1016,6 +1008,15 @@ InitPostgres(const char *in_dbname, Oid dboid, const char *username,
 	if (MyProcPort != NULL)
 		process_startup_options(MyProcPort, am_superuser);
 
+	/*
+	 * Re-read the pg_database row for our database, check permissions and set
+	 * up database-specific GUC settings.  We can't do this until all the
+	 * database-access infrastructure is up.  (Also, it wants to know if the
+	 * user is a superuser, so the above stuff has to happen first.)
+	 */
+	if (!bootstrap)
+		CheckMyDatabase(dbname, am_superuser);
+
 	/* Process pg_db_role_setting options */
 	process_settings(MyDatabaseId, GetSessionUserId());
 
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
index 039b63bb05..8ac6c7eefe 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
@@ -461,6 +461,7 @@ bool		row_security;
 bool		check_function_bodies = true;
 bool		default_with_oids = false;
 bool		session_auth_is_superuser;
+bool		IgnoreDatAllowConn;
 
 int			log_min_error_statement = ERROR;
 int			log_min_messages = WARNING;
@@ -1648,6 +1649,18 @@ static struct config_bool ConfigureNamesBool[] =
 	},
 
 	{
+		{"ignore_connection_restriction", PGC_SU_BACKEND, DEVELOPER_OPTIONS,
+			gettext_noop("Ignores the datallowconn restriction on database."),
+			NULL,
+			GUC_NOT_IN_SAMPLE
+		},
+		&IgnoreDatAllowConn,
+		false,
+		NULL, NULL, NULL
+	},
+
+
+	{
 		{"lo_compat_privileges", PGC_SUSET, COMPAT_OPTIONS_PREVIOUS,
 			gettext_noop("Enables backward compatibility mode for privilege checks on large objects."),
 			gettext_noop("Skips privilege checks when reading or modifying large objects, "
diff --git a/src/include/miscadmin.h b/src/include/miscadmin.h
index a4574cd533..666508cfaf 100644
--- a/src/include/miscadmin.h
+++ b/src/include/miscadmin.h
@@ -424,6 +424,7 @@ extern void BaseInit(void);
 
 /* in utils/init/miscinit.c */
 extern bool IgnoreSystemIndexes;
+extern bool IgnoreDatAllowConn;
 extern PGDLLIMPORT bool process_shared_preload_libraries_in_progress;
 extern char *session_preload_libraries_string;
 extern char *shared_preload_libraries_string;