diff --git a/src/include/fe_utils/cancel.h b/src/include/fe_utils/cancel.h
index 959a38acf3..24b7001db7 100644
--- a/src/include/fe_utils/cancel.h
+++ b/src/include/fe_utils/cancel.h
@@ -14,9 +14,11 @@
 #ifndef CANCEL_H
 #define CANCEL_H
 
+#include <signal.h>
+
 #include "libpq-fe.h"
 
-extern bool CancelRequested;
+extern volatile sig_atomic_t CancelRequested;
 
 extern void SetCancelConn(PGconn *conn);
 extern void ResetCancelConn(void);
diff --git a/src/include/fe_utils/print.h b/src/include/fe_utils/print.h
index f138d963d3..7a280eaebd 100644
--- a/src/include/fe_utils/print.h
+++ b/src/include/fe_utils/print.h
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 #ifndef PRINT_H
 #define PRINT_H
 
+#include <signal.h>
+
 #include "libpq-fe.h"
 
 
@@ -175,7 +177,7 @@ typedef struct printQueryOpt
 } printQueryOpt;
 
 
-extern volatile bool cancel_pressed;
+extern volatile sig_atomic_t cancel_pressed;
 
 extern const printTextFormat pg_asciiformat;
 extern const printTextFormat pg_asciiformat_old;
diff --git a/src/fe_utils/cancel.c b/src/fe_utils/cancel.c
index 04e0d1e3b2..9c3922b5c4 100644
--- a/src/fe_utils/cancel.c
+++ b/src/fe_utils/cancel.c
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 
 #include "postgres_fe.h"
 
-#include <signal.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
 #include "fe_utils/cancel.h"
@@ -37,8 +36,20 @@
 		(void) rc_; \
 	} while (0)
 
+/*
+ * Contains all the information needed to cancel a query issued from
+ * a database connection to the backend.
+ */
 static PGcancel *volatile cancelConn = NULL;
-bool		CancelRequested = false;
+
+/*
+ * CancelRequested tracks if a cancellation request has completed after
+ * a signal interruption.  Note that if cancelConn is not set, in short
+ * if SetCancelConn() was never called or if ResetCancelConn() freed
+ * the cancellation object, then CancelRequested is switched to true after
+ * all cancellation attempts.
+ */
+volatile sig_atomic_t CancelRequested = false;
 
 #ifdef WIN32
 static CRITICAL_SECTION cancelConnLock;
diff --git a/src/fe_utils/print.c b/src/fe_utils/print.c
index b9cd6a1752..bcc77f471c 100644
--- a/src/fe_utils/print.c
+++ b/src/fe_utils/print.c
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <math.h>
-#include <signal.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
 #ifndef WIN32
@@ -41,7 +40,7 @@
  * Note: print.c's general strategy for when to check cancel_pressed is to do
  * so at completion of each row of output.
  */
-volatile bool cancel_pressed = false;
+volatile sig_atomic_t cancel_pressed = false;
 
 static bool always_ignore_sigpipe = false;
 
diff --git a/src/bin/psql/common.c b/src/bin/psql/common.c
index 9c0d53689e..39dc805d7a 100644
--- a/src/bin/psql/common.c
+++ b/src/bin/psql/common.c
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ NoticeProcessor(void *arg, const char *message)
  *
  * SIGINT is supposed to abort all long-running psql operations, not only
  * database queries.  In most places, this is accomplished by checking
- * CancelRequested during long-running loops.  However, that won't work when
+ * cancel_pressed during long-running loops.  However, that won't work when
  * blocked on user input (in readline() or fgets()).  In those places, we
  * set sigint_interrupt_enabled true while blocked, instructing the signal
  * catcher to longjmp through sigint_interrupt_jmp.  We assume readline and
@@ -246,32 +246,27 @@ volatile bool sigint_interrupt_enabled = false;
 
 sigjmp_buf	sigint_interrupt_jmp;
 
-#ifndef WIN32
-
 static void
 psql_cancel_callback(void)
 {
+#ifndef WIN32
 	/* if we are waiting for input, longjmp out of it */
 	if (sigint_interrupt_enabled)
 	{
 		sigint_interrupt_enabled = false;
 		siglongjmp(sigint_interrupt_jmp, 1);
 	}
+#endif
 
-	/* else, set cancel flag to stop any long-running loops */
-	CancelRequested = true;
+	/*
+	 * Else, set cancel flag to stop any long-running loops.  Note that
+	 * CancelRequested is not used here as this flag in the frontend
+	 * cancellation facility in src/fe_utils/cancel.c tracks if a
+	 * cancellation request has succeeded.
+	 */
+	cancel_pressed = true;
 }
 
-#else
-
-static void
-psql_cancel_callback(void)
-{
-	/* nothing to do here */
-}
-
-#endif							/* !WIN32 */
-
 void
 psql_setup_cancel_handler(void)
 {
@@ -638,7 +633,7 @@ PSQLexecWatch(const char *query, const printQueryOpt *opt)
 	 * consumed.  The user's intention, though, is to cancel the entire watch
 	 * process, so detect a sent cancellation request and exit in this case.
 	 */
-	if (CancelRequested)
+	if (cancel_pressed)
 	{
 		PQclear(res);
 		return 0;
@@ -838,8 +833,8 @@ ExecQueryTuples(const PGresult *result)
 			{
 				const char *query = PQgetvalue(result, r, c);
 
-				/* Abandon execution if CancelRequested */
-				if (CancelRequested)
+				/* Abandon execution if cancel_pressed */
+				if (cancel_pressed)
 					goto loop_exit;
 
 				/*
@@ -1207,7 +1202,7 @@ SendQuery(const char *query)
 		if (fgets(buf, sizeof(buf), stdin) != NULL)
 			if (buf[0] == 'x')
 				goto sendquery_cleanup;
-		if (CancelRequested)
+		if (cancel_pressed)
 			goto sendquery_cleanup;
 	}
 	else if (pset.echo == PSQL_ECHO_QUERIES)
@@ -1751,7 +1746,7 @@ ExecQueryUsingCursor(const char *query, double *elapsed_msec)
 		 * writing things to the stream, we presume $PAGER has disappeared and
 		 * stop bothering to pull down more data.
 		 */
-		if (ntuples < fetch_count || CancelRequested || flush_error ||
+		if (ntuples < fetch_count || cancel_pressed || flush_error ||
 			ferror(fout))
 			break;
 	}