diff --git i/src/backend/utils/activity/pgstat_relation.c w/src/backend/utils/activity/pgstat_relation.c
index f92e16e7af8..1158e09c24f 100644
--- i/src/backend/utils/activity/pgstat_relation.c
+++ w/src/backend/utils/activity/pgstat_relation.c
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ pgstat_unlink_relation(Relation rel)
 		return;
 
 	/* link sanity check */
-	Assert(rel->pgstat_info->relation == rel);
+	Assert(rel->pgstat_info->relation->rd_rel->oid == rel->rd_rel->oid);
 	rel->pgstat_info->relation = NULL;
 	rel->pgstat_info = NULL;
 }
diff --git i/src/backend/utils/cache/relcache.c w/src/backend/utils/cache/relcache.c
index bd6cd4e47b5..69237025c20 100644
--- i/src/backend/utils/cache/relcache.c
+++ w/src/backend/utils/cache/relcache.c
@@ -2626,6 +2626,7 @@ RelationClearRelation(Relation relation, bool rebuild)
 		bool		keep_rules;
 		bool		keep_policies;
 		bool		keep_partkey;
+		bool		keep_pgstats;
 
 		/* Build temporary entry, but don't link it into hashtable */
 		newrel = RelationBuildDesc(save_relid, false);
@@ -2666,6 +2667,8 @@ RelationClearRelation(Relation relation, bool rebuild)
 		keep_policies = equalRSDesc(relation->rd_rsdesc, newrel->rd_rsdesc);
 		/* partkey is immutable once set up, so we can always keep it */
 		keep_partkey = (relation->rd_partkey != NULL);
+		/* keep stats, except when converting tables into views etc */
+		keep_pgstats = relation->rd_rel->relkind == newrel->rd_rel->relkind;
 
 		/*
 		 * Perform swapping of the relcache entry contents.  Within this
@@ -2720,9 +2723,16 @@ RelationClearRelation(Relation relation, bool rebuild)
 			SWAPFIELD(RowSecurityDesc *, rd_rsdesc);
 		/* toast OID override must be preserved */
 		SWAPFIELD(Oid, rd_toastoid);
+
 		/* pgstat_info / enabled must be preserved */
-		SWAPFIELD(struct PgStat_TableStatus *, pgstat_info);
-		SWAPFIELD(bool, pgstat_enabled);
+		if (keep_pgstats)
+		{
+			SWAPFIELD(struct PgStat_TableStatus *, pgstat_info);
+			SWAPFIELD(bool, pgstat_enabled);
+		}
+		else
+			pgstat_unlink_relation(relation);
+
 		/* preserve old partition key if we have one */
 		if (keep_partkey)
 		{