diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ref/explain.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ref/explain.sgml
index d4895b9d7d..58350624e7 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/ref/explain.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ref/explain.sgml
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ EXPLAIN [ ANALYZE ] [ VERBOSE ] <replaceable class="parameter">statement</replac
     VERBOSE [ <replaceable class="parameter">boolean</replaceable> ]
     COSTS [ <replaceable class="parameter">boolean</replaceable> ]
     SETTINGS [ <replaceable class="parameter">boolean</replaceable> ]
+    GENERIC_PLAN [ <replaceable class="parameter">boolean</replaceable> ]
     BUFFERS [ <replaceable class="parameter">boolean</replaceable> ]
     WAL [ <replaceable class="parameter">boolean</replaceable> ]
     TIMING [ <replaceable class="parameter">boolean</replaceable> ]
@@ -167,6 +168,20 @@ ROLLBACK;
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
 
+   <varlistentry>
+    <term><literal>GENERIC_PLAN</literal></term>
+    <listitem>
+     <para>
+      Generate a generic plan for the statement (see <xref linkend="sql-prepare"/>
+      for details about generic plans).  The statement can contain parameter
+      placeholders like <literal>$1</literal>, if it is a statement that can
+      use parameters.  This option cannot be used together with
+      <literal>ANALYZE</literal>, since a statement with unknown parameters
+      cannot be executed.
+     </para>
+    </listitem>
+   </varlistentry>
+
    <varlistentry>
     <term><literal>BUFFERS</literal></term>
     <listitem>
diff --git a/src/backend/commands/explain.c b/src/backend/commands/explain.c
index 35c23bd27d..ab21a67862 100644
--- a/src/backend/commands/explain.c
+++ b/src/backend/commands/explain.c
@@ -190,6 +190,8 @@ ExplainQuery(ParseState *pstate, ExplainStmt *stmt,
 			es->wal = defGetBoolean(opt);
 		else if (strcmp(opt->defname, "settings") == 0)
 			es->settings = defGetBoolean(opt);
+		else if (strcmp(opt->defname, "generic_plan") == 0)
+			es->generic = defGetBoolean(opt);
 		else if (strcmp(opt->defname, "timing") == 0)
 		{
 			timing_set = true;
@@ -227,6 +229,13 @@ ExplainQuery(ParseState *pstate, ExplainStmt *stmt,
 					 parser_errposition(pstate, opt->location)));
 	}
 
+	/* check that GENERIC_PLAN is not used with EXPLAIN ANALYZE */
+	if (es->generic && es->analyze)
+		ereport(ERROR,
+				(errcode(ERRCODE_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE),
+				 errmsg("EXPLAIN ANALYZE cannot be used with GENERIC_PLAN")));
+
+	/* check that WAL is used with EXPLAIN ANALYZE */
 	if (es->wal && !es->analyze)
 		ereport(ERROR,
 				(errcode(ERRCODE_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE),
diff --git a/src/backend/parser/analyze.c b/src/backend/parser/analyze.c
index e892df9819..9143964e78 100644
--- a/src/backend/parser/analyze.c
+++ b/src/backend/parser/analyze.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "access/sysattr.h"
 #include "catalog/pg_proc.h"
 #include "catalog/pg_type.h"
+#include "commands/defrem.h"
 #include "miscadmin.h"
 #include "nodes/makefuncs.h"
 #include "nodes/nodeFuncs.h"
@@ -2906,10 +2907,38 @@ static Query *
 transformExplainStmt(ParseState *pstate, ExplainStmt *stmt)
 {
 	Query	   *result;
+	bool		generic_plan = false;
+	Oid		   *paramTypes = NULL;
+	int			numParams = 0;
+
+	/*
+	 * If we have no external source of parameter definitions, and the
+	 * GENERIC_PLAN option is specified, then accept variable parameter
+	 * definitions (as occurs in PREPARE, for example).
+	 */
+	if (pstate->p_paramref_hook == NULL)
+	{
+		ListCell   *lc;
+
+		foreach(lc, stmt->options)
+		{
+			DefElem    *opt = (DefElem *) lfirst(lc);
+
+			if (strcmp(opt->defname, "generic_plan") == 0)
+				generic_plan = defGetBoolean(opt);
+			/* don't "break", as we want the last value */
+		}
+		if (generic_plan)
+			setup_parse_variable_parameters(pstate, &paramTypes, &numParams);
+	}
 
 	/* transform contained query, allowing SELECT INTO */
 	stmt->query = (Node *) transformOptionalSelectInto(pstate, stmt->query);
 
+	/* make sure all is well with parameter types */
+	if (generic_plan)
+		check_variable_parameters(pstate, (Query *) stmt->query);
+
 	/* represent the command as a utility Query */
 	result = makeNode(Query);
 	result->commandType = CMD_UTILITY;
diff --git a/src/include/commands/explain.h b/src/include/commands/explain.h
index 7c1071ddd1..3d3e632a0c 100644
--- a/src/include/commands/explain.h
+++ b/src/include/commands/explain.h
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ typedef struct ExplainState
 	bool		timing;			/* print detailed node timing */
 	bool		summary;		/* print total planning and execution timing */
 	bool		settings;		/* print modified settings */
+	bool		generic;		/* generate a generic plan */
 	ExplainFormat format;		/* output format */
 	/* state for output formatting --- not reset for each new plan tree */
 	int			indent;			/* current indentation level */
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/explain.out b/src/test/regress/expected/explain.out
index 48620edbc2..18f7ac93c4 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/explain.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/explain.out
@@ -517,3 +517,17 @@ select explain_filter('explain (verbose) select * from int8_tbl i8');
  Query Identifier: N
 (3 rows)
 
+-- Test EXPLAIN (GENERIC_PLAN)
+select explain_filter('explain (generic_plan) select unique1 from tenk1 where thousand = $1');
+                                 explain_filter                                  
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ Bitmap Heap Scan on tenk1  (cost=N.N..N.N rows=N width=N)
+   Recheck Cond: (thousand = $N)
+   ->  Bitmap Index Scan on tenk1_thous_tenthous  (cost=N.N..N.N rows=N width=N)
+         Index Cond: (thousand = $N)
+(4 rows)
+
+-- should fail
+select explain_filter('explain (analyze, generic_plan) select unique1 from tenk1 where thousand = $1');
+ERROR:  EXPLAIN ANALYZE cannot be used with GENERIC_PLAN
+CONTEXT:  PL/pgSQL function explain_filter(text) line 5 at FOR over EXECUTE statement
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/explain.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/explain.sql
index ae3f7a308d..fce031775a 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/explain.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/explain.sql
@@ -128,3 +128,8 @@ select explain_filter('explain (verbose) select * from t1 where pg_temp.mysin(f1
 -- Test compute_query_id
 set compute_query_id = on;
 select explain_filter('explain (verbose) select * from int8_tbl i8');
+
+-- Test EXPLAIN (GENERIC_PLAN)
+select explain_filter('explain (generic_plan) select unique1 from tenk1 where thousand = $1');
+-- should fail
+select explain_filter('explain (analyze, generic_plan) select unique1 from tenk1 where thousand = $1');
