*** a/doc/src/sgml/recovery-config.sgml
--- b/doc/src/sgml/recovery-config.sgml
***************
*** 272,277 **** restore_command = 'copy "C:\\server\\archivedir\\%f" "%p"'  # Windows
--- 272,282 ----
          recovery target settings to a later target and restart to
          continue recovery.
         </para>
+        <para>
+         This setting has no effect if no recovery target is set.
+         <xref linkend="guc-hot-standby"> must be set to <literal>on</>
+         to enable <varname>pause_at_recovery_target</>.
+        </para>
        </listitem>
       </varlistentry>
  
*** a/src/backend/access/transam/recovery.conf.sample
--- b/src/backend/access/transam/recovery.conf.sample
***************
*** 87,92 ****
--- 87,101 ----
  #
  #recovery_target_timeline = 'latest'
  #
+ #
+ # If pause_at_recovery_target is enabled, recovery will pause when
+ # the recovery target is reached. The pause state will continue until
+ # pg_xlog_replay_resume() is called. This setting has no effect if
+ # no recovery target is set. Hot standby must be enabled to enable
+ # pause_at_recovery_target.
+ #
+ #pause_at_recovery_target = true
+ #
  #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  # STANDBY SERVER PARAMETERS
  #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
*** a/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
--- b/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
***************
*** 5369,5374 **** readRecoveryCommandFile(void)
--- 5369,5380 ----
  							RECOVERY_COMMAND_FILE)));
  	}
  
+ 	if (!EnableHotStandby && recoveryPauseAtTarget &&
+ 		recoveryTarget != RECOVERY_TARGET_UNSET)
+ 		ereport(FATAL,
+ 				(errmsg("hot standby must be enabled to pause recovery"),
+ 				 errhint("Either turn on hot_standby, turn off pause_at_recovery_target, or unset the recovery target.")));
+ 
  	/* Enable fetching from archive recovery area */
  	InArchiveRecovery = true;