*** a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc-file.l
--- b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc-file.l
***************
*** 103,109 **** STRING          \'([^'\\\n]|\\.|\'\')*\'
  void
  ProcessConfigFile(GucContext context)
  {
! 	int			elevel;
  	ConfigVariable *item,
  				   *head,
  				   *tail;
--- 103,110 ----
  void
  ProcessConfigFile(GucContext context)
  {
! 	int			elevel,
! 				errorcount;
  	ConfigVariable *item,
  				   *head,
  				   *tail;
***************
*** 127,132 **** ProcessConfigFile(GucContext context)
--- 128,134 ----
  
  	/* Parse the file into a list of option names and values */
  	head = tail = NULL;
+ 	errorcount = 0;
  
  	if (!ParseConfigFile(ConfigFileName, NULL, 0, elevel, &head, &tail))
  		goto cleanup_list;
***************
*** 145,151 **** ProcessConfigFile(GucContext context)
  	{
  		cvc = guc_strdup(elevel, cvc_struct->reset_val);
  		if (cvc == NULL)
! 			goto cleanup_list;
  	}
  	else if (head != NULL &&
  			 guc_name_compare(head->name, "custom_variable_classes") == 0)
--- 147,153 ----
  	{
  		cvc = guc_strdup(elevel, cvc_struct->reset_val);
  		if (cvc == NULL)
! 			errorcount++;
  	}
  	else if (head != NULL &&
  			 guc_name_compare(head->name, "custom_variable_classes") == 0)
***************
*** 162,168 **** ProcessConfigFile(GucContext context)
  					(errcode(ERRCODE_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE),
  					 errmsg("invalid value for parameter \"%s\": \"%s\"",
  							head->name, head->value)));
! 			goto cleanup_list;
  		}
  	}
  
--- 164,170 ----
  					(errcode(ERRCODE_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE),
  					 errmsg("invalid value for parameter \"%s\": \"%s\"",
  							head->name, head->value)));
! 			errorcount++;
  		}
  	}
  
***************
*** 201,207 **** ProcessConfigFile(GucContext context)
  						(errcode(ERRCODE_UNDEFINED_OBJECT),
  						 errmsg("unrecognized configuration parameter \"%s\"",
  								item->name)));
! 				goto cleanup_list;
  			}
  			/*
  			 * 2. There is no GUC entry.  If we called set_config_option then
--- 203,209 ----
  						(errcode(ERRCODE_UNDEFINED_OBJECT),
  						 errmsg("unrecognized configuration parameter \"%s\"",
  								item->name)));
! 				errorcount++;
  			}
  			/*
  			 * 2. There is no GUC entry.  If we called set_config_option then
***************
*** 221,228 **** ProcessConfigFile(GucContext context)
  
  		if (!set_config_option(item->name, item->value, context,
  							   PGC_S_FILE, GUC_ACTION_SET, false))
! 			goto cleanup_list;
  	}
  
  	/*
  	 * Check for variables having been removed from the config file, and
--- 223,239 ----
  
  		if (!set_config_option(item->name, item->value, context,
  							   PGC_S_FILE, GUC_ACTION_SET, false))
! 			errorcount++;
! 			
! 		/* avoid excessive bloat of the log file */	
! 		if (IsUnderPostmaster || errorcount >= 100 )
! 			break;
  	}
+ 	
+ 	/* Don't change configuration options if errors were detected earlier */
+ 	if (errorcount > 0)
+ 		goto cleanup_list;
+ 	
  
  	/*
  	 * Check for variables having been removed from the config file, and
***************
*** 294,300 **** ProcessConfigFile(GucContext context)
  		set_config_option("client_encoding", envvar, PGC_POSTMASTER,
  						  PGC_S_ENV_VAR, GUC_ACTION_SET, true);
  
! 
  	/* If we got here all the options checked out okay, so apply them. */
  	for (item = head; item; item = item->next)
  	{
--- 305,311 ----
  		set_config_option("client_encoding", envvar, PGC_POSTMASTER,
  						  PGC_S_ENV_VAR, GUC_ACTION_SET, true);
  
! 	
  	/* If we got here all the options checked out okay, so apply them. */
  	for (item = head; item; item = item->next)
  	{
***************
*** 354,360 **** ParseConfigFile(const char *config_file, const char *calling_file,
  				ConfigVariable **head_p,
  				ConfigVariable **tail_p)
  {
! 	bool		OK = true;
  	FILE	   *fp;
  	char		abs_path[MAXPGPATH];
  
--- 365,371 ----
  				ConfigVariable **head_p,
  				ConfigVariable **tail_p)
  {
! 	bool		ok = true;
  	FILE	   *fp;
  	char		abs_path[MAXPGPATH];
  
***************
*** 407,417 **** ParseConfigFile(const char *config_file, const char *calling_file,
  		return false;
  	}
  
! 	OK = ParseConfigFp(fp, config_file, depth, elevel, head_p, tail_p);
  
  	FreeFile(fp);
  
! 	return OK;
  }
  
  /*
--- 418,428 ----
  		return false;
  	}
  
! 	ok = ParseConfigFp(fp, config_file, depth, elevel, head_p, tail_p);
  
  	FreeFile(fp);
  
! 	return ok;
  }
  
  /*
***************
*** 444,452 **** bool
  ParseConfigFp(FILE *fp, const char *config_file, int depth, int elevel,
  			  ConfigVariable **head_p, ConfigVariable **tail_p)
  {
- 	bool		OK = true;
  	YY_BUFFER_STATE lex_buffer;
! 	int			token;
  
  	/*
  	 * Parse
--- 455,463 ----
  ParseConfigFp(FILE *fp, const char *config_file, int depth, int elevel,
  			  ConfigVariable **head_p, ConfigVariable **tail_p)
  {
  	YY_BUFFER_STATE lex_buffer;
! 	int			token,
! 				errorcount;
  
  	/*
  	 * Parse
***************
*** 455,460 **** ParseConfigFp(FILE *fp, const char *config_file, int depth, int elevel,
--- 466,472 ----
  	yy_switch_to_buffer(lex_buffer);
  
  	ConfigFileLineno = 1;
+ 	errorcount = 0;
  
  	/* This loop iterates once per logical line */
  	while ((token = yylex()))
***************
*** 512,519 **** ParseConfigFp(FILE *fp, const char *config_file, int depth, int elevel,
  			{
  				pfree(opt_name);
  				pfree(opt_value);
! 				OK = false;
! 				goto cleanup_exit;
  			}
  			yy_switch_to_buffer(lex_buffer);
  			ConfigFileLineno = save_ConfigFileLineno;
--- 524,530 ----
  			{
  				pfree(opt_name);
  				pfree(opt_value);
! 				goto parse_error;
  			}
  			yy_switch_to_buffer(lex_buffer);
  			ConfigFileLineno = save_ConfigFileLineno;
***************
*** 573,599 **** ParseConfigFp(FILE *fp, const char *config_file, int depth, int elevel,
  		/* break out of loop if read EOF, else loop for next line */
  		if (token == 0)
  			break;
  	}
  
  	/* successful completion of parsing */
- 	goto cleanup_exit;
- 
-  parse_error:
- 	if (token == GUC_EOL || token == 0)
- 		ereport(elevel,
- 				(errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
- 				 errmsg("syntax error in file \"%s\" line %u, near end of line",
- 						config_file, ConfigFileLineno - 1)));
- 	else
- 		ereport(elevel,
- 				(errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
- 				 errmsg("syntax error in file \"%s\" line %u, near token \"%s\"",
- 						config_file, ConfigFileLineno, yytext)));
- 	OK = false;
- 
- cleanup_exit:
  	yy_delete_buffer(lex_buffer);
! 	return OK;
  }
  
  
--- 584,613 ----
  		/* break out of loop if read EOF, else loop for next line */
  		if (token == 0)
  			break;
+ 
+ 		/* skip over parse_error if we made it this far without error */ 
+ 		continue;
+ 	
+  	parse_error:
+ 		if (token == GUC_EOL || token == 0)
+ 			ereport(elevel,
+ 					(errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
+ 					 errmsg("syntax error in file \"%s\" line %u, near end of line",
+ 							config_file, ConfigFileLineno - 1)));
+ 		else
+ 			ereport(elevel,
+ 					(errcode(ERRCODE_SYNTAX_ERROR),
+ 					 errmsg("syntax error in file \"%s\" line %u, near token \"%s\"",
+ 							config_file, ConfigFileLineno, yytext)));
+ 		errorcount++;
+ 		/* avoid excessive bloat of the log file */
+ 		if (IsUnderPostmaster || errorcount >= 100)
+ 			break;
  	}
  
  	/* successful completion of parsing */
  	yy_delete_buffer(lex_buffer);
! 	return (errorcount == 0);
  }