diff --git a/src/bin/pg_rewind/pg_rewind.c b/src/bin/pg_rewind/pg_rewind.c
index bde90bf60b..44f555b8e7 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_rewind/pg_rewind.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_rewind/pg_rewind.c
@@ -1104,7 +1104,7 @@ getRestoreCommand(const char *argv0)
 	/* add -C switch, for restore_command */
 	appendPQExpBufferStr(postgres_cmd, " -C restore_command");
 
-	restore_command = pipe_read_line(postgres_cmd->data);
+	restore_command = pipe_read_line(postgres_cmd->data, false);
 	if (restore_command == NULL)
 		pg_fatal("unable to read restore_command from target cluster");
 
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_upgrade/exec.c b/src/bin/pg_upgrade/exec.c
index 3552cf00af..2cd76f9f99 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_upgrade/exec.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_upgrade/exec.c
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ check_exec(const char *dir, const char *program, bool check_version)
 
 	snprintf(cmd, sizeof(cmd), "\"%s\" -V", path);
 
-	if ((line = pipe_read_line(cmd)) == NULL)
+	if ((line = pipe_read_line(cmd, false)) == NULL)
 		pg_fatal("check for \"%s\" failed: cannot execute",
 				 path);
 
diff --git a/src/common/exec.c b/src/common/exec.c
index da929f15b9..2f4d4264c7 100644
--- a/src/common/exec.c
+++ b/src/common/exec.c
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ find_other_exec(const char *argv0, const char *target,
 
 	snprintf(cmd, sizeof(cmd), "\"%s\" -V", retpath);
 
-	if ((line = pipe_read_line(cmd)) == NULL)
+	if ((line = pipe_read_line(cmd, false)) == NULL)
 		return -1;
 
 	if (strcmp(line, versionstr) != 0)
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ find_other_exec(const char *argv0, const char *target,
  * for freeing.
  */
 char *
-pipe_read_line(char *cmd)
+pipe_read_line(char *cmd, bool empty_ok)
 {
 	FILE	   *pipe_cmd;
 	char	   *line;
@@ -391,9 +391,9 @@ pipe_read_line(char *cmd)
 		if (ferror(pipe_cmd))
 			log_error(errcode_for_file_access(),
 					  _("could not read from command \"%s\": %m"), cmd);
-		else
-			log_error(errcode_for_file_access(),
-					  _("no data was returned by command \"%s\": %m"), cmd);
+		if (!empty_ok)
+			log_error(errcode(ERRCODE_NO_DATA),
+					  _("no data was returned by command \"%s\""), cmd);
 	}
 
 	(void) pclose_check(pipe_cmd);
diff --git a/src/include/port.h b/src/include/port.h
index ae115d2d97..20f150b3a5 100644
--- a/src/include/port.h
+++ b/src/include/port.h
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ extern int	validate_exec(const char *path);
 extern int	find_my_exec(const char *argv0, char *retpath);
 extern int	find_other_exec(const char *argv0, const char *target,
 							const char *versionstr, char *retpath);
-extern char *pipe_read_line(char *cmd);
+extern char *pipe_read_line(char *cmd, bool empty_ok);
 
 /* Doesn't belong here, but this is used with find_other_exec(), so... */
 #define PG_BACKEND_VERSIONSTR "postgres (PostgreSQL) " PG_VERSION "\n"