diff --git a/src/backend/utils/adt/misc.c b/src/backend/utils/adt/misc.c
index 4568749d23..89690be2ed 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/adt/misc.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/adt/misc.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "postgres.h"
 
 #include <sys/file.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <dirent.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <math.h>
@@ -282,6 +283,9 @@ pg_tablespace_location(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	char		sourcepath[MAXPGPATH];
 	char		targetpath[MAXPGPATH];
 	int			rllen;
+#ifndef WIN32
+	struct stat st;
+#endif
 
 	/*
 	 * It's useful to apply this function to pg_class.reltablespace, wherein
@@ -306,6 +310,31 @@ pg_tablespace_location(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	 */
 	snprintf(sourcepath, sizeof(sourcepath), "pg_tblspc/%u", tablespaceOid);
 
+	/*
+	 * Before reading the link, check if the source path is a link or a
+	 * junction point.  Note that a directory is possible for a tablespace
+	 * created with allow_in_place_tablespaces enabled.  If a directory is
+	 * found, a relative path to the data directory is returned.
+	 */
+#ifdef WIN32
+	if (!pgwin32_is_junction(sourcepath))
+		PG_RETURN_TEXT_P(cstring_to_text(sourcepath));
+#else
+	if (lstat(sourcepath, &st) < 0)
+	{
+		ereport(ERROR,
+				(errcode_for_file_access(),
+				 errmsg("could not stat file \"%s\": %m",
+						sourcepath)));
+	}
+
+	if (!S_ISLNK(st.st_mode))
+		PG_RETURN_TEXT_P(cstring_to_text(sourcepath));
+#endif
+
+	/*
+	 * In presence of a link or a junction point, return the path pointing to.
+	 */
 	rllen = readlink(sourcepath, targetpath, sizeof(targetpath));
 	if (rllen < 0)
 		ereport(ERROR,
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/tablespace.out b/src/test/regress/expected/tablespace.out
index 2dfbcfdebe..473fe8c28e 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/tablespace.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/tablespace.out
@@ -24,6 +24,15 @@ SELECT spcoptions FROM pg_tablespace WHERE spcname = 'regress_tblspacewith';
 DROP TABLESPACE regress_tblspacewith;
 -- create a tablespace we can use
 CREATE TABLESPACE regress_tblspace LOCATION '';
+-- This returns a relative path as of an effect of allow_in_place_tablespaces,
+-- masking the tablespace OID used in the path name.
+SELECT regexp_replace(pg_tablespace_location(oid), '(pg_tblspc)/(\d+)', '\1/NNN')
+  FROM pg_tablespace  WHERE spcname = 'regress_tblspace';
+ regexp_replace 
+----------------
+ pg_tblspc/NNN
+(1 row)
+
 -- try setting and resetting some properties for the new tablespace
 ALTER TABLESPACE regress_tblspace SET (random_page_cost = 1.0, seq_page_cost = 1.1);
 ALTER TABLESPACE regress_tblspace SET (some_nonexistent_parameter = true);  -- fail
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/tablespace.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/tablespace.sql
index 896f05cea3..0949a28488 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/tablespace.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/tablespace.sql
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ DROP TABLESPACE regress_tblspacewith;
 
 -- create a tablespace we can use
 CREATE TABLESPACE regress_tblspace LOCATION '';
+-- This returns a relative path as of an effect of allow_in_place_tablespaces,
+-- masking the tablespace OID used in the path name.
+SELECT regexp_replace(pg_tablespace_location(oid), '(pg_tblspc)/(\d+)', '\1/NNN')
+  FROM pg_tablespace  WHERE spcname = 'regress_tblspace';
 
 -- try setting and resetting some properties for the new tablespace
 ALTER TABLESPACE regress_tblspace SET (random_page_cost = 1.0, seq_page_cost = 1.1);
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml
index 8a802fb225..df54c5815d 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/func.sgml
@@ -23924,7 +23924,14 @@ SELECT currval(pg_get_serial_sequence('sometable', 'id'));
        </para>
        <para>
         Returns the file system path that this tablespace is located in.
-       </para></entry>
+       </para>
+       <para>
+        A full path of the symbolic link in <filename>pg_tblspc/</filename>
+        is returned. A relative path to the data directory is returned
+        for tablespaces created with
+        <xref linkend="guc-allow-in-place-tablespaces"/> enabled.
+       </para>
+       </entry>
       </row>
 
       <row>