diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/commands/multi_copy.c b/src/backend/distributed/commands/multi_copy.c
index 86dc282b0..e647f2a43 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/commands/multi_copy.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/commands/multi_copy.c
@@ -3507,12 +3507,18 @@ CopyGetPlacementConnection(HTAB *connectionStateHash, ShardPlacement *placement,
 	 */
 	ShardPlacementAccess *placementAccess = CreatePlacementAccess(placement,
 																  PLACEMENT_ACCESS_DML);
-	MultiConnection *connection = GetConnectionIfPlacementAccessedInXact(connectionFlags,
-																		 list_make1(
-																			 placementAccess),
-																		 NULL);
+	MultiConnection *connection =
+		GetConnectionIfPlacementAccessedInXact(connectionFlags,
+											   list_make1(placementAccess), NULL);
 	if (connection != NULL)
 	{
+		/*
+		 * Errors are supposed to cause immediate aborts (i.e. we don't
+		 * want to/can't invalidate placements), mark the connection as
+		 * critical so later errors cause failures.
+		 */
+		MarkRemoteTransactionCritical(connection);
+
 		return connection;
 	}
 
@@ -3547,7 +3553,21 @@ CopyGetPlacementConnection(HTAB *connectionStateHash, ShardPlacement *placement,
 	if (placement->partitionMethod == DISTRIBUTE_BY_HASH &&
 		MultiShardConnectionType != SEQUENTIAL_CONNECTION)
 	{
-		connectionFlags |= CONNECTION_PER_PLACEMENT;
+		/*
+		 * Claiming the connection exclusively (done below) would also have the
+		 * effect of opening multiple connections, but claiming the connection
+		 * exclusively prevents GetConnectionIfPlacementAccessedInXact from returning
+		 * the connection if it is needed for a different shard placement.
+		 *
+		 * By setting the REQUIRE_CLEAN_CONNECTION flag we are guaranteed to get
+		 * connection that will not be returned by GetConnectionIfPlacementAccessedInXact
+		 * for the remainder of the COPY, hence it safe to claim the connection
+		 * exclusively. Claiming a connection exclusively prevents it from being
+		 * used in other distributed queries that happen during the COPY (e.g. if
+		 * the copy logic calls a function to calculate a default value, and the
+		 * function does a distributed query).
+		 */
+		connectionFlags |= REQUIRE_CLEAN_CONNECTION;
 	}
 
 	connection = GetPlacementConnection(connectionFlags, placement, nodeUser);
diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/connection/placement_connection.c b/src/backend/distributed/connection/placement_connection.c
index 756f3089a..5cfd25e39 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/connection/placement_connection.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/connection/placement_connection.c
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ StartPlacementListConnection(uint32 flags, List *placementAccessList,
 		Assert((flags & OPTIONAL_CONNECTION) == 0);
 		Assert(chosenConnection != NULL);
 
-		if ((flags & CONNECTION_PER_PLACEMENT) &&
+		if ((flags & REQUIRE_CLEAN_CONNECTION) &&
 			ConnectionAccessedDifferentPlacement(chosenConnection, placement))
 		{
 			/*
diff --git a/src/include/distributed/connection_management.h b/src/include/distributed/connection_management.h
index 21043bfb0..875baee96 100644
--- a/src/include/distributed/connection_management.h
+++ b/src/include/distributed/connection_management.h
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ enum MultiConnectionMode
 
 	FOR_DML = 1 << 2,
 
-	/* open a connection per (co-located set of) placement(s) */
-	CONNECTION_PER_PLACEMENT = 1 << 3,
+	/* connection must not have accessed any non-co-located placements */
+	REQUIRE_CLEAN_CONNECTION = 1 << 3,
 
 	OUTSIDE_TRANSACTION = 1 << 4,