diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/metadata/metadata_sync.c b/src/backend/distributed/metadata/metadata_sync.c
index 1c0920841..8f1e38be1 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/metadata/metadata_sync.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/metadata/metadata_sync.c
@@ -1263,24 +1263,28 @@ DetachPartitionCommandList(void)
 
 /*
  * SyncMetadataToNodes tries recreating the metadata snapshot in the
- * metadata workers that are out of sync. Returns false if synchronization
- * to at least one of the workers fails.
+ * metadata workers that are out of sync. Returns the result of
+ * synchronization.
  */
-bool
+MetadataSyncResult
 SyncMetadataToNodes(void)
 {
 	List *workerList = NIL;
 	ListCell *workerCell = NULL;
-	bool result = true;
+	MetadataSyncResult result = METADATA_SYNC_SUCCESS;
 
 	if (!IsCoordinator())
 	{
-		return true;
+		return METADATA_SYNC_SUCCESS;
 	}
 
-	LockRelationOid(DistNodeRelationId(), ExclusiveLock);
+	if (!ConditionalLockRelationOid(DistNodeRelationId(), AccessShareLock))
+	{
+		return METADATA_SYNC_FAILED_LOCK;
+	}
 
 	workerList = ActivePrimaryNodeList(NoLock);
+
 	foreach(workerCell, workerList)
 	{
 		WorkerNode *workerNode = lfirst(workerCell);
@@ -1288,9 +1292,20 @@ SyncMetadataToNodes(void)
 		if (workerNode->hasMetadata && !workerNode->metadataSynced)
 		{
 			bool raiseInterrupts = false;
-			if (!SyncMetadataSnapshotToNode(workerNode, raiseInterrupts))
+
+			/*
+			 * Request a RowExclusiveLock so we don't run concurrently with other
+			 * functions updating pg_dist_node, but allow concurrency with functions
+			 * which are just reading from pg_dist_node.
+			 */
+			if (!ConditionalLockRelationOid(DistNodeRelationId(), RowExclusiveLock))
 			{
-				result = false;
+				result = METADATA_SYNC_FAILED_LOCK;
+				break;
+			}
+			else if (!SyncMetadataSnapshotToNode(workerNode, raiseInterrupts))
+			{
+				result = METADATA_SYNC_FAILED_SYNC;
 			}
 			else
 			{
diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/utils/maintenanced.c b/src/backend/distributed/utils/maintenanced.c
index 9b640c5d7..6edcb324e 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/utils/maintenanced.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/utils/maintenanced.c
@@ -388,8 +388,17 @@ CitusMaintenanceDaemonMain(Datum main_arg)
 			}
 			else if (CheckCitusVersion(DEBUG1) && CitusHasBeenLoaded())
 			{
-				metadataSyncFailed = !SyncMetadataToNodes();
-				Async_Notify(METADATA_SYNC_CHANNEL, NULL);
+				MetadataSyncResult result = SyncMetadataToNodes();
+				metadataSyncFailed = (result != METADATA_SYNC_SUCCESS);
+
+				/*
+				 * Notification means we had an attempt on synchronization
+				 * without being blocked for pg_dist_node access.
+				 */
+				if (result != METADATA_SYNC_FAILED_LOCK)
+				{
+					Async_Notify(METADATA_SYNC_CHANNEL, NULL);
+				}
 			}
 
 			PopActiveSnapshot();
diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/utils/node_metadata.c b/src/backend/distributed/utils/node_metadata.c
index 325fef9df..d91fc4f89 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/utils/node_metadata.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/utils/node_metadata.c
@@ -1633,6 +1633,11 @@ UnsetMetadataSyncedForAll(void)
 	HeapTuple heapTuple = NULL;
 	TupleDesc tupleDescriptor = NULL;
 
+	/*
+	 * Concurrent master_update_node() calls might iterate and try to update
+	 * pg_dist_node in different orders. To protect against deadlock, we
+	 * get an exclusive lock here.
+	 */
 	relation = heap_open(DistNodeRelationId(), ExclusiveLock);
 	tupleDescriptor = RelationGetDescr(relation);
 	ScanKeyInit(&scanKey[0], Anum_pg_dist_node_hasmetadata,
diff --git a/src/include/distributed/metadata_sync.h b/src/include/distributed/metadata_sync.h
index aaf79d8b1..3284cf5e2 100644
--- a/src/include/distributed/metadata_sync.h
+++ b/src/include/distributed/metadata_sync.h
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@
 extern int MetadataSyncInterval;
 extern int MetadataSyncRetryInterval;
 
+typedef enum
+{
+	METADATA_SYNC_SUCCESS = 0,
+	METADATA_SYNC_FAILED_LOCK = 1,
+	METADATA_SYNC_FAILED_SYNC = 2
+} MetadataSyncResult;
+
 /* Functions declarations for metadata syncing */
 extern void StartMetadatSyncToNode(char *nodeNameString, int32 nodePort);
 extern bool ClusterHasKnownMetadataWorkers(void);
@@ -43,7 +50,7 @@ extern char * PlacementUpsertCommand(uint64 shardId, uint64 placementId, int sha
 extern void CreateTableMetadataOnWorkers(Oid relationId);
 extern void MarkNodeHasMetadata(char *nodeName, int32 nodePort, bool hasMetadata);
 extern void MarkNodeMetadataSynced(char *nodeName, int32 nodePort, bool synced);
-extern bool SyncMetadataToNodes(void);
+extern MetadataSyncResult SyncMetadataToNodes(void);
 extern bool SendOptionalCommandListToWorkerInTransaction(char *nodeName, int32 nodePort,
 														 char *nodeUser,
 														 List *commandList);
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/distributed_functions.out b/src/test/regress/expected/distributed_functions.out
index 41ba05440..7942bf846 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/distributed_functions.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/distributed_functions.out
@@ -13,6 +13,19 @@ CREATE SCHEMA function_tests AUTHORIZATION functionuser;
 CREATE SCHEMA function_tests2 AUTHORIZATION functionuser;
 SET search_path TO function_tests;
 SET citus.shard_count TO 4;
+-- set sync intervals to less than 15s so wait_until_metadata_sync never times out
+ALTER SYSTEM SET citus.metadata_sync_interval TO 3000;
+ALTER SYSTEM SET citus.metadata_sync_retry_interval TO 500;
+SELECT pg_reload_conf();
+ pg_reload_conf 
+----------------
+ t
+(1 row)
+
+CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION wait_until_metadata_sync(timeout INTEGER DEFAULT 15000)
+    RETURNS void
+    LANGUAGE C STRICT
+    AS 'citus';
 -- Create and distribute a simple function
 CREATE FUNCTION add(integer, integer) RETURNS integer
     AS 'select $1 + $2;'
@@ -564,6 +577,13 @@ SET citus.shard_count TO 55;
 SELECT create_distributed_function('add_with_param_names(int, int)', 'val1');
 ERROR:  cannot distribute the function "add_with_param_names" since there is no table to colocate with
 HINT:  Provide a distributed table via "colocate_with" option to create_distributed_function()
+-- sync metadata to workers for consistent results when clearing objects
+SELECT wait_until_metadata_sync();
+ wait_until_metadata_sync 
+--------------------------
+ 
+(1 row)
+
 -- clear objects
 SELECT stop_metadata_sync_to_node(nodename,nodeport) FROM pg_dist_node WHERE isactive AND noderole = 'primary';
  stop_metadata_sync_to_node 
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/distributed_functions.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/distributed_functions.sql
index b22f8fc10..65b592b3b 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/distributed_functions.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/distributed_functions.sql
@@ -9,6 +9,16 @@ CREATE SCHEMA function_tests2 AUTHORIZATION functionuser;
 SET search_path TO function_tests;
 SET citus.shard_count TO 4;
 
+-- set sync intervals to less than 15s so wait_until_metadata_sync never times out
+ALTER SYSTEM SET citus.metadata_sync_interval TO 3000;
+ALTER SYSTEM SET citus.metadata_sync_retry_interval TO 500;
+SELECT pg_reload_conf();
+
+CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION wait_until_metadata_sync(timeout INTEGER DEFAULT 15000)
+    RETURNS void
+    LANGUAGE C STRICT
+    AS 'citus';
+
 -- Create and distribute a simple function
 CREATE FUNCTION add(integer, integer) RETURNS integer
     AS 'select $1 + $2;'
@@ -292,6 +302,9 @@ SELECT create_distributed_function('add_polygons(polygon,polygon)', '$1', coloca
 SET citus.shard_count TO 55;
 SELECT create_distributed_function('add_with_param_names(int, int)', 'val1');
 
+-- sync metadata to workers for consistent results when clearing objects
+SELECT wait_until_metadata_sync();
+
 -- clear objects
 SELECT stop_metadata_sync_to_node(nodename,nodeport) FROM pg_dist_node WHERE isactive AND noderole = 'primary';