diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/planner/distributed_planner.c b/src/backend/distributed/planner/distributed_planner.c
index e9d17582b..ce006ebcd 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/planner/distributed_planner.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/planner/distributed_planner.c
@@ -573,6 +573,7 @@ CreateDistributedPlan(uint64 planId, Query *originalQuery, Query *query, ParamLi
 	DistributedPlan *distributedPlan = NULL;
 	MultiTreeRoot *logicalPlan = NULL;
 	List *subPlanList = NIL;
+	bool hasCtes = originalQuery->cteList != NIL;
 
 	if (IsModifyCommand(originalQuery))
 	{
@@ -670,8 +671,13 @@ CreateDistributedPlan(uint64 planId, Query *originalQuery, Query *query, ParamLi
 	 * We could simplify this code if the logical planner was capable of dealing
 	 * with an original query. In that case, we would only have to filter the
 	 * planner restriction context.
+	 *
+	 * Note that we check both for subplans and whether the query had CTEs
+	 * prior to calling GenerateSubplansForSubqueriesAndCTEs. If none of
+	 * the CTEs are referenced then there are no subplans, but we still want
+	 * to retry the router planner.
 	 */
-	if (list_length(subPlanList) > 0)
+	if (list_length(subPlanList) > 0 || hasCtes)
 	{
 		Query *newQuery = copyObject(originalQuery);
 		bool setPartitionedTablesInherited = false;
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/dml_recursive.out b/src/test/regress/expected/dml_recursive.out
index e79e5a1c3..ca02f9ef5 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/dml_recursive.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/dml_recursive.out
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 CREATE SCHEMA recursive_dml_queries;
 SET search_path TO recursive_dml_queries, public;
+SET citus.next_shard_id TO 2370000;
 CREATE TABLE recursive_dml_queries.distributed_table (tenant_id text, dept int, info jsonb);
 SELECT create_distributed_table('distributed_table', 'tenant_id');
  create_distributed_table 
@@ -274,8 +275,7 @@ DEBUG:  subqueries are not supported within INSERT queries
 HINT:  Try rewriting your queries with 'INSERT INTO ... SELECT' syntax.
 ERROR:  subqueries are not supported within INSERT queries
 HINT:  Try rewriting your queries with 'INSERT INTO ... SELECT' syntax.
--- we error out of the CTE is not referenced
--- by any part of the query (e.g., cte2 is not referenced)
+-- DML with an unreferenced SELECT CTE
 WITH cte_1 AS (
     WITH cte_2 AS (
         SELECT tenant_id as cte2_id 
@@ -294,7 +294,49 @@ WHERE distributed_table.tenant_id < cte_1.tenant_id;
 DEBUG:  common table expressions are not supported in distributed modifications
 DEBUG:  generating subplan 20_1 for CTE cte_1: WITH cte_2 AS (SELECT second_distributed_table.tenant_id AS cte2_id FROM recursive_dml_queries.second_distributed_table WHERE (second_distributed_table.dept >= 2)) UPDATE recursive_dml_queries.distributed_table SET dept = 10 RETURNING tenant_id, dept, info
 DEBUG:  common table expressions are not supported in distributed modifications
-ERROR:  common table expressions are not supported in distributed modifications
+DEBUG:  Plan 20 query after replacing subqueries and CTEs: UPDATE recursive_dml_queries.distributed_table SET dept = 5 FROM (SELECT intermediate_result.tenant_id, intermediate_result.dept, intermediate_result.info FROM read_intermediate_result('20_1'::text, 'binary'::citus_copy_format) intermediate_result(tenant_id text, dept integer, info jsonb)) cte_1 WHERE (distributed_table.tenant_id < cte_1.tenant_id)
+EXPLAIN (COSTS FALSE) WITH cte_1 AS (
+    WITH cte_2 AS (
+        SELECT tenant_id as cte2_id 
+        FROM second_distributed_table 
+        WHERE dept >= 2
+    )
+    
+    UPDATE distributed_table 
+    SET dept = 10
+    RETURNING *
+)
+UPDATE distributed_table
+SET dept = 5
+FROM cte_1
+WHERE distributed_table.tenant_id < cte_1.tenant_id;
+DEBUG:  common table expressions are not supported in distributed modifications
+DEBUG:  generating subplan 22_1 for CTE cte_1: WITH cte_2 AS (SELECT second_distributed_table.tenant_id AS cte2_id FROM recursive_dml_queries.second_distributed_table WHERE (second_distributed_table.dept >= 2)) UPDATE recursive_dml_queries.distributed_table SET dept = 10 RETURNING tenant_id, dept, info
+DEBUG:  common table expressions are not supported in distributed modifications
+DEBUG:  Plan 22 query after replacing subqueries and CTEs: UPDATE recursive_dml_queries.distributed_table SET dept = 5 FROM (SELECT intermediate_result.tenant_id, intermediate_result.dept, intermediate_result.info FROM read_intermediate_result('22_1'::text, 'binary'::citus_copy_format) intermediate_result(tenant_id text, dept integer, info jsonb)) cte_1 WHERE (distributed_table.tenant_id < cte_1.tenant_id)
+                                           QUERY PLAN                                           
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ Custom Scan (Citus Router)
+   ->  Distributed Subplan 22_1
+         ->  Custom Scan (Citus Router)
+               Task Count: 4
+               Tasks Shown: One of 4
+               ->  Task
+                     Node: host=localhost port=57638 dbname=regression
+                     ->  Update on distributed_table_2370000 distributed_table
+                           ->  Seq Scan on distributed_table_2370000 distributed_table
+   Task Count: 4
+   Tasks Shown: One of 4
+   ->  Task
+         Node: host=localhost port=57638 dbname=regression
+         ->  Update on distributed_table_2370000 distributed_table
+               ->  Nested Loop
+                     Join Filter: (distributed_table.tenant_id < intermediate_result.tenant_id)
+                     ->  Function Scan on read_intermediate_result intermediate_result
+                     ->  Materialize
+                           ->  Seq Scan on distributed_table_2370000 distributed_table
+(19 rows)
+
 -- we don't support updating local table with a join with
 -- distributed tables
 UPDATE 
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/dml_recursive.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/dml_recursive.sql
index e04b1ef6b..f44195a84 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/dml_recursive.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/dml_recursive.sql
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 CREATE SCHEMA recursive_dml_queries;
 SET search_path TO recursive_dml_queries, public;
+SET citus.next_shard_id TO 2370000;
 
 CREATE TABLE recursive_dml_queries.distributed_table (tenant_id text, dept int, info jsonb);
 SELECT create_distributed_table('distributed_table', 'tenant_id');
@@ -216,8 +217,7 @@ INSERT INTO
 	second_distributed_table (tenant_id, dept) 
 VALUES ('3', (SELECT 3));
 
--- we error out of the CTE is not referenced
--- by any part of the query (e.g., cte2 is not referenced)
+-- DML with an unreferenced SELECT CTE
 WITH cte_1 AS (
     WITH cte_2 AS (
         SELECT tenant_id as cte2_id 
@@ -234,6 +234,22 @@ SET dept = 5
 FROM cte_1
 WHERE distributed_table.tenant_id < cte_1.tenant_id;
 
+EXPLAIN (COSTS FALSE) WITH cte_1 AS (
+    WITH cte_2 AS (
+        SELECT tenant_id as cte2_id 
+        FROM second_distributed_table 
+        WHERE dept >= 2
+    )
+    
+    UPDATE distributed_table 
+    SET dept = 10
+    RETURNING *
+)
+UPDATE distributed_table
+SET dept = 5
+FROM cte_1
+WHERE distributed_table.tenant_id < cte_1.tenant_id;
+
 -- we don't support updating local table with a join with
 -- distributed tables
 UPDATE