diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/transaction/backend_data.c b/src/backend/distributed/transaction/backend_data.c
index e3c46149a..b1ec86013 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/transaction/backend_data.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/transaction/backend_data.c
@@ -89,6 +89,12 @@ assign_distributed_transaction_id(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 		ereport(ERROR, (errmsg("backend is not ready for distributed transactions")));
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Note that we don't need to lock shared memory (i.e., LockBackendSharedMemory()) here
+	 * since this function is executed after AssignDistributedTransactionId() issued on the
+	 * initiator node, which already takes the required lock to enforce the consistency.
+	 */
+
 	SpinLockAcquire(&MyBackendData->mutex);
 
 	/* if an id is already assigned, release the lock and error */
@@ -236,8 +242,8 @@ get_all_active_transactions(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	memset(values, 0, sizeof(values));
 	memset(isNulls, false, sizeof(isNulls));
 
-	/* we're reading all the backend data, take a lock to prevent concurrent additions */
-	LWLockAcquire(AddinShmemInitLock, LW_SHARED);
+	/* we're reading all distributed transactions, prevent new backends */
+	LockBackendSharedMemory(LW_SHARED);
 
 	for (backendIndex = 0; backendIndex < MaxBackends; ++backendIndex)
 	{
@@ -272,7 +278,7 @@ get_all_active_transactions(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 		memset(isNulls, false, sizeof(isNulls));
 	}
 
-	LWLockRelease(AddinShmemInitLock);
+	UnlockBackendSharedMemory();
 
 	/* clean up and return the tuplestore */
 	tuplestore_donestoring(tupleStore);
@@ -400,6 +406,8 @@ InitializeBackendData(void)
 
 	Assert(MyBackendData);
 
+	LockBackendSharedMemory(LW_EXCLUSIVE);
+
 	SpinLockAcquire(&MyBackendData->mutex);
 
 	MyBackendData->databaseId = MyDatabaseId;
@@ -408,6 +416,8 @@ InitializeBackendData(void)
 	MyBackendData->transactionId.timestamp = 0;
 
 	SpinLockRelease(&MyBackendData->mutex);
+
+	UnlockBackendSharedMemory();
 }
 
 
@@ -433,6 +443,35 @@ UnSetDistributedTransactionId(void)
 }
 
 
+/*
+ * LockBackendSharedMemory is a simple wrapper around LWLockAcquire on the
+ * shared memory lock.
+ *
+ * We use the backend shared memory lock for preventing new backends to be part
+ * of a new distributed transaction or an existing backend to leave a distributed
+ * transaction while we're reading the all backends' data.
+ *
+ * The primary goal is to provide consistent view of the current distributed
+ * transactions while doing the deadlock detection.
+ */
+void
+LockBackendSharedMemory(LWLockMode lockMode)
+{
+	LWLockAcquire(&backendManagementShmemData->lock, lockMode);
+}
+
+
+/*
+ * UnlockBackendSharedMemory is a simple wrapper around LWLockRelease on the
+ * shared memory lock.
+ */
+void
+UnlockBackendSharedMemory(void)
+{
+	LWLockRelease(&backendManagementShmemData->lock);
+}
+
+
 /*
  * GetCurrentDistributedTransactionId reads the backend's distributed transaction id and
  * returns a copy of it.
diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/transaction/lock_graph.c b/src/backend/distributed/transaction/lock_graph.c
index 9a790c0d4..e2090061d 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/transaction/lock_graph.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/transaction/lock_graph.c
@@ -503,12 +503,17 @@ BuildWaitGraphForSourceNode(int sourceNodeId)
 /*
  * LockLockData takes locks the shared lock data structure, which prevents
  * concurrent lock acquisitions/releases.
+ *
+ * The function also acquires lock on the backend shared memory to prevent
+ * new backends to start.
  */
 static void
 LockLockData(void)
 {
 	int partitionNum = 0;
 
+	LockBackendSharedMemory(LW_SHARED);
+
 	for (partitionNum = 0; partitionNum < NUM_LOCK_PARTITIONS; partitionNum++)
 	{
 		LWLockAcquire(LockHashPartitionLockByIndex(partitionNum), LW_SHARED);
@@ -520,6 +525,9 @@ LockLockData(void)
  * UnlockLockData unlocks the locks on the shared lock data structure in reverse
  * order since LWLockRelease searches the given lock from the end of the
  * held_lwlocks array.
+ *
+ * The function also releases the shared memory lock to allow new backends to
+ * start.
  */
 static void
 UnlockLockData(void)
@@ -530,6 +538,8 @@ UnlockLockData(void)
 	{
 		LWLockRelease(LockHashPartitionLockByIndex(partitionNum));
 	}
+
+	UnlockBackendSharedMemory();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/include/distributed/backend_data.h b/src/include/distributed/backend_data.h
index f5020c16d..d6d984a15 100644
--- a/src/include/distributed/backend_data.h
+++ b/src/include/distributed/backend_data.h
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ typedef struct BackendData
 
 extern void InitializeBackendManagement(void);
 extern void InitializeBackendData(void);
+extern void LockBackendSharedMemory(LWLockMode lockMode);
+extern void UnlockBackendSharedMemory(void);
 extern void UnSetDistributedTransactionId(void);
 extern void AssignDistributedTransactionId(void);
 extern void GetBackendDataForProc(PGPROC *proc, BackendData *result);