diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/metadata/metadata_cache.c b/src/backend/distributed/metadata/metadata_cache.c
index 79cc61092..f6cfe5136 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/metadata/metadata_cache.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/metadata/metadata_cache.c
@@ -1308,6 +1308,39 @@ LookupNodeForGroup(int32 groupId)
 }
 
 
+/*
+ * ShardPlacementListViaCatalog returns the list of placements for the given shard from
+ * the cache.
+ *
+ * This function is intended for DROP operations can potentially drop placements, and
+ * therefore invalidate caches for placements. We continue accessing caches for worker
+ * nodes, and expect that they will not get invalidated by a concurrent process.
+ */
+List *
+ShardPlacementListViaCatalog(uint64 shardId)
+{
+	List *groupShardPlacementList = BuildShardPlacementList(shardId);
+	List *shardPlacementList = NIL;
+
+	GroupShardPlacement *groupShardPlacement = NULL;
+	foreach_ptr(groupShardPlacement, groupShardPlacementList)
+	{
+		WorkerNode *worker = LookupNodeForGroup(groupShardPlacement->groupId);
+		ShardPlacement *placement = CitusMakeNode(ShardPlacement);
+		placement->shardId = groupShardPlacement->shardId;
+		placement->shardLength = groupShardPlacement->shardLength;
+		placement->nodeId = worker->nodeId;
+		placement->nodeName = pstrdup(worker->workerName);
+		placement->nodePort = worker->workerPort;
+		placement->placementId = groupShardPlacement->placementId;
+
+		shardPlacementList = lappend(shardPlacementList, placement);
+	}
+
+	return SortList(shardPlacementList, CompareShardPlacements);
+}
+
+
 /*
  * ShardPlacementList returns the list of placements for the given shard from
  * the cache.
diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/metadata/metadata_utility.c b/src/backend/distributed/metadata/metadata_utility.c
index 0c3dbbda3..1cddf55f0 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/metadata/metadata_utility.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/metadata/metadata_utility.c
@@ -1550,7 +1550,7 @@ ActiveShardPlacementListOnGroup(uint64 shardId, int32 groupId)
 
 /*
  * ActiveShardPlacementList finds shard placements for the given shardId from
- * system catalogs, chooses placements that are in active state, and returns
+ * metadata cache, chooses placements that are in active state, and returns
  * these shard placements in a new list.
  */
 List *
diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/operations/delete_protocol.c b/src/backend/distributed/operations/delete_protocol.c
index d73b74720..0ba78aa2c 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/operations/delete_protocol.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/operations/delete_protocol.c
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ DropTaskList(Oid relationId, char *schemaName, char *relationName,
 		task->dependentTaskList = NULL;
 		task->replicationModel = REPLICATION_MODEL_INVALID;
 		task->anchorShardId = shardId;
-		task->taskPlacementList = ShardPlacementList(shardId);
+		task->taskPlacementList = ShardPlacementListViaCatalog(shardId);
 
 		taskList = lappend(taskList, task);
 	}
diff --git a/src/include/distributed/metadata_cache.h b/src/include/distributed/metadata_cache.h
index f1120497b..d44f9627e 100644
--- a/src/include/distributed/metadata_cache.h
+++ b/src/include/distributed/metadata_cache.h
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ extern int32 GetLocalNodeId(void);
 extern void CitusTableCacheFlushInvalidatedEntries(void);
 extern Oid LookupShardRelationFromCatalog(int64 shardId, bool missing_ok);
 extern List * ShardPlacementList(uint64 shardId);
+extern List * ShardPlacementListViaCatalog(uint64 shardId);
 extern void CitusInvalidateRelcacheByRelid(Oid relationId);
 extern void CitusInvalidateRelcacheByShardId(int64 shardId);
 extern void InvalidateForeignKeyGraph(void);
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/distributed_types.out b/src/test/regress/expected/distributed_types.out
index 703614d61..143d1f046 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/distributed_types.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/distributed_types.out
@@ -605,6 +605,22 @@ DETAIL:  "type temp_type" will be created only locally
 CREATE TYPE pg_temp.temp_enum AS ENUM ('one', 'two', 'three');
 WARNING:  "type temp_enum" has dependency on unsupported object "schema pg_temp_xxx"
 DETAIL:  "type temp_enum" will be created only locally
+-- check that dropping a schema that has a type used in a distribution column does not fail
+CREATE SCHEMA schema_with_custom_distribution_type;
+SET search_path TO schema_with_custom_distribution_type;
+CREATE TYPE my_type AS (int_field int);
+CREATE TABLE tbl (a schema_with_custom_distribution_type.my_type);
+SELECT create_distributed_table('tbl', 'a');
+ create_distributed_table
+---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+(1 row)
+
+drop schema schema_with_custom_distribution_type cascade;
+NOTICE:  drop cascades to 2 other objects
+DETAIL:  drop cascades to type my_type
+drop cascades to table tbl
+SET search_path TO type_tests;
 -- clear objects
 SET client_min_messages TO error; -- suppress cascading objects dropping
 DROP SCHEMA type_tests CASCADE;
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/distributed_types.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/distributed_types.sql
index 205faf9c7..d2325f2f7 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/distributed_types.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/distributed_types.sql
@@ -361,6 +361,19 @@ SELECT create_distributed_table('table_text_local_def','id');
 CREATE TYPE pg_temp.temp_type AS (int_field int);
 CREATE TYPE pg_temp.temp_enum AS ENUM ('one', 'two', 'three');
 
+-- check that dropping a schema that has a type used in a distribution column does not fail
+
+CREATE SCHEMA schema_with_custom_distribution_type;
+SET search_path TO schema_with_custom_distribution_type;
+
+CREATE TYPE my_type AS (int_field int);
+CREATE TABLE tbl (a schema_with_custom_distribution_type.my_type);
+SELECT create_distributed_table('tbl', 'a');
+
+drop schema schema_with_custom_distribution_type cascade;
+
+SET search_path TO type_tests;
+
 -- clear objects
 SET client_min_messages TO error; -- suppress cascading objects dropping
 DROP SCHEMA type_tests CASCADE;