diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/executor/multi_utility.c b/src/backend/distributed/executor/multi_utility.c
index 05182dbba..c35290f4b 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/executor/multi_utility.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/executor/multi_utility.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "catalog/pg_class.h"
 #include "commands/defrem.h"
 #include "commands/tablecmds.h"
+#include "commands/prepare.h"
 #include "distributed/citus_ruleutils.h"
 #include "distributed/commit_protocol.h"
 #include "distributed/connection_cache.h"
@@ -299,6 +300,39 @@ multi_ProcessUtility(Node *parsetree,
 								 " necessary users and roles.")));
 	}
 
+	/* due to an explain-hook limitation we have to special-case EXPLAIN EXECUTE */
+	if (IsA(parsetree, ExplainStmt) && IsA(((ExplainStmt*) parsetree)->query, Query))
+	{
+		ExplainStmt *explainStmt = (ExplainStmt *) parsetree;
+		Query *query = (Query *) explainStmt->query;
+
+		if (query->commandType == CMD_UTILITY &&
+			IsA(query->utilityStmt, ExecuteStmt))
+		{
+			ListCell *queryCell;
+			ExecuteStmt *execstmt = (ExecuteStmt *) query->utilityStmt;
+			PreparedStatement *entry = FetchPreparedStatement(execstmt->name, true);
+
+			/* copied from ExplainExecuteQuery, will never trigger if you used PREPARE */
+			if (!entry->plansource->fixed_result)
+			{
+				ereport(ERROR, (errmsg("EXPLAIN EXECUTE does not support variable-result"
+									   " cached plans")));
+			}
+
+			foreach(queryCell, entry->plansource->query_list)
+			{
+				Query *query = (Query *) lfirst(queryCell);
+				explainStmt->query = (Node *) query;
+
+				standard_ProcessUtility(parsetree, query_string, context,
+									params, dest, completionTag);
+			}
+
+			return;
+		}
+	}
+
 	if (commandMustRunAsOwner)
 	{
 		GetUserIdAndSecContext(&savedUserId, &savedSecurityContext);