diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/commands/create_distributed_table.c b/src/backend/distributed/commands/create_distributed_table.c
index 7c229cc55..224abc7cc 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/commands/create_distributed_table.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/commands/create_distributed_table.c
@@ -133,7 +133,13 @@ master_create_distributed_table(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	 * sense of this table until we've committed, and we don't want multiple
 	 * backends manipulating this relation.
 	 */
-	relation = relation_open(relationId, ExclusiveLock);
+	relation = try_relation_open(relationId, ExclusiveLock);
+
+	if (relation == NULL)
+	{
+		ereport(ERROR, (errmsg("could not create distributed table: "
+							   "relation does not exist")));
+	}
 
 	/*
 	 * We should do this check here since the codes in the following lines rely
@@ -191,7 +197,13 @@ create_distributed_table(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	 * sense of this table until we've committed, and we don't want multiple
 	 * backends manipulating this relation.
 	 */
-	relation = relation_open(relationId, ExclusiveLock);
+	relation = try_relation_open(relationId, ExclusiveLock);
+
+	if (relation == NULL)
+	{
+		ereport(ERROR, (errmsg("could not create distributed table: "
+							   "relation does not exist")));
+	}
 
 	/*
 	 * We should do this check here since the codes in the following lines rely
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/isolation_drop_vs_all.out b/src/test/regress/expected/isolation_drop_vs_all.out
index 4857572e1..66b09721b 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/isolation_drop_vs_all.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/isolation_drop_vs_all.out
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ step s1-drop: DROP TABLE drop_hash;
 step s2-distribute-table: SELECT create_distributed_table('drop_hash', 'id'); <waiting ...>
 step s1-commit: COMMIT;
 step s2-distribute-table: <... completed>
-error in steps s1-commit s2-distribute-table: ERROR:  could not open relation with OID 23249
+error in steps s1-commit s2-distribute-table: ERROR:  could not create distributed table: relation does not exist
 step s2-commit: COMMIT;
 step s1-select-count: SELECT COUNT(*) FROM drop_hash;
 ERROR:  relation "drop_hash" does not exist
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/isolation_drop_vs_all_0.out b/src/test/regress/expected/isolation_drop_vs_all_0.out
index c2ff87489..66b09721b 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/isolation_drop_vs_all_0.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/isolation_drop_vs_all_0.out
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ step s1-drop: DROP TABLE drop_hash;
 step s2-distribute-table: SELECT create_distributed_table('drop_hash', 'id'); <waiting ...>
 step s1-commit: COMMIT;
 step s2-distribute-table: <... completed>
-error in steps s1-commit s2-distribute-table: ERROR:  could not open relation with OID 22205
+error in steps s1-commit s2-distribute-table: ERROR:  could not create distributed table: relation does not exist
 step s2-commit: COMMIT;
 step s1-select-count: SELECT COUNT(*) FROM drop_hash;
 ERROR:  relation "drop_hash" does not exist