diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/planner/deparse_shard_query.c b/src/backend/distributed/planner/deparse_shard_query.c
index 8eef8f297..d0c830643 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/planner/deparse_shard_query.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/planner/deparse_shard_query.c
@@ -515,6 +515,8 @@ TaskQueryStringAtIndex(Task *task, int index)
 }
 
 
+static char *plan_msg = "Task query optimized away";
+
 /*
  * TaskQueryString generates task query string text if missing.
  *
@@ -542,6 +544,10 @@ TaskQueryString(Task *task)
 	{
 		return task->taskQuery.data.queryStringLazy;
 	}
+	else if (taskQueryType == TASK_QUERY_LOCAL_PLAN)
+	{
+		return plan_msg;
+	}
 
 	Query *jobQueryReferenceForLazyDeparsing =
 		task->taskQuery.data.jobQueryReferenceForLazyDeparsing;
diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/planner/distributed_planner.c b/src/backend/distributed/planner/distributed_planner.c
index 07dc4afc2..14affdb92 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/planner/distributed_planner.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/planner/distributed_planner.c
@@ -1299,8 +1299,6 @@ CreateFastPathDistributedPlan(DistributedPlanningContext *planContext)
 	Query *originalQuery = planContext->originalQuery;
 	Query *query = planContext->query;
 	ParamListInfo boundParams = planContext->boundParams;
-	PlannerRestrictionContext *plannerRestrictionContext =
-		planContext->plannerRestrictionContext;
 
 	bool hasUnresolvedParams = false;
 	if (HasUnresolvedExternParamsWalker((Node *) originalQuery,
@@ -1533,7 +1531,7 @@ GetDistributedPlan(CustomScan *customScan)
 	Node *node = (Node *) linitial(customScan->custom_private);
 	Assert(CitusIsA(node, DistributedPlan));
 
-	/* CheckNodeCopyAndSerialization(node); commented out for local perf profiling */
+	CheckNodeCopyAndSerialization(node);
 
 	DistributedPlan *distributedPlan = (DistributedPlan *) node;
 
diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/planner/fast_path_router_planner.c b/src/backend/distributed/planner/fast_path_router_planner.c
index 3d9c1cecb..f6a7969af 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/planner/fast_path_router_planner.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/planner/fast_path_router_planner.c
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 
 #include "pg_version_constants.h"
 
+#include "distributed/citus_clauses.h"
 #include "distributed/distributed_planner.h"
 #include "distributed/insert_select_planner.h"
 #include "distributed/metadata_cache.h"
@@ -171,7 +172,7 @@ FastPathRouterQuery(Query *query, const char *query_string,
 	FromExpr *joinTree = query->jointree;
 	Node *quals = NULL;
 	bool isFastPath = false;
-	bool isDistributedTable = false;
+	bool canAvoidDeparse = false;
 	Node *distributionKeyValue = NULL;
 	RangeTblEntry *rangeTableEntry = NULL;
 
@@ -206,7 +207,7 @@ FastPathRouterQuery(Query *query, const char *query_string,
 	{
 		/* we don't need to do any further checks, all INSERTs are fast-path */
 		isFastPath = true;
-		isDistributedTable = true;
+		canAvoidDeparse = true;
 		goto returnFastPath;
 	}
 
@@ -238,18 +239,21 @@ FastPathRouterQuery(Query *query, const char *query_string,
 	Var *distributionKey = PartitionColumn(distributedTableId, 1);
 	if (!distributionKey)
 	{
-		isDistributedTable = IsCitusTableTypeCacheEntry(cacheEntry,
-														SINGLE_SHARD_DISTRIBUTED) ||
-							 IsCitusTableTypeCacheEntry(cacheEntry, REFERENCE_TABLE);
+		canAvoidDeparse = IsCitusTableTypeCacheEntry(cacheEntry,
+													 SINGLE_SHARD_DISTRIBUTED) ||
+
+		                  /*(IsCitusTableTypeCacheEntry(cacheEntry, REFERENCE_TABLE) */
+		                  /* && (query->commandType == CMD_SELECT)) || */
+						  false;
 		isFastPath = true;
 	}
 
 	if (!isFastPath)
 	{
-		isDistributedTable = IsCitusTableTypeCacheEntry(cacheEntry, DISTRIBUTED_TABLE);
+		canAvoidDeparse = IsCitusTableTypeCacheEntry(cacheEntry, DISTRIBUTED_TABLE);
 
 		if (joinTree == NULL ||
-			(joinTree->quals == NULL && !isDistributedTable))
+			(joinTree->quals == NULL && !canAvoidDeparse))
 		{
 			/* no quals, not a fast path query */
 			return false;
@@ -300,9 +304,12 @@ returnFastPath:
 
 		if (EnableSingShardFastPathPOC)
 		{
-			Assert(rangeTableEntry != NULL);
+			Assert(rangeTableEntry != NULL || query->commandType == CMD_INSERT);
 			fastPathContext->distTableRte = rangeTableEntry;
-			fastPathContext->delayFastPathPlanning = isDistributedTable;
+			canAvoidDeparse = canAvoidDeparse &&
+							  !FindNodeMatchingCheckFunction((Node *) query,
+															 CitusIsVolatileFunction);
+			fastPathContext->delayFastPathPlanning = canAvoidDeparse;
 
 			/* If the dist key is parameterized the query will use the plan cache (todo: verify) */
 			fastPathContext->clientQueryString = query_string;
diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/planner/multi_router_planner.c b/src/backend/distributed/planner/multi_router_planner.c
index d8fb2c4ea..bfb3682ec 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/planner/multi_router_planner.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/planner/multi_router_planner.c
@@ -243,14 +243,13 @@ CreateFastPathRouterPlan(DistributedPlanningContext *planContext)
 												planContext->boundParams);
 		}
 
-		if (distributedPlan->planningError == NULL)
-		{
-			distributedPlan->workerJob = job;
-			distributedPlan->combineQuery = NULL;
-			distributedPlan->expectResults = is_select || query->returningList != NIL;
-			distributedPlan->targetRelationId = is_select ? InvalidOid :
-												ResultRelationOidForQuery(query);
-		}
+		distributedPlan->workerJob = job;
+		distributedPlan->combineQuery = NULL;
+		distributedPlan->expectResults = is_select || query->returningList != NIL;
+		distributedPlan->targetRelationId = is_select ? InvalidOid :
+											ResultRelationOidForQuery(query);
+
+		ereport(DEBUG2, (errmsg("Creating router plan")));
 
 		/* todo: handle the case where planningError is not NULL */
 	}
@@ -2052,6 +2051,9 @@ RouterJobFastPath(DistributedPlanningContext *planContext,
 	Assert(!isMultiShardQuery);
 	Assert(list_length(shardIntervals) == 1);
 
+	ereport(DEBUG2, (errmsg("Distributed planning for a fast-path router "
+							"query")));
+
 	List *relationShards = RelationShardListForShardIntervalList(shardIntervals,
 																 &shardsPresent);
 	Assert(shardsPresent);
@@ -2064,12 +2066,13 @@ RouterJobFastPath(DistributedPlanningContext *planContext,
 		fastPathContext->distTableRte->relid);
 	Assert(cacheEntry != NULL);
 	Assert(cacheEntry->relationId == shard->relationId);
-	Assert(IsCitusTableTypeCacheEntry(cacheEntry, DISTRIBUTED_TABLE));
 
 	List *taskPlacementList = CreateTaskPlacementListForShardIntervals(shardIntervals,
-																	   true, false,
+																	   shardsPresent,
+																	   true,
 																	   false);
-	Assert(list_length(taskPlacementList) == 1);
+
+	/* Assert(list_length(taskPlacementList) == 1); // not the case for reference tables */
 	ShardPlacement *primaryPlacement =
 		(ShardPlacement *) linitial(taskPlacementList);
 	Assert(primaryPlacement->shardId == shardId);
diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/utils/citus_copyfuncs.c b/src/backend/distributed/utils/citus_copyfuncs.c
index 1c40c5755..e834c1470 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/utils/citus_copyfuncs.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/utils/citus_copyfuncs.c
@@ -289,9 +289,7 @@ CopyTaskQuery(Task *newnode, Task *from)
 
 		case TASK_QUERY_LOCAL_PLAN:
 		{
-			/*COPY_NODE_FIELD(taskQuery.data.localPlan); */
-			/* This is a local planned statement, so shallow copy is enough */
-			COPY_SCALAR_FIELD(taskQuery.data.localPlan);
+			COPY_NODE_FIELD(taskQuery.data.localPlan);
 			break;
 		}