diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/commands/multi_copy.c b/src/backend/distributed/commands/multi_copy.c
index 2cbe3cce9..c1c05d4d0 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/commands/multi_copy.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/commands/multi_copy.c
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ static ShardInterval * SearchCachedShardInterval(Datum partitionColumnValue,
 												 ShardInterval **shardIntervalCache,
 												 int shardCount,
 												 FmgrInfo *compareFunction);
-static void OpenShardConnections(CopyStmt *copyStatement,
+static void OpenCopyTransactions(CopyStmt *copyStatement,
 								 ShardConnections *shardConnections,
 								 int64 shardId);
 static StringInfo ConstructCopyStatement(CopyStmt *copyStatement, int64 shardId);
@@ -481,7 +481,11 @@ CitusCopyFrom(CopyStmt *copyStatement, char *completionTag)
 																&found);
 			if (!found)
 			{
-				OpenShardConnections(copyStatement, shardConnections, shardId);
+				/* intialize COPY transactions on shard placements */
+				shardConnections->shardId = shardId;
+				shardConnections->connectionList = NIL;
+
+				OpenCopyTransactions(copyStatement, shardConnections, shardId);
 			}
 
 			/* get the (truncated) line buffer */
@@ -508,7 +512,6 @@ CitusCopyFrom(CopyStmt *copyStatement, char *completionTag)
 	PG_CATCH();
 	{
 		EndCopyFrom(copyState);
-		heap_close(rel, AccessShareLock);
 
 		/* roll back all transactions */
 		connectionList = ConnectionList(shardConnectionHash);
@@ -521,21 +524,11 @@ CitusCopyFrom(CopyStmt *copyStatement, char *completionTag)
 	PG_END_TRY();
 
 	EndCopyFrom(copyState);
-	heap_close(rel, AccessShareLock);
+	heap_close(rel, NoLock);
 
 	error_context_stack = errorCallback.previous;
 
-	if (QueryCancelPending)
-	{
-		AbortTransactions(connectionList);
-		ereport(ERROR, (errcode(ERRCODE_QUERY_CANCELED),
-						errmsg("canceling statement due to user request")));
-	}
-	else
-	{
-		CommitTransactions(connectionList);
-	}
-
+	CommitTransactions(connectionList);
 	CloseConnections(connectionList);
 
 	if (completionTag != NULL)
@@ -561,7 +554,7 @@ CreateShardConnectionHash(void)
 	info.entrysize = sizeof(ShardConnections);
 	info.hash = tag_hash;
 
-	shardConnectionsHash = hash_create("shardConnectionHash",
+	shardConnectionsHash = hash_create("Shard Connections Hash",
 									   INITIAL_CONNECTION_CACHE_SIZE, &info,
 									   HASH_ELEM | HASH_FUNCTION);
 
@@ -739,12 +732,13 @@ SearchCachedShardInterval(Datum partitionColumnValue, ShardInterval **shardInter
 
 
 /*
- * OpenShardConnections opens a connection for each placement of a shard. If a
- * connection cannot be opened, the shard placement is marked as inactive and
- * the COPY continues with the remaining shard placements.
+ * OpenCopyTransactions opens a connection for each placement of a shard and
+ * starts a COPY transaction. If a connection cannot be opened, then the shard
+ * placement is marked as inactive and the COPY continues with the remaining
+ * shard placements.
  */
 static void
-OpenShardConnections(CopyStmt *copyStatement, ShardConnections *shardConnections,
+OpenCopyTransactions(CopyStmt *copyStatement, ShardConnections *shardConnections,
 					 int64 shardId)
 {
 	List *finalizedPlacementList = NIL;
@@ -816,7 +810,6 @@ OpenShardConnections(CopyStmt *copyStatement, ShardConnections *shardConnections
 								failedPlacement->nodeName, failedPlacement->nodePort);
 	}
 
-	shardConnections->shardId = shardId;
 	shardConnections->connectionList = connectionList;
 }
 
@@ -966,14 +959,8 @@ ConnectionList(HTAB *connectionHash)
 	shardConnections = (ShardConnections *) hash_seq_search(&status);
 	while (shardConnections != NULL)
 	{
-		ListCell *connectionCell = NULL;
-		foreach(connectionCell, shardConnections->connectionList)
-		{
-			TransactionConnection *transactionConnection =
-				(TransactionConnection *) lfirst(connectionCell);
-
-			connectionList = lappend(connectionList, transactionConnection);
-		}
+		List *shardConnectionsList = list_copy(shardConnections->connectionList);
+		connectionList = list_concat(connectionList, shardConnectionsList);
 
 		shardConnections = (ShardConnections *) hash_seq_search(&status);
 	}
@@ -985,7 +972,7 @@ ConnectionList(HTAB *connectionHash)
 /*
  * EndRemoteCopy ends the COPY input on all connections. If stopOnFailure
  * is true, then EndRemoteCopy reports an error on failure, otherwise it
- * reports a warning.
+ * reports a warning or continues.
  */
 static void
 EndRemoteCopy(List *connectionList, bool stopOnFailure)