diff --git a/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c b/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
index ff2ba13ef0b1b9c2266735d441aaae27fec1d07a..8ea5c18758814f0944a2cd43d169622b4d979b05 100644
--- a/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
+++ b/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
  *
  *
  * IDENTIFICATION
- *	  $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c,v 1.591 2009/08/28 17:42:54 tgl Exp $
+ *	  $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c,v 1.592 2009/08/28 18:23:53 tgl Exp $
  *
  * NOTES
  *
@@ -3353,7 +3353,6 @@ BackendRun(Port *port)
 	int			ac;
 	long		secs;
 	int			usecs;
-	char		protobuf[32];
 	int			i;
 
 	/*
@@ -3397,10 +3396,6 @@ BackendRun(Port *port)
 	 */
 	split_opts(av, &ac, ExtraOptions);
 
-	/* Tell the backend what protocol the frontend is using. */
-	snprintf(protobuf, sizeof(protobuf), "-v%u", port->proto);
-	av[ac++] = protobuf;
-
 	/*
 	 * Tell the backend it is being called from the postmaster, and which
 	 * database to use.  -y marks the end of secure switches.
diff --git a/src/backend/tcop/postgres.c b/src/backend/tcop/postgres.c
index 42e7f79f70fcb176df063c63fecfb21d5ded1d7d..79e5aa94204bdd41093dccbc9e1347ff0010939d 100644
--- a/src/backend/tcop/postgres.c
+++ b/src/backend/tcop/postgres.c
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
  *
  *
  * IDENTIFICATION
- *	  $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/tcop/postgres.c,v 1.569 2009/07/31 20:26:23 tgl Exp $
+ *	  $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/tcop/postgres.c,v 1.570 2009/08/28 18:23:53 tgl Exp $
  *
  * NOTES
  *	  this is the "main" module of the postgres backend and
@@ -3075,6 +3075,13 @@ PostgresMain(int argc, char *argv[], const char *username)
 				}
 
 			case 'v':
+				/*
+				 * -v is no longer used in normal operation, since
+				 * FrontendProtocol is already set before we get here.
+				 * We keep the switch only for possible use in standalone
+				 * operation, in case we ever support using normal FE/BE
+				 * protocol with a standalone backend.
+				 */
 				if (secure)
 					FrontendProtocol = (ProtocolVersion) atoi(optarg);
 				break;
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/init/globals.c b/src/backend/utils/init/globals.c
index 6073e0709ac11e3ace7128dd47d82f8b0a275102..e4f5dfa5849088736c8f91a0ca12a5ae2e58ee81 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/init/globals.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/init/globals.c
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
  *
  *
  * IDENTIFICATION
- *	  $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/utils/init/globals.c,v 1.108 2009/05/05 19:59:00 tgl Exp $
+ *	  $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/utils/init/globals.c,v 1.109 2009/08/28 18:23:53 tgl Exp $
  *
  * NOTES
  *	  Globals used all over the place should be declared here and not
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #include "storage/backendid.h"
 
 
-ProtocolVersion FrontendProtocol = PG_PROTOCOL_LATEST;
+ProtocolVersion FrontendProtocol;
 
 volatile bool InterruptPending = false;
 volatile bool QueryCancelPending = false;