diff --git a/src/backend/optimizer/path/pathkeys.c b/src/backend/optimizer/path/pathkeys.c
index 5aac6d66776..8be58fa2b0e 100644
--- a/src/backend/optimizer/path/pathkeys.c
+++ b/src/backend/optimizer/path/pathkeys.c
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 #include "partitioning/partbounds.h"
 #include "utils/lsyscache.h"
 
-/* Consider reordering of GROUP BY keys? */
+/* Consider reordering of GROUP BY keys */
 bool		enable_group_by_reordering = true;
 
 static bool pathkey_is_redundant(PathKey *new_pathkey, List *pathkeys);
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ pathkeys_contained_in(List *keys1, List *keys2)
  *
  * Returns the number of GROUP BY keys with a matching pathkey.
  */
-static int
+static PathKeyInfo *
 group_keys_reorder_by_pathkeys(List *pathkeys, List **group_pathkeys,
 							   List **group_clauses,
 							   int num_groupby_pathkeys)
@@ -421,7 +421,16 @@ group_keys_reorder_by_pathkeys(List *pathkeys, List **group_pathkeys,
 	*group_clauses = list_concat_unique_ptr(new_group_clauses,
 											*group_clauses);
 
-	return n;
+	if (n > 0 &&
+		(enable_incremental_sort || n == list_length(*group_pathkeys)))
+	{
+		PathKeyInfo *info = makeNode(PathKeyInfo);
+		info->pathkeys = *group_pathkeys;
+		info->clauses = *group_clauses;
+		return info;
+	}
+
+	return NULL;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -436,7 +445,7 @@ group_keys_reorder_by_pathkeys(List *pathkeys, List **group_pathkeys,
  *
  * - the original ordering, as specified by the GROUP BY clause,
  * - GROUP BY keys reordered to match 'path' ordering (as much as possible),
- * - GROUP BY keys to match target ORDER BY clause (as much as possible).
+ * - GROUP BY keys should match the target ORDER BY clause (as much as possible).
  */
 List *
 get_useful_group_keys_orderings(PlannerInfo *root, Path *path)
@@ -475,20 +484,11 @@ get_useful_group_keys_orderings(PlannerInfo *root, Path *path)
 	 */
 	if (path->pathkeys)
 	{
-		int			n;
-
-		n = group_keys_reorder_by_pathkeys(path->pathkeys, &pathkeys, &clauses,
+		info = group_keys_reorder_by_pathkeys(path->pathkeys, &pathkeys, &clauses,
 										   root->num_groupby_pathkeys);
 
-		if (n > 0 &&
-			(enable_incremental_sort || n == list_length(path->pathkeys)))
-		{
-			info = makeNode(PathKeyInfo);
-			info->pathkeys = pathkeys;
-			info->clauses = clauses;
-
+		if (info)
 			infos = lappend(infos, info);
-		}
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -497,21 +497,12 @@ get_useful_group_keys_orderings(PlannerInfo *root, Path *path)
 	 */
 	if (root->sort_pathkeys)
 	{
-		int			n;
-
-		n = group_keys_reorder_by_pathkeys(root->sort_pathkeys, &pathkeys,
+		info = group_keys_reorder_by_pathkeys(root->sort_pathkeys, &pathkeys,
 										   &clauses,
 										   root->num_groupby_pathkeys);
 
-		if (n > 0 &&
-			(enable_incremental_sort || n == list_length(path->pathkeys)))
-		{
-			info = makeNode(PathKeyInfo);
-			info->pathkeys = pathkeys;
-			info->clauses = clauses;
-
+		if (info)
 			infos = lappend(infos, info);
-		}
 	}
 
 	return infos;
@@ -2163,27 +2154,26 @@ truncate_useless_pathkeys(PlannerInfo *root,
 						  RelOptInfo *rel,
 						  List *pathkeys)
 {
-	int			nuseful;
-	int			nuseful2;
+	int			nuseful_pathkeys;
+	int			nuseful_alternative;
+
+	nuseful_pathkeys = pathkeys_useful_for_merging(root, rel, pathkeys);
 
-	nuseful = pathkeys_useful_for_merging(root, rel, pathkeys);
-	nuseful2 = pathkeys_useful_for_ordering(root, pathkeys);
-	if (nuseful2 > nuseful)
-		nuseful = nuseful2;
-	nuseful2 = pathkeys_useful_for_grouping(root, pathkeys);
-	if (nuseful2 > nuseful)
-		nuseful = nuseful2;
+	if((nuseful_alternative = pathkeys_useful_for_ordering(root, pathkeys)) > nuseful_pathkeys)
+		nuseful_pathkeys = nuseful_alternative;
+	if ((nuseful_alternative = pathkeys_useful_for_grouping(root, pathkeys)) > nuseful_pathkeys)
+		nuseful_pathkeys = nuseful_alternative;
 
 	/*
 	 * Note: not safe to modify input list destructively, but we can avoid
 	 * copying the list if we're not actually going to change it
 	 */
-	if (nuseful == 0)
+	if (nuseful_pathkeys == 0)
 		return NIL;
-	else if (nuseful == list_length(pathkeys))
+	else if (nuseful_pathkeys == list_length(pathkeys))
 		return pathkeys;
 	else
-		return list_copy_head(pathkeys, nuseful);
+		return list_copy_head(pathkeys, nuseful_pathkeys);
 }
 
 /*