diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/datatype.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/datatype.sgml
index 3017c674040..d8d91678e86 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/datatype.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/datatype.sgml
@@ -4439,6 +4439,17 @@ a0ee-bc99-9c0b-4ef8-bb6d-6bb9-bd38-0a11
     Output is always in the standard form.
    </para>
 
+   <para>
+    It is possible to cast <type>uuid</type> values to and from type
+    <type>bytea</type>. This is useful for using functions such as
+    <function>encode()</function> and <function>decode()</function>
+    with UUID values. For example:
+<programlisting>
+encode('1ea3d64c-bc40-4cc3-84bb-6b11ee31e5c2'::uuid::bytea, 'base64')
+decode('HqPWTLxATMOEu2sR7jHlwg==', 'base64')::uuid
+</programlisting>
+   </para>
+
    <para>
     See <xref linkend="functions-uuid"/> for how to generate a UUID in
     <productname>PostgreSQL</productname>.
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/adt/bytea.c b/src/backend/utils/adt/bytea.c
index fd7662d41ee..39ed04ddae8 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/adt/bytea.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/adt/bytea.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "utils/guc.h"
 #include "utils/memutils.h"
 #include "utils/sortsupport.h"
+#include "utils/uuid.h"
 #include "varatt.h"
 
 /* GUC variable */
@@ -1340,3 +1341,29 @@ int8_bytea(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 {
 	return int8send(fcinfo);
 }
+
+/* Cast bytea -> uuid */
+Datum
+bytea_uuid(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
+{
+	bytea	   *v = PG_GETARG_BYTEA_PP(0);
+	int			len = VARSIZE_ANY_EXHDR(v);
+	pg_uuid_t  *uuid;
+
+	if (len != UUID_LEN)
+		ereport(ERROR,
+				(errcode(ERRCODE_INVALID_BINARY_REPRESENTATION),
+				 errmsg("invalid input length for type %s", "uuid"),
+				 errdetail("Expected %d bytes, got %d.", UUID_LEN, len)));
+
+	uuid = palloc_object(pg_uuid_t);
+	memcpy(uuid->data, VARDATA_ANY(v), UUID_LEN);
+	PG_RETURN_UUID_P(uuid);
+}
+
+/* Cast uuid -> bytea; can just use uuid_send() */
+Datum
+uuid_bytea(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
+{
+	return uuid_send(fcinfo);
+}
diff --git a/src/include/catalog/catversion.h b/src/include/catalog/catversion.h
index 55a8fbbd509..fd8472cb5a5 100644
--- a/src/include/catalog/catversion.h
+++ b/src/include/catalog/catversion.h
@@ -57,6 +57,6 @@
  */
 
 /*							yyyymmddN */
-#define CATALOG_VERSION_NO	202603171
+#define CATALOG_VERSION_NO	202603191
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/include/catalog/pg_cast.dat b/src/include/catalog/pg_cast.dat
index 9b1cfb1b590..a7b6d812c5a 100644
--- a/src/include/catalog/pg_cast.dat
+++ b/src/include/catalog/pg_cast.dat
@@ -362,6 +362,12 @@
 { castsource => 'bytea', casttarget => 'int8', castfunc => 'int8(bytea)',
   castcontext => 'e', castmethod => 'f' },
 
+# Allow explicit coercions between bytea and uuid type
+{ castsource => 'bytea', casttarget => 'uuid', castfunc => 'uuid(bytea)',
+  castcontext => 'e', castmethod => 'f' },
+{ castsource => 'uuid', casttarget => 'bytea', castfunc => 'bytea(uuid)',
+  castcontext => 'e', castmethod => 'f' },
+
 # Allow explicit coercions between int4 and "char"
 { castsource => 'char', casttarget => 'int4', castfunc => 'int4(char)',
   castcontext => 'e', castmethod => 'f' },
diff --git a/src/include/catalog/pg_proc.dat b/src/include/catalog/pg_proc.dat
index fc8d82665b8..84e7adde0e5 100644
--- a/src/include/catalog/pg_proc.dat
+++ b/src/include/catalog/pg_proc.dat
@@ -1208,6 +1208,13 @@
   proname => 'int8', prorettype => 'int8', proargtypes => 'bytea',
   prosrc => 'bytea_int8' },
 
+{ oid => '9880', descr => 'convert uuid to bytea',
+  proname => 'bytea', prorettype => 'bytea', proargtypes => 'uuid',
+  prosrc => 'uuid_bytea' },
+{ oid => '9881', descr => 'convert bytea to uuid',
+  proname => 'uuid', prorettype => 'uuid', proargtypes => 'bytea',
+  prosrc => 'bytea_uuid' },
+
 { oid => '449', descr => 'hash',
   proname => 'hashint2', prorettype => 'int4', proargtypes => 'int2',
   prosrc => 'hashint2' },
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/uuid.out b/src/test/regress/expected/uuid.out
index 95392003b86..d157ef7d0b3 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/uuid.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/uuid.out
@@ -305,5 +305,27 @@ SELECT uuid_extract_timestamp('11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111');  -- null
  
 (1 row)
 
+-- casts
+SELECT '5b35380a-7143-4912-9b55-f322699c6770'::uuid::bytea;
+               bytea                
+------------------------------------
+ \x5b35380a714349129b55f322699c6770
+(1 row)
+
+SELECT '\x019a2f859ced7225b99d9c55044a2563'::bytea::uuid;
+                 uuid                 
+--------------------------------------
+ 019a2f85-9ced-7225-b99d-9c55044a2563
+(1 row)
+
+SELECT '\x1234567890abcdef'::bytea::uuid; -- error
+ERROR:  invalid input length for type uuid
+DETAIL:  Expected 16 bytes, got 8.
+SELECT v = v::bytea::uuid as matched FROM gen_random_uuid() v;
+ matched 
+---------
+ t
+(1 row)
+
 -- clean up
 DROP TABLE guid1, guid2, guid3 CASCADE;
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/uuid.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/uuid.sql
index 465153a0341..f512f4dea1d 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/uuid.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/uuid.sql
@@ -146,6 +146,11 @@ SELECT uuid_extract_timestamp('017F22E2-79B0-7CC3-98C4-DC0C0C07398F') = 'Tuesday
 SELECT uuid_extract_timestamp(gen_random_uuid());  -- null
 SELECT uuid_extract_timestamp('11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111');  -- null
 
+-- casts
+SELECT '5b35380a-7143-4912-9b55-f322699c6770'::uuid::bytea;
+SELECT '\x019a2f859ced7225b99d9c55044a2563'::bytea::uuid;
+SELECT '\x1234567890abcdef'::bytea::uuid; -- error
+SELECT v = v::bytea::uuid as matched FROM gen_random_uuid() v;
 
 -- clean up
 DROP TABLE guid1, guid2, guid3 CASCADE;