diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/bgworker.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/bgworker.sgml
index 4699ef6345f..2affba74382 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/bgworker.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/bgworker.sgml
@@ -232,6 +232,8 @@ typedef struct BackgroundWorker
   </para>
 
   <para>
+   A well-behaved background worker must react promptly to standard signals
+   that the postmaster uses to control its child processes.
    Signals are initially blocked when control reaches the
    background worker's main function, and must be unblocked by it; this is to
    allow the process to customize its signal handlers, if necessary.
@@ -240,6 +242,14 @@ typedef struct BackgroundWorker
    <function>BackgroundWorkerBlockSignals</function>.
   </para>
 
+  <para>
+   The default signal handlers merely set interrupt flags
+   that are processed later by <function>CHECK_FOR_INTERRUPTS()</function>.
+   <function>CHECK_FOR_INTERRUPTS()</function> should be called in any
+   long-running loop to ensure that the background worker doesn't prevent the
+   system from shutting down in a timely fashion.
+  </para>
+
   <para>
    If <structfield>bgw_restart_time</structfield> for a background worker is
    configured as <literal>BGW_NEVER_RESTART</literal>, or if it exits with an exit
diff --git a/src/backend/access/transam/parallel.c b/src/backend/access/transam/parallel.c
index fe00488487d..44786dc131f 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/transam/parallel.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/transam/parallel.c
@@ -1327,7 +1327,6 @@ ParallelWorkerMain(Datum main_arg)
 	InitializingParallelWorker = true;
 
 	/* Establish signal handlers. */
-	pqsignal(SIGTERM, die);
 	BackgroundWorkerUnblockSignals();
 
 	/* Determine and set our parallel worker number. */
diff --git a/src/backend/postmaster/bgworker.c b/src/backend/postmaster/bgworker.c
index 261ccd3f59c..8678ea4e139 100644
--- a/src/backend/postmaster/bgworker.c
+++ b/src/backend/postmaster/bgworker.c
@@ -718,20 +718,6 @@ SanityCheckBackgroundWorker(BackgroundWorker *worker, int elevel)
 	return true;
 }
 
-/*
- * Standard SIGTERM handler for background workers
- */
-static void
-bgworker_die(SIGNAL_ARGS)
-{
-	sigprocmask(SIG_SETMASK, &BlockSig, NULL);
-
-	ereport(FATAL,
-			(errcode(ERRCODE_ADMIN_SHUTDOWN),
-			 errmsg("terminating background worker \"%s\" due to administrator command",
-					MyBgworkerEntry->bgw_type)));
-}
-
 /*
  * Main entry point for background worker processes.
  */
@@ -787,7 +773,7 @@ BackgroundWorkerMain(const void *startup_data, size_t startup_data_len)
 		pqsignal(SIGUSR1, SIG_IGN);
 		pqsignal(SIGFPE, SIG_IGN);
 	}
-	pqsignal(SIGTERM, bgworker_die);
+	pqsignal(SIGTERM, die);
 	/* SIGQUIT handler was already set up by InitPostmasterChild */
 	pqsignal(SIGHUP, SIG_IGN);
 
diff --git a/src/backend/replication/logical/applyparallelworker.c b/src/backend/replication/logical/applyparallelworker.c
index 8a01f16a2ca..1730ace5490 100644
--- a/src/backend/replication/logical/applyparallelworker.c
+++ b/src/backend/replication/logical/applyparallelworker.c
@@ -879,7 +879,6 @@ ParallelApplyWorkerMain(Datum main_arg)
 	 * receiving SIGTERM.
 	 */
 	pqsignal(SIGHUP, SignalHandlerForConfigReload);
-	pqsignal(SIGTERM, die);
 	pqsignal(SIGUSR2, SignalHandlerForShutdownRequest);
 	BackgroundWorkerUnblockSignals();
 
diff --git a/src/backend/replication/logical/launcher.c b/src/backend/replication/logical/launcher.c
index 3ed86480be2..e6112e11ec2 100644
--- a/src/backend/replication/logical/launcher.c
+++ b/src/backend/replication/logical/launcher.c
@@ -1213,7 +1213,6 @@ ApplyLauncherMain(Datum main_arg)
 
 	/* Establish signal handlers. */
 	pqsignal(SIGHUP, SignalHandlerForConfigReload);
-	pqsignal(SIGTERM, die);
 	BackgroundWorkerUnblockSignals();
 
 	/*
diff --git a/src/backend/replication/logical/worker.c b/src/backend/replication/logical/worker.c
index 8b93f48470c..f179d081846 100644
--- a/src/backend/replication/logical/worker.c
+++ b/src/backend/replication/logical/worker.c
@@ -5890,7 +5890,6 @@ SetupApplyOrSyncWorker(int worker_slot)
 
 	/* Setup signal handling */
 	pqsignal(SIGHUP, SignalHandlerForConfigReload);
-	pqsignal(SIGTERM, die);
 	BackgroundWorkerUnblockSignals();
 
 	/*
diff --git a/src/test/modules/test_shm_mq/worker.c b/src/test/modules/test_shm_mq/worker.c
index 368e4f3f234..6a4147554bb 100644
--- a/src/test/modules/test_shm_mq/worker.c
+++ b/src/test/modules/test_shm_mq/worker.c
@@ -54,13 +54,7 @@ test_shm_mq_main(Datum main_arg)
 	int			myworkernumber;
 	PGPROC	   *registrant;
 
-	/*
-	 * Establish signal handlers.
-	 *
-	 * We want CHECK_FOR_INTERRUPTS() to kill off this worker process just as
-	 * it would a normal user backend.  To make that happen, we use die().
-	 */
-	pqsignal(SIGTERM, die);
+	/* Unblock signals.  The standard signal handlers are OK for us. */
 	BackgroundWorkerUnblockSignals();
 
 	/*