diff --git a/src/backend/access/heap/heapam.c b/src/backend/access/heap/heapam.c
index 9498cbb..ccce409 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/heap/heapam.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/heap/heapam.c
@@ -1309,6 +1309,9 @@ heap_beginscan_internal(Relation relation, Snapshot snapshot,
 {
 	HeapScanDesc scan;
 
+	if (mvcc_catalog_access && snapshot == SnapshotNow)
+		snapshot = GetLatestSnapshot();
+
 	/*
 	 * increment relation ref count while scanning relation
 	 *
diff --git a/src/backend/access/index/indexam.c b/src/backend/access/index/indexam.c
index b878155..67c0cff 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/index/indexam.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/index/indexam.c
@@ -242,6 +242,9 @@ index_beginscan(Relation heapRelation,
 {
 	IndexScanDesc scan;
 
+	if (mvcc_catalog_access && snapshot == SnapshotNow)
+		snapshot = GetLatestSnapshot();
+
 	scan = index_beginscan_internal(indexRelation, nkeys, norderbys, snapshot);
 
 	/*
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
index 22ba35f..fb3c295 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@
 #include "utils/portal.h"
 #include "utils/ps_status.h"
 #include "utils/snapmgr.h"
+#include "utils/tqual.h"
 #include "utils/tzparser.h"
 #include "utils/xml.h"
 
@@ -1455,6 +1456,16 @@ static struct config_bool ConfigureNamesBool[] =
 		NULL, NULL, NULL
 	},
 
+	{
+		{"mvcc_catalog_access", PGC_USERSET, DEVELOPER_OPTIONS,
+			gettext_noop("Use MVCC catalog access."),
+			NULL,
+		},
+		&mvcc_catalog_access,
+		false,
+		NULL, NULL, NULL
+	},
+
 	/* End-of-list marker */
 	{
 		{NULL, 0, 0, NULL, NULL}, NULL, false, NULL, NULL, NULL
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/time/tqual.c b/src/backend/utils/time/tqual.c
index 24384b4..7ecdbee 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/time/tqual.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/time/tqual.c
@@ -73,6 +73,9 @@ SnapshotData SnapshotSelfData = {HeapTupleSatisfiesSelf};
 SnapshotData SnapshotAnyData = {HeapTupleSatisfiesAny};
 SnapshotData SnapshotToastData = {HeapTupleSatisfiesToast};
 
+/* Use MVCC catalog access. */
+bool mvcc_catalog_access;
+
 /* local functions */
 static bool XidInMVCCSnapshot(TransactionId xid, Snapshot snapshot);
 
@@ -353,6 +356,8 @@ HeapTupleSatisfiesSelf(HeapTupleHeader tuple, Snapshot snapshot, Buffer buffer)
 bool
 HeapTupleSatisfiesNow(HeapTupleHeader tuple, Snapshot snapshot, Buffer buffer)
 {
+	if (mvcc_catalog_access)
+		elog(FATAL, "behold, we are dead");
 	if (!(tuple->t_infomask & HEAP_XMIN_COMMITTED))
 	{
 		if (tuple->t_infomask & HEAP_XMIN_INVALID)
diff --git a/src/include/utils/tqual.h b/src/include/utils/tqual.h
index 465231c..16b67a3 100644
--- a/src/include/utils/tqual.h
+++ b/src/include/utils/tqual.h
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ extern PGDLLIMPORT SnapshotData SnapshotToastData;
 #define SnapshotAny			(&SnapshotAnyData)
 #define SnapshotToast		(&SnapshotToastData)
 
+/* Use MVCC catalog access. */
+extern bool mvcc_catalog_access;
+
 /*
  * We don't provide a static SnapshotDirty variable because it would be
  * non-reentrant.  Instead, users of that snapshot type should declare a