diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/commands/truncate.c b/src/backend/distributed/commands/truncate.c
index ab24b05e549..02ae982c1d1 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/commands/truncate.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/commands/truncate.c
@@ -267,9 +267,7 @@ ErrorIfUnsupportedTruncateStmt(TruncateStmt *truncateStatement)
 
 		ErrorIfIllegallyChangingKnownShard(relationId);
 
-		char relationKind = get_rel_relkind(relationId);
-		if (IsCitusTable(relationId) &&
-			relationKind == RELKIND_FOREIGN_TABLE)
+		if (IsCitusTable(relationId) && IsForeignTable(relationId))
 		{
 			ereport(ERROR, (errcode(ERRCODE_FEATURE_NOT_SUPPORTED),
 							errmsg("truncating distributed foreign tables is "
diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/metadata/metadata_sync.c b/src/backend/distributed/metadata/metadata_sync.c
index 50d3c5181e0..cb7255424a3 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/metadata/metadata_sync.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/metadata/metadata_sync.c
@@ -686,8 +686,7 @@ MetadataCreateCommands(void)
 		metadataSnapshotCommandList = lappend(metadataSnapshotCommandList,
 											  metadataCommand);
 
-		char relationKind = get_rel_relkind(relationId);
-		if (relationKind != RELKIND_FOREIGN_TABLE)
+		if (!IsForeignTable(relationId))
 		{
 			/* add the truncate trigger command after the table became distributed */
 			char *truncateTriggerCreateCommand =
@@ -848,8 +847,7 @@ GetDistributedTableDDLEvents(Oid relationId)
 	commandList = lappend(commandList, metadataCommand);
 
 	/* commands to create the truncate trigger of the table */
-	char relationKind = get_rel_relkind(relationId);
-	if (relationKind != RELKIND_FOREIGN_TABLE)
+	if (!IsForeignTable(relationId))
 	{
 		char *truncateTriggerCreateCommand = TruncateTriggerCreateCommand(relationId);
 		commandList = lappend(commandList, truncateTriggerCreateCommand);
diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/operations/node_protocol.c b/src/backend/distributed/operations/node_protocol.c
index 9974fe56a51..f707dd3dc7b 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/operations/node_protocol.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/operations/node_protocol.c
@@ -574,9 +574,7 @@ GetPreLoadTableCreationCommands(Oid relationId,
 
 	PushOverrideEmptySearchPath(CurrentMemoryContext);
 
-	/* if foreign table, fetch extension and server definitions */
-	char tableType = get_rel_relkind(relationId);
-	if (tableType == RELKIND_FOREIGN_TABLE)
+	if (IsForeignTable(relationId))
 	{
 		char *extensionDef = pg_get_extensiondef_string(relationId);
 		char *serverDef = pg_get_serverdef_string(relationId);
diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/operations/repair_shards.c b/src/backend/distributed/operations/repair_shards.c
index 0d787d3cccb..bb818552a44 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/operations/repair_shards.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/operations/repair_shards.c
@@ -319,7 +319,6 @@ citus_move_shard_placement(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	foreach(colocatedTableCell, colocatedTableList)
 	{
 		Oid colocatedTableId = lfirst_oid(colocatedTableCell);
-		char relationKind = '\0';
 
 		/* check that user has owner rights in all co-located tables */
 		EnsureTableOwner(colocatedTableId);
@@ -332,8 +331,7 @@ citus_move_shard_placement(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 		 */
 		LockRelationOid(colocatedTableId, ShareUpdateExclusiveLock);
 
-		relationKind = get_rel_relkind(colocatedTableId);
-		if (relationKind == RELKIND_FOREIGN_TABLE)
+		if (IsForeignTable(relationId))
 		{
 			char *relationName = get_rel_name(colocatedTableId);
 			ereport(ERROR, (errcode(ERRCODE_FEATURE_NOT_SUPPORTED),
@@ -659,7 +657,6 @@ RepairShardPlacement(int64 shardId, const char *sourceNodeName, int32 sourceNode
 	ShardInterval *shardInterval = LoadShardInterval(shardId);
 	Oid distributedTableId = shardInterval->relationId;
 
-	char relationKind = get_rel_relkind(distributedTableId);
 	char *tableOwner = TableOwner(shardInterval->relationId);
 
 	/* prevent table from being dropped */
@@ -667,7 +664,7 @@ RepairShardPlacement(int64 shardId, const char *sourceNodeName, int32 sourceNode
 
 	EnsureTableOwner(distributedTableId);
 
-	if (relationKind == RELKIND_FOREIGN_TABLE)
+	if (IsForeignTable(distributedTableId))
 	{
 		char *relationName = get_rel_name(distributedTableId);
 		ereport(ERROR, (errcode(ERRCODE_FEATURE_NOT_SUPPORTED),
@@ -872,8 +869,7 @@ EnsureTableListSuitableForReplication(List *tableIdList)
 	Oid tableId = InvalidOid;
 	foreach_oid(tableId, tableIdList)
 	{
-		char relationKind = get_rel_relkind(tableId);
-		if (relationKind == RELKIND_FOREIGN_TABLE)
+		if (IsForeignTable(tableId))
 		{
 			char *relationName = get_rel_name(tableId);
 			ereport(ERROR, (errcode(ERRCODE_FEATURE_NOT_SUPPORTED),
@@ -1462,7 +1458,7 @@ RecreateTableDDLCommandList(Oid relationId)
 																   relationName);
 
 	StringInfo dropCommand = makeStringInfo();
-	char relationKind = get_rel_relkind(relationId);
+
 	IncludeSequenceDefaults includeSequenceDefaults = NO_SEQUENCE_DEFAULTS;
 
 	/* build appropriate DROP command based on relation kind */
@@ -1471,7 +1467,7 @@ RecreateTableDDLCommandList(Oid relationId)
 		appendStringInfo(dropCommand, DROP_REGULAR_TABLE_COMMAND,
 						 qualifiedRelationName);
 	}
-	else if (relationKind == RELKIND_FOREIGN_TABLE)
+	else if (IsForeignTable(relationId))
 	{
 		appendStringInfo(dropCommand, DROP_FOREIGN_TABLE_COMMAND,
 						 qualifiedRelationName);
diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/operations/stage_protocol.c b/src/backend/distributed/operations/stage_protocol.c
index 3cbccaf79d3..046fedf1979 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/operations/stage_protocol.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/operations/stage_protocol.c
@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@ master_create_empty_shard(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	char storageType = SHARD_STORAGE_TABLE;
 
 	Oid relationId = ResolveRelationId(relationNameText, false);
-	char relationKind = get_rel_relkind(relationId);
 
 	EnsureTablePermissions(relationId, ACL_INSERT);
 	CheckDistributedTable(relationId);
@@ -127,7 +126,7 @@ master_create_empty_shard(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 	LockRelationOid(DistNodeRelationId(), RowShareLock);
 
 	/* set the storage type of foreign tables to 'f' */
-	if (relationKind == RELKIND_FOREIGN_TABLE)
+	if (IsForeignTable(relationId))
 	{
 		storageType = SHARD_STORAGE_FOREIGN;
 	}