diff --git a/lib/dml/pgsql_native_moodle_database.php b/lib/dml/pgsql_native_moodle_database.php
index 67ade460871..9143f105520 100644
--- a/lib/dml/pgsql_native_moodle_database.php
+++ b/lib/dml/pgsql_native_moodle_database.php
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ class pgsql_native_moodle_database extends moodle_database {
     /** @var int Number of cursors used (for constructing a unique ID) */
     protected $cursorcount = 0;
 
+    /** @var string Unique identifier for this request (also for constructing a unique ID) */
+    protected $requestunique = null;
+
     /** @var int Default number of rows to fetch at a time when using recordsets with cursors */
     const DEFAULT_FETCH_BUFFER_SIZE = 100000;
 
@@ -760,9 +763,18 @@ class pgsql_native_moodle_database extends moodle_database {
         if ($usecursors) {
             // Work out the cursor unique identifer. This is based on a simple count used which
             // should be OK because the identifiers only need to be unique within the current
-            // transaction.
+            // transaction. However, if persistent database connections are used, then this could
+            // cause problems, so we also add a unique per-request identifier based on the current
+            // time and a random number.
+            if ($this->requestunique === null) {
+                if (empty($this->dboptions['dbpersist'])) {
+                    $this->requestunique = time() . '_' . random_string(8) . '_'; // TODO
+                } else {
+                    $this->requestunique = '';
+                }
+            }
             $this->cursorcount++;
-            $cursorname = 'crs' . $this->cursorcount;
+            $cursorname = 'crs' . $this->requestunique . $this->cursorcount;
 
             // Do the query to a cursor.
             $sql = 'DECLARE ' . $cursorname . ' NO SCROLL CURSOR WITH HOLD FOR ' . $sql;