diff --git a/src/bin/pg_verifybackup/pg_verifybackup.c b/src/bin/pg_verifybackup/pg_verifybackup.c
index e0e40e3b644..8c034c97c3b 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_verifybackup/pg_verifybackup.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_verifybackup/pg_verifybackup.c
@@ -140,7 +140,8 @@ static void verify_backup_directory(verifier_context *context,
 									char *relpath, char *fullpath);
 static void verify_backup_file(verifier_context *context,
 							   char *relpath, char *fullpath);
-static void verify_control_file(verifier_context *context, char *relpath);
+static void verify_control_file(const char *controlpath,
+								uint64 manifest_system_identifier);
 static void report_extra_backup_files(verifier_context *context);
 static void verify_backup_checksums(verifier_context *context);
 static void verify_file_checksum(verifier_context *context,
@@ -690,7 +691,7 @@ verify_backup_file(verifier_context *context, char *relpath, char *fullpath)
 	 */
 	if (context->manifest->version != 1 &&
 		strcmp(relpath, "global/pg_control") == 0)
-			verify_control_file(context, relpath);
+			verify_control_file(fullpath, context->manifest->system_identifier);
 
 	/* Update statistics for progress report, if necessary */
 	if (show_progress && !skip_checksums && should_verify_checksum(m))
@@ -705,19 +706,15 @@ verify_backup_file(verifier_context *context, char *relpath, char *fullpath)
 }
 
 /*
- * Sanity check control file of the backup and validate system identifier
- * against manifest system identifier.
+ * Sanity check control file and validate system identifier against manifest
+ * system identifier.
  */
 static void
-verify_control_file(verifier_context *context, char *relpath)
+verify_control_file(const char *controlpath, uint64 manifest_system_identifier)
 {
-	manifest_data *manifest = context->manifest;
-	char	   *backup_directory = context->backup_directory;
-	char	   *controlpath;
 	ControlFileData *control_file;
 	bool		crc_ok;
 
-	controlpath = psprintf("%s/%s", backup_directory, relpath);
 	pg_log_debug("reading \"%s\"", controlpath);
 	control_file = get_controlfile_by_exact_path(controlpath, &crc_ok);
 
@@ -731,10 +728,10 @@ verify_control_file(verifier_context *context, char *relpath)
 						   controlpath);
 
 	/* System identifiers should match. */
-	if (manifest->system_identifier != control_file->system_identifier)
+	if (manifest_system_identifier != control_file->system_identifier)
 		report_fatal_error("%s: manifest system identifier is %llu, but control file has %llu",
 						   controlpath,
-						   (unsigned long long) manifest->system_identifier,
+						   (unsigned long long) manifest_system_identifier,
 						   (unsigned long long) control_file->system_identifier);
 
 	/* Release memory. */