Recovering data to a point in time before pending definition changes are materialized in a relational database management system. One or more definition changes to a database schema are received. Original data base schema attributes are saved and maintained as point in time metadata in a catalog table until the one or more definition changes have been materialized. During recovery processing, it is determined for each object being recovered whether the object is being recovered to a point in time prior to which the one or more definition changes were materialized. In response to determining that an object is being recovered to a point in time prior to which the one or more definition changes were materialized, the saved point in time metadata is used for the object in the recovery process.