diff --git a/wp-includes/default-widgets.php b/wp-includes/default-widgets.php
index 2cb8c6c0f6..1e472d0167 100644
--- a/wp-includes/default-widgets.php
+++ b/wp-includes/default-widgets.php
@@ -554,7 +554,9 @@ class WP_Widget_Recent_Posts extends WP_Widget {
 		</ul>
 		<?php echo $after_widget; ?>
 <?php
-			wp_reset_query();  // Restore global post data stomped by the_post().
+		// Reset the global $the_post as this query will have stomped on it
+		wp_reset_postdata();
+
 		endif;
 
 		$cache[$args['widget_id']] = ob_get_flush();
diff --git a/wp-includes/query.php b/wp-includes/query.php
index 23944d6fea..1999261a7e 100644
--- a/wp-includes/query.php
+++ b/wp-includes/query.php
@@ -75,6 +75,17 @@ function &query_posts($query) {
 function wp_reset_query() {
 	unset($GLOBALS['wp_query']);
 	$GLOBALS['wp_query'] =& $GLOBALS['wp_the_query'];
+	wp_reset_postdata();
+}
+
+/**
+ * After looping through a separate query, this function restores
+ * the $post global to the current post in the main query
+ *
+ * @since 3.0.0
+ * @uses $wp_query
+ */
+function wp_reset_postdata() {
 	global $wp_query;
 	if ( !empty($wp_query->post) ) {
 		$GLOBALS['post'] = $wp_query->post;