diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index d3006985ab..57dc8e0ad5 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ license = "Apache-2.0"
 [workspace.dependencies]
 anyhow = { version = "1.0", features = ["backtrace"] }
 arc-swap = "1.6"
+async-channel = "2.1.1"
 async-compression = { version = "0.4.0", features = ["tokio", "gzip", "zstd"] }
 azure_core = "0.18"
 azure_identity = "0.18"
diff --git a/libs/utils/Cargo.toml b/libs/utils/Cargo.toml
index 706b7a3187..4658e81399 100644
--- a/libs/utils/Cargo.toml
+++ b/libs/utils/Cargo.toml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ testing = ["fail/failpoints"]
 
 [dependencies]
 arc-swap.workspace = true
+async-channel.workspace = true
 sentry.workspace = true
 async-trait.workspace = true
 anyhow.workspace = true
diff --git a/libs/utils/src/lib.rs b/libs/utils/src/lib.rs
index 890061dc59..09d6cfcf03 100644
--- a/libs/utils/src/lib.rs
+++ b/libs/utils/src/lib.rs
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ pub mod failpoint_support;
 
 pub mod yielding_loop;
 
+pub mod pre_spawned_pool;
+
 /// This is a shortcut to embed git sha into binaries and avoid copying the same build script to all packages
 ///
 /// we have several cases:
diff --git a/libs/utils/src/pre_spawned_pool.rs b/libs/utils/src/pre_spawned_pool.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..47180e2c55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/utils/src/pre_spawned_pool.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+use std::{
+    collections::VecDeque,
+    num::NonZeroUsize,
+    sync::{Arc, RwLock},
+    thread::JoinHandle,
+};
+
+use tokio::sync::{mpsc, OwnedSemaphorePermit};
+use tokio_util::sync::CancellationToken;
+use tracing::{debug, instrument};
+
+pub struct Client<T> {
+    cmds_tx: mpsc::UnboundedSender<Command>,
+    items_rx: async_channel::Receiver<CreatedItem<T>>,
+}
+
+pub trait Launcher<T> {
+    fn create(&self) -> anyhow::Result<T>;
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+enum Command {
+    SetSlotCount(usize),
+}
+
+enum GetError {
+    ShuttingDown,
+}
+
+impl<T> Client<T> {
+    pub async fn get(&self) -> Result<T, GetError> {
+        self.items_rx
+            .recv()
+            .await
+            .map_err(|_| GetError::ShuttingDown)
+            .map(|CreatedItem { permit, item }| {
+                drop(permit); // allow a new one to be pre-spanwed
+                item
+            })
+    }
+
+    pub fn set_slot_count_nowait(&self, count: usize) {
+        self.cmds_tx.send(Command::SetSlotCount(count));
+    }
+}
+
+pub struct Pool<T, L>
+where
+    T: Send + 'static,
+    L: Send + Launcher<T> + 'static,
+{
+    launcher: L,
+    cmds_rx: mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<Command>,
+    items_tx: async_channel::Sender<CreatedItem<T>>,
+}
+
+struct CreatedItem<T> {
+    permit: OwnedSemaphorePermit,
+    item: T,
+}
+
+impl<T, L> Pool<T, L>
+where
+    T: Send + 'static,
+    L: Send + Launcher<T> + 'static,
+{
+    pub async fn launch(launcher: L) -> Client<T> {
+        let (cmds_tx, cmds_rx) = mpsc::unbounded_channel(); // callers are limited to mgmt api
+        let (items_tx, items_rx) = async_channel::unbounded(); // task() limits pending items itself
+
+        // task gets cancelled by dropping the last Client
+        tokio::spawn(
+            Self {
+                launcher,
+                cmds_rx,
+                items_tx,
+            }
+            .task(),
+        );
+        Client { cmds_tx, items_rx }
+    }
+
+    #[instrument(skip_all)]
+    async fn task(mut self) {
+        let initial = 0;
+        let mut configured = initial;
+        let mut pending_items = Arc::new(tokio::sync::Semaphore::new(initial));
+        let mut need_forget = 0;
+        loop {
+            debug!(
+                configured,
+                need_forget,
+                available = pending_items.available_permits(),
+                "iteration"
+            );
+            let cmd = tokio::select! {
+                res = self.cmds_rx.recv() => {
+                    match res {
+                        Some(cmd) => cmd,
+                        None => return, // dropping tx acts as cancellation
+                    }
+                }
+                permit = Arc::clone(&pending_items).acquire_owned() => {
+                    let permit = permit.expect("we never close this semaphore");
+                    if need_forget > 0 {
+                        debug!("fogetting permit to reduce semaphore count");
+                        need_forget  -= 1;
+                        permit.forget();
+                        continue;
+                    }
+                    debug!("creating item");
+                    let item = match self.launcher.create() {
+                        Ok(item) => item,
+                        Err(e) => todo!(),
+                    };
+                    match self.items_tx.send(CreatedItem { permit, item }).await {
+                        Ok(()) => continue,
+                        Err(_) => {
+                            debug!("stopping, client has gone away");
+                            return;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            };
+            debug!(?cmd, "received command");
+            match cmd {
+                Command::SetSlotCount(desired) => {
+                    if desired > configured {
+                        pending_items.add_permits(desired - configured);
+                    } else if desired < configured {
+                        need_forget += configured - desired;
+                    }
+                    configured = desired;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant.rs
index 58af80238d..102db60483 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant.rs
@@ -614,10 +614,7 @@ impl Tenant {
         mode: SpawnMode,
         ctx: &RequestContext,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<Arc<Tenant>> {
-        let wal_redo_manager = Arc::new(WalRedoManager::from(PostgresRedoManager::new(
-            conf,
-            tenant_shard_id,
-        )));
+        let wal_redo_manager = Arc::new(WalRedoManager::from(PostgresRedoManager::new(conf)));
 
         let TenantSharedResources {
             broker_client,
diff --git a/pageserver/src/walredo.rs b/pageserver/src/walredo.rs
index 773e5fc051..0a076a8a41 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/walredo.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/walredo.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 /// Process lifecycle and abstracction for the IPC protocol.
 mod process;
 
+mod process_pool;
+
 /// Code to apply [`NeonWalRecord`]s.
 mod apply_neon;
 
@@ -146,6 +148,7 @@ impl PostgresRedoManager {
     pub fn new(
         conf: &'static PageServerConf,
         tenant_shard_id: TenantShardId,
+        pool: process_pool::Pool,
     ) -> PostgresRedoManager {
         // The actual process is launched lazily, on first request.
         PostgresRedoManager {
diff --git a/pageserver/src/walredo/process.rs b/pageserver/src/walredo/process.rs
index 72f4151dca..f03ec7d661 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/walredo/process.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/walredo/process.rs
@@ -52,12 +52,8 @@ impl WalRedoProcess {
     //
     // Start postgres binary in special WAL redo mode.
     //
-    #[instrument(skip_all,fields(tenant_id=%tenant_shard_id.tenant_id, shard_id=%tenant_shard_id.shard_slug(), pg_version=pg_version))]
-    pub(crate) fn launch(
-        conf: &'static PageServerConf,
-        tenant_shard_id: TenantShardId,
-        pg_version: u32,
-    ) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
+    #[instrument(skip_all,fields(pg_version=pg_version))]
+    pub(crate) fn launch(conf: &'static PageServerConf, pg_version: u32) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
         let pg_bin_dir_path = conf.pg_bin_dir(pg_version).context("pg_bin_dir")?; // TODO these should be infallible.
         let pg_lib_dir_path = conf.pg_lib_dir(pg_version).context("pg_lib_dir")?;
 
@@ -66,9 +62,6 @@ impl WalRedoProcess {
         let child = Command::new(pg_bin_dir_path.join("postgres"))
             // the first arg must be --wal-redo so the child process enters into walredo mode
             .arg("--wal-redo")
-            // the child doesn't process this arg, but, having it in the argv helps indentify the
-            // walredo process for a particular tenant when debugging a pagserver
-            .args(["--tenant-shard-id", &format!("{tenant_shard_id}")])
             .stdin(Stdio::piped())
             .stderr(Stdio::piped())
             .stdout(Stdio::piped())
@@ -83,7 +76,7 @@ impl WalRedoProcess {
             //    the files it opens, and
             // 2. to use seccomp to sandbox itself before processing the first
             //    walredo request.
-            .spawn_no_leak_child(tenant_shard_id)
+            .spawn_no_leak_child()
             .context("spawn process")?;
         WAL_REDO_PROCESS_COUNTERS.started.inc();
         let mut child = scopeguard::guard(child, |child| {
@@ -144,12 +137,11 @@ impl WalRedoProcess {
                     error!(error=?e, "failed to read from walredo stderr");
                 }
             }
-        }.instrument(tracing::info_span!(parent: None, "wal-redo-postgres-stderr", pid = child.id(), tenant_id = %tenant_shard_id.tenant_id, shard_id = %tenant_shard_id.shard_slug(), %pg_version))
+        }.instrument(tracing::info_span!(parent: None, "wal-redo-postgres-stderr", pid = child.id(), %pg_version))
     );
 
         Ok(Self {
             conf,
-            tenant_shard_id,
             child: Some(child),
             stdin: Mutex::new(ProcessInput {
                 stdin,
@@ -175,7 +167,7 @@ impl WalRedoProcess {
     // Apply given WAL records ('records') over an old page image. Returns
     // new page image.
     //
-    #[instrument(skip_all, fields(tenant_id=%self.tenant_shard_id.tenant_id, shard_id=%self.tenant_shard_id.shard_slug(), pid=%self.id()))]
+    #[instrument(skip_all, fields(pid=%self.id()))]
     pub(crate) fn apply_wal_records(
         &self,
         rel: RelTag,
diff --git a/pageserver/src/walredo/process/no_leak_child.rs b/pageserver/src/walredo/process/no_leak_child.rs
index ca016408e6..1d9b768c51 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/walredo/process/no_leak_child.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/walredo/process/no_leak_child.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ use pageserver_api::shard::TenantShardId;
 /// Wrapper type around `std::process::Child` which guarantees that the child
 /// will be killed and waited-for by this process before being dropped.
 pub(crate) struct NoLeakChild {
-    pub(crate) tenant_id: TenantShardId,
     pub(crate) child: Option<Child>,
 }
 
@@ -39,12 +38,9 @@ impl DerefMut for NoLeakChild {
 }
 
 impl NoLeakChild {
-    pub(crate) fn spawn(tenant_id: TenantShardId, command: &mut Command) -> io::Result<Self> {
+    pub(crate) fn spawn(command: &mut Command) -> io::Result<Self> {
         let child = command.spawn()?;
-        Ok(NoLeakChild {
-            tenant_id,
-            child: Some(child),
-        })
+        Ok(NoLeakChild { child: Some(child) })
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn kill_and_wait(mut self, cause: WalRedoKillCause) {
diff --git a/pageserver/src/walredo/process_pool.rs b/pageserver/src/walredo/process_pool.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..58ab81f689
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pageserver/src/walredo/process_pool.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+use std::sync::Arc;
+
+use utils::pre_spawned_pool;
+
+use crate::config::PageServerConf;
+
+use super::process::WalRedoProcess;
+
+pub struct Pool {
+    v14: pre_spawned_pool::Pool<Arc<WalRedoProcess>, Launcher>,
+    v15: pre_spawned_pool::Pool<Arc<WalRedoProcess>, Launcher>,
+    v16: pre_spawned_pool::Pool<Arc<WalRedoProcess>, Launcher>,
+}
+
+struct Launcher {
+    pg_version: u32,
+    conf: &'static PageServerConf,
+}
+
+impl utils::pre_spawned_pool::Launcher<Arc<WalRedoProcess>> for Launcher{
+    fn create(&self) -> anyhow::Result<Arc<WalRedoProcess>> {
+        WalRedoProcess::launch(self.conf, self.pg_version)
+    }
+}
+
+impl Pool {
+    pub fn get(&self, pg_version: usize) -> anyhow::Result<Arc<WalRedoProcess>> {
+        let pool = match pg_version {
+            14 => &self.v14,
+            15 => &self.v15,
+            16 => &self.v16,
+            x => anyhow::bail!("unknown pg version: {x}"),
+        };
+        pool.get()
+    }
+}