diff --git a/pageserver/src/disk_usage_eviction_task.rs b/pageserver/src/disk_usage_eviction_task.rs
index d09b661da5..3cb89ab9e9 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/disk_usage_eviction_task.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/disk_usage_eviction_task.rs
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ pub async fn disk_usage_eviction_task_iteration_impl<U: Usage>(
             partition,
             candidate.layer.get_tenant_id(),
             candidate.layer.get_timeline_id(),
-            candidate.layer.filename().file_name(),
+            candidate.layer,
         );
     }
 
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/remote_timeline_client.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/remote_timeline_client.rs
index 190512f48f..964a3ebe3f 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/remote_timeline_client.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/remote_timeline_client.rs
@@ -608,10 +608,7 @@ impl RemoteTimelineClient {
         self.calls_unfinished_metric_begin(&op);
         upload_queue.queued_operations.push_back(op);
 
-        info!(
-            "scheduled layer file upload {}",
-            layer_file_name.file_name()
-        );
+        info!("scheduled layer file upload {layer_file_name}");
 
         // Launch the task immediately, if possible
         self.launch_queued_tasks(upload_queue);
@@ -664,7 +661,7 @@ impl RemoteTimelineClient {
                 });
                 self.calls_unfinished_metric_begin(&op);
                 upload_queue.queued_operations.push_back(op);
-                info!("scheduled layer file deletion {}", name.file_name());
+                info!("scheduled layer file deletion {name}");
             }
 
             // Launch the tasks immediately, if possible
@@ -828,7 +825,7 @@ impl RemoteTimelineClient {
                     .queued_operations
                     .push_back(op);
 
-                info!("scheduled layer file deletion {}", name.file_name());
+                info!("scheduled layer file deletion {name}");
                 deletions_queued += 1;
             }
 
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer.rs
index 7bc513b3a1..d35eccfc72 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer.rs
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ impl LayerAccessStats {
 /// All layers should implement a minimal `std::fmt::Debug` without tenant or
 /// timeline names, because those are known in the context of which the layers
 /// are used in (timeline).
-pub trait Layer: std::fmt::Debug + Send + Sync {
+pub trait Layer: std::fmt::Debug + std::fmt::Display + Send + Sync {
     /// Range of keys that this layer covers
     fn get_key_range(&self) -> Range<Key>;
 
@@ -373,9 +373,6 @@ pub trait Layer: std::fmt::Debug + Send + Sync {
         ctx: &RequestContext,
     ) -> Result<ValueReconstructResult>;
 
-    /// A short ID string that uniquely identifies the given layer within a [`LayerMap`].
-    fn short_id(&self) -> String;
-
     /// Dump summary of the contents of the layer to stdout
     fn dump(&self, verbose: bool, ctx: &RequestContext) -> Result<()>;
 }
@@ -512,10 +509,12 @@ pub mod tests {
         fn is_incremental(&self) -> bool {
             self.layer_desc().is_incremental
         }
+    }
 
-        /// Boilerplate to implement the Layer trait, always use layer_desc for persistent layers.
-        fn short_id(&self) -> String {
-            self.layer_desc().short_id()
+    /// Boilerplate to implement the Layer trait, always use layer_desc for persistent layers.
+    impl std::fmt::Display for LayerDescriptor {
+        fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+            write!(f, "{}", self.layer_desc().short_id())
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs
index 6e14663121..b57af5ac46 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs
@@ -394,10 +394,11 @@ impl Layer for DeltaLayer {
     fn is_incremental(&self) -> bool {
         self.layer_desc().is_incremental
     }
-
-    /// Boilerplate to implement the Layer trait, always use layer_desc for persistent layers.
-    fn short_id(&self) -> String {
-        self.layer_desc().short_id()
+}
+/// Boilerplate to implement the Layer trait, always use layer_desc for persistent layers.
+impl std::fmt::Display for DeltaLayer {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        write!(f, "{}", self.layer_desc().short_id())
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/filename.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/filename.rs
index 5dcd54689e..073a0588e8 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/filename.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/filename.rs
@@ -210,9 +210,15 @@ pub enum LayerFileName {
 
 impl LayerFileName {
     pub fn file_name(&self) -> String {
+        self.to_string()
+    }
+}
+
+impl fmt::Display for LayerFileName {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
         match self {
-            Self::Image(fname) => fname.to_string(),
-            Self::Delta(fname) => fname.to_string(),
+            Self::Image(fname) => write!(f, "{fname}"),
+            Self::Delta(fname) => write!(f, "{fname}"),
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/image_layer.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/image_layer.rs
index 07a16a7de2..8d31943462 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/image_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/image_layer.rs
@@ -230,10 +230,12 @@ impl Layer for ImageLayer {
     fn is_incremental(&self) -> bool {
         self.layer_desc().is_incremental
     }
+}
 
-    /// Boilerplate to implement the Layer trait, always use layer_desc for persistent layers.
-    fn short_id(&self) -> String {
-        self.layer_desc().short_id()
+/// Boilerplate to implement the Layer trait, always use layer_desc for persistent layers.
+impl std::fmt::Display for ImageLayer {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        write!(f, "{}", self.layer_desc().short_id())
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/inmemory_layer.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/inmemory_layer.rs
index 78bcfdafc0..77778822cf 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/inmemory_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/inmemory_layer.rs
@@ -131,13 +131,6 @@ impl Layer for InMemoryLayer {
         true
     }
 
-    fn short_id(&self) -> String {
-        let inner = self.inner.read().unwrap();
-
-        let end_lsn = inner.end_lsn.unwrap_or(Lsn(u64::MAX));
-        format!("inmem-{:016X}-{:016X}", self.start_lsn.0, end_lsn.0)
-    }
-
     /// debugging function to print out the contents of the layer
     fn dump(&self, verbose: bool, _ctx: &RequestContext) -> Result<()> {
         let inner = self.inner.read().unwrap();
@@ -240,6 +233,15 @@ impl Layer for InMemoryLayer {
     }
 }
 
+impl std::fmt::Display for InMemoryLayer {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        let inner = self.inner.read().unwrap();
+
+        let end_lsn = inner.end_lsn.unwrap_or(Lsn(u64::MAX));
+        write!(f, "inmem-{:016X}-{:016X}", self.start_lsn.0, end_lsn.0)
+    }
+}
+
 impl InMemoryLayer {
     ///
     /// Get layer size on the disk
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/layer_desc.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/layer_desc.rs
index 5ed548909e..a86c037fd8 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/layer_desc.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/layer_desc.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use anyhow::Result;
+use core::fmt::Display;
 use std::ops::Range;
 use utils::{
     id::{TenantId, TimelineId},
@@ -48,8 +49,8 @@ impl PersistentLayerDesc {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn short_id(&self) -> String {
-        self.filename().file_name()
+    pub fn short_id(&self) -> impl Display {
+        self.filename()
     }
 
     #[cfg(test)]
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/remote_layer.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/remote_layer.rs
index 9d423ed815..5bf16fe6fe 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/remote_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/remote_layer.rs
@@ -71,10 +71,7 @@ impl Layer for RemoteLayer {
         _reconstruct_state: &mut ValueReconstructState,
         _ctx: &RequestContext,
     ) -> Result<ValueReconstructResult> {
-        bail!(
-            "layer {} needs to be downloaded",
-            self.filename().file_name()
-        );
+        bail!("layer {self} needs to be downloaded");
     }
 
     /// debugging function to print out the contents of the layer
@@ -106,10 +103,12 @@ impl Layer for RemoteLayer {
     fn is_incremental(&self) -> bool {
         self.layer_desc().is_incremental
     }
+}
 
-    /// Boilerplate to implement the Layer trait, always use layer_desc for persistent layers.
-    fn short_id(&self) -> String {
-        self.layer_desc().short_id()
+/// Boilerplate to implement the Layer trait, always use layer_desc for persistent layers.
+impl std::fmt::Display for RemoteLayer {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        write!(f, "{}", self.layer_desc().short_id())
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
index 39c72a7e47..a977189980 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ impl LayerFileManager {
         // A layer's descriptor is present in the LayerMap => the LayerFileManager contains a layer for the descriptor.
         self.0
             .get(&desc.key())
-            .with_context(|| format!("get layer from desc: {}", desc.filename().file_name()))
+            .with_context(|| format!("get layer from desc: {}", desc.filename()))
             .expect("not found")
             .clone()
     }
@@ -1381,9 +1381,9 @@ impl Timeline {
                         .read()
                         .unwrap()
                         .observe(delta);
-                    info!(layer=%local_layer.short_id(), residence_millis=delta.as_millis(), "evicted layer after known residence period");
+                    info!(layer=%local_layer, residence_millis=delta.as_millis(), "evicted layer after known residence period");
                 } else {
-                    info!(layer=%local_layer.short_id(), "evicted layer after unknown residence period");
+                    info!(layer=%local_layer, "evicted layer after unknown residence period");
                 }
 
                 true
@@ -2462,11 +2462,7 @@ impl TraversalLayerExt for Arc<dyn PersistentLayer> {
                 format!("{}", local_path.display())
             }
             None => {
-                format!(
-                    "remote {}/{}",
-                    self.get_timeline_id(),
-                    self.filename().file_name()
-                )
+                format!("remote {}/{self}", self.get_timeline_id())
             }
         }
     }
@@ -2474,11 +2470,7 @@ impl TraversalLayerExt for Arc<dyn PersistentLayer> {
 
 impl TraversalLayerExt for Arc<InMemoryLayer> {
     fn traversal_id(&self) -> TraversalId {
-        format!(
-            "timeline {} in-memory {}",
-            self.get_timeline_id(),
-            self.short_id()
-        )
+        format!("timeline {} in-memory {self}", self.get_timeline_id())
     }
 }
 
@@ -2998,7 +2990,7 @@ impl Timeline {
     }
 
     /// Flush one frozen in-memory layer to disk, as a new delta layer.
-    #[instrument(skip_all, fields(tenant_id=%self.tenant_id, timeline_id=%self.timeline_id, layer=%frozen_layer.short_id()))]
+    #[instrument(skip_all, fields(tenant_id=%self.tenant_id, timeline_id=%self.timeline_id, layer=%frozen_layer))]
     async fn flush_frozen_layer(
         self: &Arc<Self>,
         frozen_layer: Arc<InMemoryLayer>,
@@ -3677,7 +3669,7 @@ impl Timeline {
         let remotes = deltas_to_compact
             .iter()
             .filter(|l| l.is_remote_layer())
-            .inspect(|l| info!("compact requires download of {}", l.filename().file_name()))
+            .inspect(|l| info!("compact requires download of {l}"))
             .map(|l| {
                 l.clone()
                     .downcast_remote_layer()
@@ -3701,7 +3693,7 @@ impl Timeline {
         );
 
         for l in deltas_to_compact.iter() {
-            info!("compact includes {}", l.filename().file_name());
+            info!("compact includes {l}");
         }
 
         // We don't need the original list of layers anymore. Drop it so that
@@ -4316,8 +4308,8 @@ impl Timeline {
             if l.get_lsn_range().end > horizon_cutoff {
                 debug!(
                     "keeping {} because it's newer than horizon_cutoff {}",
-                    l.filename().file_name(),
-                    horizon_cutoff
+                    l.filename(),
+                    horizon_cutoff,
                 );
                 result.layers_needed_by_cutoff += 1;
                 continue 'outer;
@@ -4327,8 +4319,8 @@ impl Timeline {
             if l.get_lsn_range().end > pitr_cutoff {
                 debug!(
                     "keeping {} because it's newer than pitr_cutoff {}",
-                    l.filename().file_name(),
-                    pitr_cutoff
+                    l.filename(),
+                    pitr_cutoff,
                 );
                 result.layers_needed_by_pitr += 1;
                 continue 'outer;
@@ -4346,7 +4338,7 @@ impl Timeline {
                 if &l.get_lsn_range().start <= retain_lsn {
                     debug!(
                         "keeping {} because it's still might be referenced by child branch forked at {} is_dropped: xx is_incremental: {}",
-                        l.filename().file_name(),
+                        l.filename(),
                         retain_lsn,
                         l.is_incremental(),
                     );
@@ -4377,10 +4369,7 @@ impl Timeline {
             if !layers
                 .image_layer_exists(&l.get_key_range(), &(l.get_lsn_range().end..new_gc_cutoff))?
             {
-                debug!(
-                    "keeping {} because it is the latest layer",
-                    l.filename().file_name()
-                );
+                debug!("keeping {} because it is the latest layer", l.filename());
                 // Collect delta key ranges that need image layers to allow garbage
                 // collecting the layers.
                 // It is not so obvious whether we need to propagate information only about
@@ -4397,7 +4386,7 @@ impl Timeline {
             // We didn't find any reason to keep this file, so remove it.
             debug!(
                 "garbage collecting {} is_dropped: xx is_incremental: {}",
-                l.filename().file_name(),
+                l.filename(),
                 l.is_incremental(),
             );
             layers_to_remove.push(Arc::clone(&l));
@@ -4551,7 +4540,7 @@ impl Timeline {
     /// If the caller has a deadline or needs a timeout, they can simply stop polling:
     /// we're **cancellation-safe** because the download happens in a separate task_mgr task.
     /// So, the current download attempt will run to completion even if we stop polling.
-    #[instrument(skip_all, fields(layer=%remote_layer.short_id()))]
+    #[instrument(skip_all, fields(layer=%remote_layer))]
     pub async fn download_remote_layer(
         &self,
         remote_layer: Arc<RemoteLayer>,
@@ -4589,7 +4578,7 @@ impl Timeline {
             TaskKind::RemoteDownloadTask,
             Some(self.tenant_id),
             Some(self.timeline_id),
-            &format!("download layer {}", remote_layer.short_id()),
+            &format!("download layer {}", remote_layer),
             false,
             async move {
                 let remote_client = self_clone.remote_client.as_ref().unwrap();
@@ -4865,15 +4854,12 @@ impl Timeline {
                 continue;
             }
 
-            let last_activity_ts = l
-                .access_stats()
-                .latest_activity()
-                .unwrap_or_else(|| {
-                    // We only use this fallback if there's an implementation error.
-                    // `latest_activity` already does rate-limited warn!() log.
-                    debug!(layer=%l.filename().file_name(), "last_activity returns None, using SystemTime::now");
-                    SystemTime::now()
-                });
+            let last_activity_ts = l.access_stats().latest_activity().unwrap_or_else(|| {
+                // We only use this fallback if there's an implementation error.
+                // `latest_activity` already does rate-limited warn!() log.
+                debug!(layer=%l, "last_activity returns None, using SystemTime::now");
+                SystemTime::now()
+            });
 
             resident_layers.push(LocalLayerInfoForDiskUsageEviction {
                 layer: l,
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline/eviction_task.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline/eviction_task.rs
index f8b10d906f..cd6a2d10cc 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline/eviction_task.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline/eviction_task.rs
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ impl Timeline {
                 let last_activity_ts = hist_layer.access_stats().latest_activity().unwrap_or_else(|| {
                     // We only use this fallback if there's an implementation error.
                     // `latest_activity` already does rate-limited warn!() log.
-                    debug!(layer=%hist_layer.filename().file_name(), "last_activity returns None, using SystemTime::now");
+                    debug!(layer=%hist_layer, "last_activity returns None, using SystemTime::now");
                     SystemTime::now()
                 });