diff --git a/libs/pageserver_api/src/key.rs b/libs/pageserver_api/src/key.rs
index 2511de00d5..b00d48498c 100644
--- a/libs/pageserver_api/src/key.rs
+++ b/libs/pageserver_api/src/key.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 use anyhow::{bail, Result};
 use byteorder::{ByteOrder, BE};
-use bytes::BufMut;
 use postgres_ffi::relfile_utils::{FSM_FORKNUM, VISIBILITYMAP_FORKNUM};
 use postgres_ffi::{Oid, TransactionId};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
@@ -53,14 +52,8 @@ impl Key {
     /// Encode a metadata key to a storage key.
     pub fn from_metadata_key_fixed_size(key: &[u8; METADATA_KEY_SIZE]) -> Self {
         assert!(is_metadata_key_slice(key), "key not in metadata key range");
-        Key {
-            field1: key[0],
-            field2: u16::from_be_bytes(key[1..3].try_into().unwrap()) as u32,
-            field3: u32::from_be_bytes(key[3..7].try_into().unwrap()),
-            field4: u32::from_be_bytes(key[7..11].try_into().unwrap()),
-            field5: key[11],
-            field6: u32::from_be_bytes(key[12..16].try_into().unwrap()),
-        }
+        // Metadata key space ends at 0x7F so it's fine to directly convert it to i128.
+        Self::from_i128(i128::from_be_bytes(*key))
     }
 
     /// Encode a metadata key to a storage key.
@@ -68,17 +61,6 @@ impl Key {
         Self::from_metadata_key_fixed_size(key.try_into().expect("expect 16 byte metadata key"))
     }
 
-    /// Extract a metadata key to a writer. The result should always be 16 bytes.
-    pub fn extract_metadata_key_to_writer(&self, mut writer: impl BufMut) {
-        writer.put_u8(self.field1);
-        assert!(self.field2 <= 0xFFFF);
-        writer.put_u16(self.field2 as u16);
-        writer.put_u32(self.field3);
-        writer.put_u32(self.field4);
-        writer.put_u8(self.field5);
-        writer.put_u32(self.field6);
-    }
-
     /// Get the range of metadata keys.
     pub const fn metadata_key_range() -> Range<Self> {
         Key {
@@ -121,7 +103,7 @@ impl Key {
     /// As long as Neon does not support tablespace (because of lack of access to local file system),
     /// we can assume that only some predefined namespace OIDs are used which can fit in u16
     pub fn to_i128(&self) -> i128 {
-        assert!(self.field2 < 0xFFFF || self.field2 == 0xFFFFFFFF || self.field2 == 0x22222222);
+        assert!(self.field2 <= 0xFFFF || self.field2 == 0xFFFFFFFF || self.field2 == 0x22222222);
         (((self.field1 & 0x7F) as i128) << 120)
             | (((self.field2 & 0xFFFF) as i128) << 104)
             | ((self.field3 as i128) << 72)
@@ -175,7 +157,7 @@ impl Key {
     }
 
     /// Convert a 18B slice to a key. This function should not be used for metadata keys because field2 is handled differently.
-    /// Use [`Key::from_metadata_key`] instead.
+    /// Use [`Key::from_i128`] instead if you want to handle 16B keys (i.e., metadata keys).
     pub fn from_slice(b: &[u8]) -> Self {
         Key {
             field1: b[0],
@@ -188,7 +170,7 @@ impl Key {
     }
 
     /// Convert a key to a 18B slice. This function should not be used for metadata keys because field2 is handled differently.
-    /// Use [`Key::extract_metadata_key_to_writer`] instead.
+    /// Use [`Key::to_i128`] instead if you want to get a 16B key (i.e., metadata keys).
     pub fn write_to_byte_slice(&self, buf: &mut [u8]) {
         buf[0] = self.field1;
         BE::write_u32(&mut buf[1..5], self.field2);
@@ -687,10 +669,15 @@ mod tests {
         let mut metadata_key = vec![AUX_KEY_PREFIX];
         metadata_key.extend_from_slice(&[0xFF; 15]);
         let encoded_key = Key::from_metadata_key(&metadata_key);
-        let mut output_key = Vec::new();
-        encoded_key.extract_metadata_key_to_writer(&mut output_key);
+        let output_key = encoded_key.to_i128().to_be_bytes();
         assert_eq!(metadata_key, output_key);
         assert!(encoded_key.is_metadata_key());
         assert!(is_metadata_key_slice(&metadata_key));
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_possible_largest_key() {
+        Key::from_i128(0x7FFF_FFFF_FFFF_FFFF_FFFF_FFFF_FFFF_FFFF);
+        // TODO: put this key into the system and see if anything breaks.
+    }
 }