diff --git a/pageserver/benches/bench_walredo.rs b/pageserver/benches/bench_walredo.rs
index 85caa565fe..bb235492d1 100644
--- a/pageserver/benches/bench_walredo.rs
+++ b/pageserver/benches/bench_walredo.rs
@@ -67,36 +67,47 @@ fn add_multithreaded_walredo_requesters(
     input_factory: fn() -> Request,
     request_repeats: usize,
 ) {
-    b.iter_batched_ref(
+    let (work_tx, work_rx) = std::sync::mpsc::sync_channel(10);
+
+    let work_rx = std::sync::Arc::new(std::sync::Mutex::new(work_rx));
+
+    let barrier = Arc::new(Barrier::new(threads as usize + 1));
+
+    let jhs = (0..threads)
+        .map(|_| {
+            std::thread::spawn({
+                let manager = manager.clone();
+                let barrier = barrier.clone();
+                let work_rx = work_rx.clone();
+                move || loop {
+                    // queue up and wait if we want to go another round
+                    if work_rx.lock().unwrap().recv().is_err() {
+                        break;
+                    }
+
+                    let input = std::iter::repeat(input_factory())
+                        .take(request_repeats)
+                        .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+
+                    barrier.wait();
+
+                    execute_all(input, &*manager).unwrap();
+
+                    barrier.wait();
+                }
+            })
+        })
+        .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+
+    let _jhs = JoinOnDrop(jhs);
+
+    b.iter_batched(
         || {
-            // barrier for all of the threads, and the benchmarked thread
-            let barrier = Arc::new(Barrier::new(threads as usize + 1));
-
-            let jhs = (0..threads)
-                .map(|_| {
-                    std::thread::spawn({
-                        let manager = manager.clone();
-                        let barrier = barrier.clone();
-                        move || {
-                            let input = std::iter::repeat(input_factory())
-                                .take(request_repeats)
-                                .collect::<Vec<_>>();
-
-                            barrier.wait();
-
-                            execute_all(input, &*manager).unwrap();
-
-                            barrier.wait();
-                        }
-                    })
-                })
-                .collect::<Vec<_>>();
-
-            (barrier, JoinOnDrop(jhs))
+            for _ in 0..threads {
+                work_tx.send(()).unwrap()
+            }
         },
-        |input| {
-            let barrier = &input.0;
-
+        |()| {
             // start the work
             barrier.wait();
 
@@ -105,6 +116,8 @@ fn add_multithreaded_walredo_requesters(
         },
         criterion::BatchSize::PerIteration,
     );
+
+    drop(work_tx);
 }
 
 struct JoinOnDrop(Vec<std::thread::JoinHandle<()>>);