diff --git a/control_plane/src/local_env.rs b/control_plane/src/local_env.rs
index da7d7e5469..f4026efbbf 100644
--- a/control_plane/src/local_env.rs
+++ b/control_plane/src/local_env.rs
@@ -165,8 +165,6 @@ pub struct NeonStorageControllerConf {
 
     #[serde(with = "humantime_serde")]
     pub long_reconcile_threshold: Option<Duration>,
-
-    pub load_safekeepers: bool,
 }
 
 impl NeonStorageControllerConf {
@@ -190,7 +188,6 @@ impl Default for NeonStorageControllerConf {
             max_secondary_lag_bytes: None,
             heartbeat_interval: Self::DEFAULT_HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL,
             long_reconcile_threshold: None,
-            load_safekeepers: true,
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/control_plane/src/storage_controller.rs b/control_plane/src/storage_controller.rs
index 77a9075aa7..16e12f4e02 100644
--- a/control_plane/src/storage_controller.rs
+++ b/control_plane/src/storage_controller.rs
@@ -537,10 +537,6 @@ impl StorageController {
             args.push("--start-as-candidate".to_string());
         }
 
-        if self.config.load_safekeepers {
-            args.push("--load-safekeepers".to_string());
-        }
-
         if let Some(private_key) = &self.private_key {
             let claims = Claims::new(None, Scope::PageServerApi);
             let jwt_token =
diff --git a/storage_controller/src/main.rs b/storage_controller/src/main.rs
index 6ef17c0007..967fb2996f 100644
--- a/storage_controller/src/main.rs
+++ b/storage_controller/src/main.rs
@@ -143,10 +143,6 @@ struct Cli {
     // Flag to use https for requests to pageserver API.
     #[arg(long, default_value = "false")]
     use_https_pageserver_api: bool,
-
-    /// Whether to load safekeeprs from the database and heartbeat them
-    #[arg(long, default_value = "false")]
-    load_safekeepers: bool,
 }
 
 enum StrictMode {
@@ -360,7 +356,6 @@ async fn async_main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         start_as_candidate: args.start_as_candidate,
         http_service_port: args.listen.port() as i32,
         use_https_pageserver_api: args.use_https_pageserver_api,
-        load_safekeepers: args.load_safekeepers,
     };
 
     // Validate that we can connect to the database
diff --git a/storage_controller/src/service.rs b/storage_controller/src/service.rs
index 8fc7f7a0c5..e12bd299ce 100644
--- a/storage_controller/src/service.rs
+++ b/storage_controller/src/service.rs
@@ -394,8 +394,6 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub long_reconcile_threshold: Duration,
 
     pub use_https_pageserver_api: bool,
-
-    pub load_safekeepers: bool,
 }
 
 impl From<DatabaseError> for ApiError {
@@ -1412,20 +1410,15 @@ impl Service {
             .set(nodes.len() as i64);
 
         tracing::info!("Loading safekeepers from database...");
-        let safekeepers = if config.load_safekeepers {
-            persistence
-                .list_safekeepers()
-                .await?
-                .into_iter()
-                .map(|skp| Safekeeper::from_persistence(skp, CancellationToken::new()))
-                .collect::<Vec<_>>()
-        } else {
-            tracing::info!("Skipping safekeeper loading");
-            Default::default()
-        };
-
+        let safekeepers = persistence
+            .list_safekeepers()
+            .await?
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|skp| Safekeeper::from_persistence(skp, CancellationToken::new()))
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>();
         let safekeepers: HashMap<NodeId, Safekeeper> =
             safekeepers.into_iter().map(|n| (n.get_id(), n)).collect();
+        tracing::info!("Loaded {} safekeepers from database.", safekeepers.len());
 
         tracing::info!("Loading shards from database...");
         let mut tenant_shard_persistence = persistence.load_active_tenant_shards().await?;
@@ -8066,8 +8059,7 @@ impl Service {
     ) -> Result<(), DatabaseError> {
         let node_id = NodeId(record.id as u64);
         self.persistence.safekeeper_upsert(record.clone()).await?;
-
-        if self.config.load_safekeepers {
+        {
             let mut locked = self.inner.write().unwrap();
             let mut safekeepers = (*locked.safekeepers).clone();
             match safekeepers.entry(node_id) {
@@ -8099,7 +8091,7 @@ impl Service {
             .await?;
         let node_id = NodeId(id as u64);
         // After the change has been persisted successfully, update the in-memory state
-        if self.config.load_safekeepers {
+        {
             let mut locked = self.inner.write().unwrap();
             let mut safekeepers = (*locked.safekeepers).clone();
             let sk = safekeepers
diff --git a/test_runner/fixtures/neon_fixtures.py b/test_runner/fixtures/neon_fixtures.py
index 6171da52a0..ef9d8cb46f 100644
--- a/test_runner/fixtures/neon_fixtures.py
+++ b/test_runner/fixtures/neon_fixtures.py
@@ -1133,13 +1133,6 @@ class NeonEnv:
         if self.storage_controller_config is not None:
             cfg["storage_controller"] = self.storage_controller_config
 
-        # Disable new storcon flag in compat tests
-        if config.test_may_use_compatibility_snapshot_binaries:
-            if "storage_controller" in cfg:
-                cfg["storage_controller"]["load_safekeepers"] = False
-            else:
-                cfg["storage_controller"] = {"load_safekeepers": False}
-
         # Create config for pageserver
         http_auth_type = "NeonJWT" if config.auth_enabled else "Trust"
         pg_auth_type = "NeonJWT" if config.auth_enabled else "Trust"