diff --git a/test_runner/fixtures/shared_fixtures.py b/test_runner/fixtures/shared_fixtures.py
index 752c5597ae..6e81c672f8 100644
--- a/test_runner/fixtures/shared_fixtures.py
+++ b/test_runner/fixtures/shared_fixtures.py
@@ -1,21 +1,36 @@
-from typing import Optional, List, Dict, Any
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Optional, List, Dict, Any, Iterator
+
+import pytest
 
 from fixtures.common_types import TimelineId, Lsn
-from fixtures.neon_fixtures import PgProtocol, Safekeeper
+from fixtures.neon_fixtures import Endpoint, NeonEnv, PgProtocol, Safekeeper
+from fixtures.pg_version import PgVersion
+
+"""
+In this file most important resources are exposed as function-level fixtures
+that depend on session-level resources like pageservers and safekeepers.
+
+The main rationale here is that we don't need to initialize a new SK/PS/etc
+every time we want to test something that has branching: we can just as well
+reuse still-available PageServers from other tests of the same kind. 
+"""
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
+def shared_storage_repo_path(build_type: str, base_dir: Path) -> Path:
+    return base_dir / f"shared[{build_type}]" / "repo"
+
 
 
 class TestEndpoint(PgProtocol):
-    def __init__(self, **kwargs: Any):
+    def __init__(self, compute: Endpoint, **kwargs: Any):
         super().__init__(**kwargs)
 
-    def start(self):
-        pass
 
 class TestTimeline:
-    primary: Optional[TestEndpoint]
-    secondaries: List[TestEndpoint]
-
-    def __init__(self):
+    def __init__(self, name: str, tenant: 'TestTenant'):
         self.primary = None
 
     def start_primary(self) -> Optional[TestEndpoint]:
@@ -25,11 +40,81 @@ class TestTimeline:
 
         return self.primary
 
+
 class TestPageserver:
-    pass
+    """
+    We only need one pageserver for every build_type.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+            self,
+            build_type: str,
+            bin_path: Path,
+            repo_path: Path,
+            port: int
+    ):
+        self.build_type = build_type
+        self.bin_path = bin_path
+        self.repo_path = repo_path
+        self.port = port
+        self.started = False
+
+    def _start(self):
+        pass
+
+    def _stop(self):
+        pass
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
+def shared_pageserver() -> Iterator[TestPageserver]:
+    yield None
+
 
 class TestSafekeeper:
-    pass
+    """
+    We only need one safekeeper for every build_type.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+            self,
+            build_type: str,
+            bin_path: Path,
+            repo_path: Path,
+            port: int
+    ):
+        self.build_type = build_type
+        self.bin_path = bin_path
+        self.repo_path = repo_path
+        self.port = port
+        self.started = False
+
+    def _start(self):
+        pass
+
+    def _stop(self):
+        pass
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
+def shared_safekeeper(
+    request,
+    port: int,
+    build_type: str,
+    neon_binpath: Path,
+    shared_storage_repo_path: Path
+) -> Iterator[TestSafekeeper]:
+    sk = TestSafekeeper(
+        build_type=build_type,
+        bin_path=(neon_binpath / "safekeeper"),
+        port=port,
+        repo_path=shared_storage_repo_path,
+    )
+    sk.start()
+
+    yield sk
+    sk.stop()
+
 
 class TestTenant:
     """
@@ -38,29 +123,20 @@ class TestTenant:
     """
 
     def __init__(
-        self,
-        pageserver: TestPageserver,
-        safekeeper: Safekeeper,
-        main_timeline_name: Optional[str] = "main",
+            self,
+            pageserver: TestPageserver,
+            safekeeper: TestSafekeeper,
     ):
         self.pageserver = pageserver
-        self.safekeeper = safekeeper
-        self.timeline_map: Dict[str, TestTimeline] = dict()
-
-        self.timeline_map[main_timeline_name] = self.primary_timeline
 
     def create_timeline(
-        self,
-        name: str,
-        parent_name: Optional[str],
-        parent_id: Optional[TimelineId],
-        branch_at: Optional[Lsn],
+            self,
+            name: str,
+            parent_name: Optional[str],
+            branch_at: Optional[Lsn],
     ) -> TestTimeline:
-        if (tlid := self.timeline_map.get(name)) is not None:
-            return tlid
-
-        return self._new_timeline()
-
-    def _new_timeline(self) -> TestTimeline:
         pass
 
+    def stop(self):
+        for it in self.active_computes:
+            it.stop()