diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index be3f179d5f..ba8c367d53 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -2393,6 +2393,17 @@ dependencies = [
  "minimal-lexical",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "nostarve_queue"
+version = "0.1.0"
+dependencies = [
+ "futures",
+ "rand",
+ "scopeguard",
+ "tokio",
+ "tracing",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "notify"
 version = "5.2.0"
@@ -2704,6 +2715,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "itertools",
  "metrics",
  "nix 0.26.2",
+ "nostarve_queue",
  "num-traits",
  "num_cpus",
  "once_cell",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 2b9da977e5..ac3e3c273d 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ members = [
     "libs/tracing-utils",
     "libs/postgres_ffi/wal_craft",
     "libs/vm_monitor",
+    "libs/nostarve_queue",
 ]
 
 [workspace.package]
@@ -180,6 +181,7 @@ tenant_size_model = { version = "0.1", path = "./libs/tenant_size_model/" }
 tracing-utils = { version = "0.1", path = "./libs/tracing-utils/" }
 utils = { version = "0.1", path = "./libs/utils/" }
 vm_monitor = { version = "0.1", path = "./libs/vm_monitor/" }
+nostarve_queue = { path = "./libs/nostarve_queue" }
 
 ## Common library dependency
 workspace_hack = { version = "0.1", path = "./workspace_hack/" }
diff --git a/libs/nostarve_queue/Cargo.toml b/libs/nostarve_queue/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..716762d477
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/nostarve_queue/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+[package]
+name = "nostarve_queue"
+version = "0.1.0"
+edition.workspace = true
+license.workspace = true
+
+[dependencies]
+scopeguard.workspace = true
+tracing.workspace = true
+
+[dev-dependencies]
+futures.workspace = true
+rand.workspace = true
+tokio = { workspace = true, features = ["rt", "rt-multi-thread", "time"] }
diff --git a/libs/nostarve_queue/src/lib.rs b/libs/nostarve_queue/src/lib.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..885e77c45b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/nostarve_queue/src/lib.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,308 @@
+//! Synchronization primitive to prevent starvation among concurrent tasks that do the same work.
+
+use std::{
+    collections::VecDeque,
+    fmt,
+    future::poll_fn,
+    sync::Mutex,
+    task::{Poll, Waker},
+};
+
+pub struct Queue<T> {
+    inner: Mutex<Inner<T>>,
+}
+
+struct Inner<T> {
+    waiters: VecDeque<usize>,
+    free: VecDeque<usize>,
+    slots: Vec<Option<(Option<Waker>, Option<T>)>>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Copy)]
+pub struct Position<'q, T> {
+    idx: usize,
+    queue: &'q Queue<T>,
+}
+
+impl<T> fmt::Debug for Position<'_, T> {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        f.debug_struct("Position").field("idx", &self.idx).finish()
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T> Inner<T> {
+    #[cfg(not(test))]
+    #[inline]
+    fn integrity_check(&self) {}
+
+    #[cfg(test)]
+    fn integrity_check(&self) {
+        use std::collections::HashSet;
+        let waiters = self.waiters.iter().copied().collect::<HashSet<_>>();
+        let free = self.free.iter().copied().collect::<HashSet<_>>();
+        for (slot_idx, slot) in self.slots.iter().enumerate() {
+            match slot {
+                None => {
+                    assert!(!waiters.contains(&slot_idx));
+                    assert!(free.contains(&slot_idx));
+                }
+                Some((None, None)) => {
+                    assert!(waiters.contains(&slot_idx));
+                    assert!(!free.contains(&slot_idx));
+                }
+                Some((Some(_), Some(_))) => {
+                    assert!(!waiters.contains(&slot_idx));
+                    assert!(!free.contains(&slot_idx));
+                }
+                Some((Some(_), None)) => {
+                    assert!(waiters.contains(&slot_idx));
+                    assert!(!free.contains(&slot_idx));
+                }
+                Some((None, Some(_))) => {
+                    assert!(!waiters.contains(&slot_idx));
+                    assert!(!free.contains(&slot_idx));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T> Queue<T> {
+    pub fn new(size: usize) -> Self {
+        Queue {
+            inner: Mutex::new(Inner {
+                waiters: VecDeque::new(),
+                free: (0..size).collect(),
+                slots: {
+                    let mut v = Vec::with_capacity(size);
+                    v.resize_with(size, || None);
+                    v
+                },
+            }),
+        }
+    }
+    pub fn begin(&self) -> Result<Position<T>, ()> {
+        tracing::trace!("get in line locking inner");
+        let mut inner = self.inner.lock().unwrap();
+        inner.integrity_check();
+        let my_waitslot_idx = inner
+            .free
+            .pop_front()
+            .expect("can't happen, len(slots) = len(waiters");
+        inner.waiters.push_back(my_waitslot_idx);
+        let prev = inner.slots[my_waitslot_idx].replace((None, None));
+        assert!(prev.is_none());
+        inner.integrity_check();
+        Ok(Position {
+            idx: my_waitslot_idx,
+            queue: &self,
+        })
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'q, T> Position<'q, T> {
+    pub fn complete_and_wait(self, datum: T) -> impl std::future::Future<Output = T> + 'q {
+        tracing::trace!("found victim locking waiters");
+        let mut inner = self.queue.inner.lock().unwrap();
+        inner.integrity_check();
+        let winner_idx = inner.waiters.pop_front().expect("we put ourselves in");
+        tracing::trace!(winner_idx, "putting victim into next waiters slot");
+        let winner_slot = inner.slots[winner_idx].as_mut().unwrap();
+        let prev = winner_slot.1.replace(datum);
+        assert!(
+            prev.is_none(),
+            "ensure we didn't mess up this simple ring buffer structure"
+        );
+        if let Some(waker) = winner_slot.0.take() {
+            tracing::trace!(winner_idx, "waking up winner");
+            waker.wake()
+        }
+        inner.integrity_check();
+        drop(inner); // the poll_fn locks it again
+
+        let mut poll_num = 0;
+        let mut drop_guard = Some(scopeguard::guard((), |()| {
+            panic!("must not drop this future until Ready");
+        }));
+
+        // take the victim that was found by someone else
+        poll_fn(move |cx| {
+            let my_waitslot_idx = self.idx;
+            poll_num += 1;
+            tracing::trace!(poll_num, "poll_fn locking waiters");
+            let mut inner = self.queue.inner.lock().unwrap();
+            inner.integrity_check();
+            let my_waitslot = inner.slots[self.idx].as_mut().unwrap();
+            // assert!(
+            //     poll_num <= 2,
+            //     "once we place the waker in the slot, next wakeup should have a result: {}",
+            //     my_waitslot.1.is_some()
+            // );
+            if let Some(res) = my_waitslot.1.take() {
+                tracing::trace!(poll_num, "have cache slot");
+                // above .take() resets the waiters slot to None
+                debug_assert!(my_waitslot.0.is_none());
+                debug_assert!(my_waitslot.1.is_none());
+                inner.slots[my_waitslot_idx] = None;
+                inner.free.push_back(my_waitslot_idx);
+                let _ = scopeguard::ScopeGuard::into_inner(drop_guard.take().unwrap());
+                inner.integrity_check();
+                return Poll::Ready(res);
+            }
+            // assert_eq!(poll_num, 1);
+            if !my_waitslot
+                .0
+                .as_ref()
+                .map(|existing| cx.waker().will_wake(existing))
+                .unwrap_or(false)
+            {
+                let prev = my_waitslot.0.replace(cx.waker().clone());
+                tracing::trace!(poll_num, prev_is_some = prev.is_some(), "updating waker");
+            }
+            inner.integrity_check();
+            tracing::trace!(poll_num, "waiting to be woken up");
+            Poll::Pending
+        })
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod test {
+    use std::{
+        sync::{
+            atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering},
+            Arc,
+        },
+        task::Poll,
+        time::Duration,
+    };
+
+    use rand::RngCore;
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn in_order_completion_and_wait() {
+        let queue = super::Queue::new(2);
+
+        let q1 = queue.begin().unwrap();
+        let q2 = queue.begin().unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(q1.complete_and_wait(23).await, 23);
+        assert_eq!(q2.complete_and_wait(42).await, 42);
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn out_of_order_completion_and_wait() {
+        let queue = super::Queue::new(2);
+
+        let q1 = queue.begin().unwrap();
+        let q2 = queue.begin().unwrap();
+
+        let mut q2compfut = q2.complete_and_wait(23);
+
+        match futures::poll!(&mut q2compfut) {
+            Poll::Pending => {}
+            Poll::Ready(_) => panic!("should not be ready yet, it's queued after q1"),
+        }
+
+        let q1res = q1.complete_and_wait(42).await;
+        assert_eq!(q1res, 23);
+
+        let q2res = q2compfut.await;
+        assert_eq!(q2res, 42);
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn in_order_completion_out_of_order_wait() {
+        let queue = super::Queue::new(2);
+
+        let q1 = queue.begin().unwrap();
+        let q2 = queue.begin().unwrap();
+
+        let mut q1compfut = q1.complete_and_wait(23);
+
+        let mut q2compfut = q2.complete_and_wait(42);
+
+        match futures::poll!(&mut q2compfut) {
+            Poll::Pending => {
+                unreachable!("q2 should be ready, it wasn't first but q1 is serviced already")
+            }
+            Poll::Ready(x) => assert_eq!(x, 42),
+        }
+
+        assert_eq!(futures::poll!(&mut q1compfut), Poll::Ready(23));
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
+    async fn stress() {
+        let ntasks = 8;
+        let queue_size = 8;
+        let queue = Arc::new(super::Queue::new(queue_size));
+
+        let stop = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
+
+        let mut tasks = vec![];
+        for i in 0..ntasks {
+            let jh = tokio::spawn({
+                let queue = Arc::clone(&queue);
+                let stop = Arc::clone(&stop);
+                async move {
+                    while !stop.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+                        let q = queue.begin().unwrap();
+                        for _ in 0..(rand::thread_rng().next_u32() % 10_000) {
+                            std::hint::spin_loop();
+                        }
+                        q.complete_and_wait(i).await;
+                        tokio::task::yield_now().await;
+                    }
+                }
+            });
+            tasks.push(jh);
+        }
+
+        tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(10)).await;
+
+        stop.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed);
+
+        for t in tasks {
+            t.await.unwrap();
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn stress_two_runtimes_shared_queue() {
+        std::thread::scope(|s| {
+            let ntasks = 8;
+            let queue_size = 8;
+            let queue = Arc::new(super::Queue::new(queue_size));
+
+            let stop = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
+
+            for i in 0..ntasks {
+                s.spawn({
+                    let queue = Arc::clone(&queue);
+                    let stop = Arc::clone(&stop);
+                    move || {
+                        let rt = tokio::runtime::Builder::new_current_thread()
+                            .enable_all()
+                            .build()
+                            .unwrap();
+                        rt.block_on(async move {
+                            while !stop.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+                                let q = queue.begin().unwrap();
+                                for _ in 0..(rand::thread_rng().next_u32() % 10_000) {
+                                    std::hint::spin_loop();
+                                }
+                                q.complete_and_wait(i).await;
+                                tokio::task::yield_now().await;
+                            }
+                        });
+                    }
+                });
+            }
+
+            std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(10));
+
+            stop.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed);
+        });
+    }
+}
diff --git a/pageserver/Cargo.toml b/pageserver/Cargo.toml
index 3eb01003df..a40bd133fc 100644
--- a/pageserver/Cargo.toml
+++ b/pageserver/Cargo.toml
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ humantime-serde.workspace = true
 hyper.workspace = true
 itertools.workspace = true
 nix.workspace = true
+nostarve_queue.workspace = true
 # hack to get the number of worker threads tokio uses
 num_cpus = { version = "1.15" }
 num-traits.workspace = true
diff --git a/pageserver/src/page_cache.rs b/pageserver/src/page_cache.rs
index 3b114a7fd4..95c8a817c3 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/page_cache.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/page_cache.rs
@@ -72,20 +72,18 @@
 //!
 
 use std::{
-    collections::{hash_map::Entry, HashMap, VecDeque, HashSet},
+    collections::{hash_map::Entry, HashMap},
     convert::TryInto,
-    future::poll_fn,
     sync::{
         atomic::{AtomicU64, AtomicU8, AtomicUsize, Ordering},
-        Arc, Mutex, Weak,
+        Arc, Weak,
     },
-    task::{Poll, Waker},
     time::Duration,
 };
 
 use anyhow::Context;
 use once_cell::sync::OnceCell;
-use tracing::{Instrument, instrument};
+use tracing::instrument;
 use utils::{
     id::{TenantId, TimelineId},
     lsn::Lsn,
@@ -254,18 +252,10 @@ pub struct PageCache {
     /// This is interpreted modulo the page cache size.
     next_evict_slot: AtomicUsize,
 
-    find_victim_waiters: Mutex<(
-        VecDeque<usize>,
-        VecDeque<usize>,
-        Vec<
-            Option<(
-                Option<Waker>,
-                Option<(usize, tokio::sync::RwLockWriteGuard<'static, SlotInner>)>,
-            )>,
-        >,
-    )>,
-
     size_metrics: &'static PageCacheSizeMetrics,
+
+    find_victim_waiters:
+        nostarve_queue::Queue<(usize, tokio::sync::RwLockWriteGuard<'static, SlotInner>)>,
 }
 
 struct PinnedSlotsPermit(tokio::sync::OwnedSemaphorePermit);
@@ -879,62 +869,10 @@ impl PageCache {
         &'static self,
         _permit_witness: &PinnedSlotsPermit,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<(usize, tokio::sync::RwLockWriteGuard<SlotInner>)> {
-        let integrity_check = |guard: &std::sync::MutexGuard<(
-            VecDeque<usize>,
-            VecDeque<usize>,
-            Vec<
-                Option<(
-                    Option<Waker>,
-                    Option<(usize, tokio::sync::RwLockWriteGuard<SlotInner>)>,
-                )>,
-            >,
-        )>| {
-            let (waiters, free, slots) = &**guard;
-            let waiters = waiters.iter().copied().collect::<HashSet<_>>();
-            let free = free.iter().copied().collect::<HashSet<_>>();
-            for (slot_idx, slot) in slots.iter().enumerate() {
-                match slot {
-                    None => {
-                        assert!(!waiters.contains(&slot_idx));
-                        assert!(free.contains(&slot_idx));
-                    }
-                    Some((None, None)) => {
-                        assert!(waiters.contains(&slot_idx));
-                        assert!(!free.contains(&slot_idx));
-                    }
-                    Some((Some(_), Some(_))) => {
-                        assert!(!waiters.contains(&slot_idx));
-                        assert!(!free.contains(&slot_idx));
-                    }
-                    Some((Some(_), None)) => {
-                        assert!(waiters.contains(&slot_idx));
-                        assert!(!free.contains(&slot_idx));
-                    }
-                    Some((None, Some(_))) => {
-                        assert!(!waiters.contains(&slot_idx));
-                        assert!(!free.contains(&slot_idx));
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-        };
+        let nostarve_position = self.find_victim_waiters.begin()
+            .expect("we initialize the nostarve queue to the same size as the slots semaphore, and the caller is presenting a permit");
 
-        // Get in line.
-        let my_waitslot_idx = {
-                    tracing::trace!("get in line locking waiters");
-            let mut guard = self.find_victim_waiters.lock().unwrap();
-            integrity_check(&guard);
-            let (waiters, free, waitslot) = &mut *guard;
-            let my_waitslot_idx = free
-                .pop_front()
-                .expect("can't happen, len(slots) = len(waiters");
-            waiters.push_back(my_waitslot_idx);
-            let prev = waitslot[my_waitslot_idx].replace((None, None));
-            debug_assert!(prev.is_none());
-            integrity_check(&guard);
-            my_waitslot_idx
-        };
-
-        let span = tracing::info_span!("find_victim", my_waitslot_idx);
+        let span = tracing::info_span!("find_victim", ?nostarve_position);
         let _enter = span.enter();
 
         let mut iters = 0;
@@ -961,67 +899,7 @@ impl PageCache {
                 }
                 crate::metrics::PAGE_CACHE_FIND_VICTIMS_ITERS_TOTAL.inc_by(iters as u64);
 
-                // put in the victim we found
-                {
-                    tracing::trace!("found victim locking waiters");
-                    let mut guard = self.find_victim_waiters.lock().unwrap();
-                    integrity_check(&guard);
-                    let (waiters, _, waitslots) = &mut *guard;
-                    let winner_idx = waiters.pop_front().expect("we put ourselves in");
-                    tracing::trace!(winner_idx, "putting victim into next waiters slot");
-                    let winner_slot = waitslots[winner_idx].as_mut().unwrap();
-                    let prev = winner_slot.1.replace((slot_idx, inner));
-                    debug_assert!(
-                        prev.is_none(),
-                        "ensure we didn't mess up this simple ring buffer structure"
-                    );
-                    if let Some(waker) = winner_slot.0.take() {
-                        tracing::trace!(winner_idx, "waking up winner");
-                        waker.wake()
-                    }
-                    integrity_check(&guard);
-                }
-
-                let mut poll_num = 0;
-                let mut drop_guard = Some(scopeguard::guard((), |()| {
-                    panic!("must not drop this future until Ready");
-                }));
-
-                // take the victim that was found by someone else
-                return Ok(poll_fn(move |cx| {
-                    poll_num += 1;
-                    tracing::trace!(poll_num, "poll_fn locking waiters");
-                    let mut guard = self.find_victim_waiters.lock().unwrap();
-                    integrity_check(&guard);
-                    let (_, free, waitslots) = &mut *guard;
-                    let my_waitslot = waitslots[my_waitslot_idx].as_mut().unwrap();
-                    // assert!(
-                    //     poll_num <= 2,
-                    //     "once we place the waker in the slot, next wakeup should have a result: {}",
-                    //     my_waitslot.1.is_some()
-                    // );
-                    if let Some(res) = my_waitslot.1.take() {
-                        tracing::trace!(poll_num, "have cache slot");
-                        // above .take() resets the waiters slot to None
-                        free.push_back(my_waitslot_idx);
-                        debug_assert!(my_waitslot.0.is_none());
-                        debug_assert!(my_waitslot.1.is_none());
-                        waitslots[my_waitslot_idx] = None;
-                        let _ = scopeguard::ScopeGuard::into_inner(drop_guard.take().unwrap());
-                        integrity_check(&guard);
-                        return Poll::Ready(res);
-                    }
-                    // assert_eq!(poll_num, 1);
-                    if !my_waitslot.0.as_ref().map(|existing| cx.waker().will_wake(existing)).unwrap_or(false) {
-                        let prev = my_waitslot.0.replace(cx.waker().clone());
-                        tracing::trace!(poll_num, prev_is_some=prev.is_some(), "updating waker");
-                    }
-                    integrity_check(&guard);
-                    tracing::trace!(poll_num, "waiting to be woken up");
-                    Poll::Pending
-                })
-                .instrument(span.clone())
-                .await);
+                return Ok(nostarve_position.complete_and_wait((slot_idx, inner)).await);
             }
         }
     }
@@ -1065,11 +943,7 @@ impl PageCache {
             next_evict_slot: AtomicUsize::new(0),
             size_metrics,
             pinned_slots: Arc::new(tokio::sync::Semaphore::new(num_pages)),
-            find_victim_waiters: Mutex::new((VecDeque::new(), (0..num_pages).collect(), {
-                let mut v = Vec::with_capacity(num_pages);
-                v.resize_with(num_pages, || None);
-                v
-            })),
+            find_victim_waiters: ::nostarve_queue::Queue::new(num_pages),
         }
     }
 }