diff --git a/pgxn/neon/libpagestore.c b/pgxn/neon/libpagestore.c
index c0ac5c27d0..5411d26faa 100644
--- a/pgxn/neon/libpagestore.c
+++ b/pgxn/neon/libpagestore.c
@@ -70,20 +70,18 @@ static shmem_request_hook_type prev_shmem_request_hook;
 typedef struct
 {
 	size_t n_shards;
-	size_t update_counter;
+	pg_atomic_uint64 update_counter;
 	char   shard_connstr[MAX_SHARDS][MAX_PS_CONNSTR_LEN];
 } ShardMap;
 
 
 static ShardMap* shard_map;
-static LWLockId  shard_map_lock;
-static size_t    shard_map_update_counter;
-static bool      config_updated;
+static uint64    shard_map_update_counter;
 
 typedef struct
 {
 	/*
-	 * connection for each shard
+	 * Connection for each shard
 	 */
 	PGconn	   *conn;
     /*
@@ -112,9 +110,8 @@ psm_shmem_startup(void)
 	shard_map = (ShardMap*)ShmemInitStruct("shard_map", sizeof(ShardMap), &found);
 	if (!found)
 	{
-		shard_map_lock = (LWLockId)GetNamedLWLockTranche("shard_map_lock");
 		shard_map->n_shards = 0;
-		shard_map->update_counter = 1; /* force update of shared map on forst access */
+		pg_atomic_init_u64(&shard_map->update_counter, 0);
 	}
 	LWLockRelease(AddinShmemInitLock);
 }
@@ -128,7 +125,6 @@ psm_shmem_request(void)
 #endif
 
 	RequestAddinShmemSpace(sizeof(ShardMap));
-	RequestNamedLWLockTranche("shard_map_lock", 1);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -151,75 +147,32 @@ static shardno_t
 load_shard_map(shardno_t shard_no, char* connstr)
 {
 	shardno_t n_shards;
-	bool exclusive_lock = false;
-	LWLockAcquire(shard_map_lock, LW_SHARED);
+	uint64 update_counter = pg_atomic_read_u64(&shard_map->update_counter);
 
-	if (shard_map_update_counter != shard_map->update_counter || config_updated)
+	/*
+	 * There is race condition here between backendc and postmaster which can update shard map.
+	 * We recheck update couner after copying connection string to check that configuration was not changed.
+	 */
+	while (shard_map_update_counter != update_counter)
 	{
-	  ParseConnString:
+		/* Reset all connections */
+		for (shardno_t i = 0; i < max_attached_shard_no; i++)
 		{
-			char const* shard_connstr = page_server_connstring;
-			char const* sep;
-			size_t connstr_len;
-			int i = 0;
-			bool shard_map_changed = false;
-			do
-			{
-				sep = strchr(shard_connstr, ',');
-				connstr_len = sep != NULL ? sep - shard_connstr : strlen(shard_connstr);
-				if (connstr_len == 0)
-					break; /* trailing comma */
-				if (i >= MAX_SHARDS)
-					elog(ERROR, "Too many shards");
-				if (connstr_len >= MAX_PS_CONNSTR_LEN)
-					elog(ERROR, "Connection  string too long");
-				if (i >= shard_map->n_shards ||
-					strcmp(shard_map->shard_connstr[i], shard_connstr) != 0)
-				{
-					if (!exclusive_lock)
-					{
-						/* Retry under exclsuive lock */
-						LWLockRelease(shard_map_lock);
-						LWLockAcquire(shard_map_lock, LW_EXCLUSIVE);
-						exclusive_lock = true;
-						goto ParseConnString;
-					}
-					shard_map_changed = true;
-					memcpy(shard_map->shard_connstr[i], shard_connstr, connstr_len+1);
-				}
-				shard_connstr = sep + 1;
-				i += 1;
-			} while (sep != NULL);
-
-			if (i == 0)
-				elog(ERROR, "No shards were specified");
-
-			if (shard_map_changed)
-			{
-				shard_map->update_counter += 1;
-				shard_map->n_shards = i;
-			}
+			if (page_servers[i].conn)
+				pageserver_disconnect(i);
 		}
-		if (shard_map_update_counter != shard_map->update_counter)
-		{
-			for (shardno_t i = 0; i < max_attached_shard_no; i++)
-			{
-				if (page_servers[i].conn)
-					pageserver_disconnect(i);
-			}
-			shard_map_update_counter = shard_map->update_counter;
-		}
-		config_updated = false;
+		max_attached_shard_no = 0;
+
+		shard_map_update_counter = update_counter;
+		n_shards = shard_map->n_shards;
+		if (shard_no >= n_shards)
+			elog(ERROR, "Shard %d is greater or equal than number of shards %d", shard_no, n_shards);
+
+		if (connstr)
+			strcpy(connstr, shard_map->shard_connstr[shard_no]);
+
+		update_counter = pg_atomic_read_u64(&shard_map->update_counter);
 	}
-	n_shards = shard_map->n_shards;
-	if (shard_no >= n_shards)
-		elog(ERROR, "Shard %d is greater or equal than number of shards %d", shard_no, n_shards);
-
-	if (connstr)
-		strcpy(connstr, shard_map->shard_connstr[shard_no]);
-
-	LWLockRelease(shard_map_lock);
-
 	return n_shards;
 }
 
@@ -582,6 +535,59 @@ check_neon_id(char **newval, void **extra, GucSource source)
 	return **newval == '\0' || HexDecodeString(id, *newval, 16);
 }
 
+static void
+AssignPageserverConnstring(const char *newval, void *extra)
+{
+	/*
+	 * Load shard map only at Postmaster.
+	 * If old page server is not available, then backends can be blocked in attempts to reconnect to it and do not reload config in this loop
+	 */
+	if (MyProcPid == PostmasterPid)
+	{
+		char const* shard_connstr = newval;
+		char const* sep;
+		size_t connstr_len;
+		int i = 0;
+		bool shard_map_changed = false;
+		do
+		{
+			sep = strchr(shard_connstr, ',');
+			connstr_len = sep != NULL ? sep - shard_connstr : strlen(shard_connstr);
+			if (connstr_len == 0)
+				break; /* trailing comma */
+			if (i >= MAX_SHARDS)
+			{
+				elog(LOG, "Too many shards");
+				return;
+			}
+			if (connstr_len >= MAX_PS_CONNSTR_LEN)
+			{
+				elog(LOG, "Connection  string too long");
+				return;
+			}
+			if (i >= shard_map->n_shards ||
+				strcmp(shard_map->shard_connstr[i], shard_connstr) != 0)
+			{
+				shard_map_changed = true;
+				memcpy(shard_map->shard_connstr[i], shard_connstr, connstr_len+1);
+			}
+			shard_connstr = sep + 1;
+			i += 1;
+		} while (sep != NULL);
+
+		if (i == 0)
+		{
+			elog(LOG, "No shards were specified");
+			return;
+		}
+		if (shard_map_changed)
+		{
+			shard_map->n_shards = i;
+			pg_atomic_add_fetch_u64(&shard_map->update_counter, 1);
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 /*
  * Module initialization function
  */