diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant.rs
index 758f8b15a1..4025e93f66 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant.rs
@@ -1649,22 +1649,16 @@ impl Tenant {
     /// This function is periodically called by compactor task.
     /// Also it can be explicitly requested per timeline through page server
     /// api's 'compact' command.
-    pub async fn compaction_iteration(
+    async fn compaction_iteration(
         &self,
         cancel: &CancellationToken,
         ctx: &RequestContext,
-    ) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
-        // Don't start doing work during shutdown
-        if let TenantState::Stopping { .. } = self.current_state() {
+    ) -> anyhow::Result<(), timeline::CompactionError> {
+        // Don't start doing work during shutdown, or when broken, we do not need those in the logs
+        if !self.is_active() {
             return Ok(());
         }
 
-        // We should only be called once the tenant has activated.
-        anyhow::ensure!(
-            self.is_active(),
-            "Cannot run compaction iteration on inactive tenant"
-        );
-
         {
             let conf = self.tenant_conf.read().unwrap();
             if !conf.location.may_delete_layers_hint() || !conf.location.may_upload_layers_hint() {
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/tasks.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/tasks.rs
index eb77f7c83a..381d731b79 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/tasks.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/tasks.rs
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ async fn compaction_loop(tenant: Arc<Tenant>, cancel: CancellationToken) {
                 // Run compaction
                 if let Err(e) = tenant.compaction_iteration(&cancel, &ctx).await {
                     let wait_duration = backoff::exponential_backoff_duration_seconds(
-                        error_run_count,
+                        error_run_count + 1,
                         1.0,
                         MAX_BACKOFF_SECS,
                     );
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ async fn gc_loop(tenant: Arc<Tenant>, cancel: CancellationToken) {
                     .await;
                 if let Err(e) = res {
                     let wait_duration = backoff::exponential_backoff_duration_seconds(
-                        error_run_count,
+                        error_run_count + 1,
                         1.0,
                         MAX_BACKOFF_SECS,
                     );