diff --git a/pgxn/neon/walproposer.h b/pgxn/neon/walproposer.h
index 83ef72d3d7..547c1b82ab 100644
--- a/pgxn/neon/walproposer.h
+++ b/pgxn/neon/walproposer.h
@@ -384,6 +384,7 @@ typedef struct WalproposerShmemState
 	XLogRecPtr	donor_lsn;
 
 	slock_t		mutex;
+	bool        bgw_started;
 	pg_atomic_uint64 mineLastElectedTerm;
 	pg_atomic_uint64 backpressureThrottlingTime;
 	pg_atomic_uint64 currentClusterSize;
diff --git a/pgxn/neon/walproposer_pg.c b/pgxn/neon/walproposer_pg.c
index 17582405db..4da4d295dc 100644
--- a/pgxn/neon/walproposer_pg.c
+++ b/pgxn/neon/walproposer_pg.c
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ static void nwp_prepare_shmem(void);
 static uint64 backpressure_lag_impl(void);
 static uint64 startup_backpressure_wrap(void);
 static bool backpressure_throttling_impl(void);
-static void walprop_register_bgworker(void);
+static void walprop_register_bgworker(bool dynamic);
 
 static void walprop_pg_init_standalone_sync_safekeepers(void);
 static void walprop_pg_init_walsender(void);
@@ -149,6 +149,8 @@ WalProposerSync(int argc, char *argv[])
 	WalProposerStart(wp);
 }
 
+#define GUC_POLL_DELAY 100000L // 0.1 sec
+
 /*
  * WAL proposer bgworker entry point.
  */
@@ -157,6 +159,13 @@ WalProposerMain(Datum main_arg)
 {
 	WalProposer *wp;
 
+	while (*wal_acceptors_list == '\0')
+	{
+		/* Wait until wal acceptors list GUC changes are propagated */
+		pg_usleep(GUC_POLL_DELAY);
+		CHECK_FOR_INTERRUPTS();
+	}
+
 	init_walprop_config(false);
 	walprop_pg_init_bgworker();
 	am_walproposer = true;
@@ -186,7 +195,9 @@ pg_init_walproposer(void)
 	PrevProcessInterruptsCallback = ProcessInterruptsCallback;
 	ProcessInterruptsCallback = backpressure_throttling_impl;
 
-	walprop_register_bgworker();
+	/* If no wal acceptors are specified, don't start the background worker. */
+	if (*wal_acceptors_list != '\0')
+		walprop_register_bgworker(false);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -304,6 +315,19 @@ assign_neon_safekeepers(const char *newval, void *extra)
 	char	   *newval_copy;
 	char	   *oldval;
 
+	/* Promotion of replica */
+	if (*wal_acceptors_list == '\0' && *newval != '\0' && walprop_shared && IsUnderPostmaster)
+	{
+		SpinLockAcquire(&walprop_shared->mutex);
+		if (!walprop_shared->bgw_started)
+		{
+			walprop_shared->bgw_started = true;
+			walprop_register_bgworker(true);
+		}
+		SpinLockRelease(&walprop_shared->mutex);
+		return;
+	}
+
 	if (!am_walproposer)
 		return;
 
@@ -496,17 +520,13 @@ BackpressureThrottlingTime(void)
  * Register a background worker proposing WAL to wal acceptors.
  */
 static void
-walprop_register_bgworker(void)
+walprop_register_bgworker(bool dynamic)
 {
 	BackgroundWorker bgw;
 
-	/* If no wal acceptors are specified, don't start the background worker. */
-	if (*wal_acceptors_list == '\0')
-		return;
-
 	memset(&bgw, 0, sizeof(bgw));
 	bgw.bgw_flags = BGWORKER_SHMEM_ACCESS;
-	bgw.bgw_start_time = BgWorkerStart_RecoveryFinished;
+	bgw.bgw_start_time = dynamic ? BgWorkerStart_ConsistentState : BgWorkerStart_RecoveryFinished;
 	snprintf(bgw.bgw_library_name, BGW_MAXLEN, "neon");
 	snprintf(bgw.bgw_function_name, BGW_MAXLEN, "WalProposerMain");
 	snprintf(bgw.bgw_name, BGW_MAXLEN, "WAL proposer");
@@ -515,7 +535,18 @@ walprop_register_bgworker(void)
 	bgw.bgw_notify_pid = 0;
 	bgw.bgw_main_arg = (Datum) 0;
 
-	RegisterBackgroundWorker(&bgw);
+	if (dynamic)
+	{
+		BackgroundWorkerHandle* handle;
+		if (!RegisterDynamicBackgroundWorker(&bgw, &handle))
+		{
+			elog(FATAL, "Failed to start walproposer");
+		}
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		RegisterBackgroundWorker(&bgw);
+	}
 }
 
 /* shmem handling */
diff --git a/test_runner/regress/test_replica_promote.py b/test_runner/regress/test_replica_promote.py
index 926512bb7b..b1763f8e10 100644
--- a/test_runner/regress/test_replica_promote.py
+++ b/test_runner/regress/test_replica_promote.py
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ def test_replica_promotes(neon_simple_env: NeonEnv, pg_version: PgVersion):
         )
         primary_cur.execute("INSERT INTO t(payload) SELECT generate_series(1, 100)")
         primary_cur.execute("select pg_switch_wal()")
+        primary_cur.execute("show neon.safekeepers")
+        safekeepers = primary_cur.fetchall()[0][0]
 
     wait_replica_caughtup(primary, secondary)
 
@@ -73,11 +75,15 @@ def test_replica_promotes(neon_simple_env: NeonEnv, pg_version: PgVersion):
     secondary_conn = secondary.connect()
     secondary_cur = secondary_conn.cursor()
 
-    secondary_cur.execute("INSERT INTO t (payload) SELECT generate_series(101, 200)")
-    secondary_cur.fetchall()
+    secondary_cur.execute(f"alter system set neon.safekeepers='{safekeepers}'")
+    secondary_cur.execute("select pg_reload_conf()");
 
-    secondary_cur.execute("select count(*) from t")
-    assert secondary_cur.fetchone() == (200,)
+    new_primary_conn = secondary.connect()
+    new_primary_cur = new_primary_conn.cursor()
+    new_primary_cur.execute("INSERT INTO t (payload) SELECT generate_series(101, 200)")
+
+    new_primary_cur.execute("select count(*) from t")
+    assert new_primary_cur.fetchone() == (200,)
 
     secondary.stop(mode="immediate")