diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
index 2543764eca..86d50de132 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
@@ -945,7 +945,7 @@ impl Timeline {
 
     pub async fn wait_to_become_active(
         &self,
-        _ctx: &RequestContext, /* Prepare for use by cancellation */
+        _ctx: &RequestContext, // Prepare for use by cancellation
     ) -> Result<(), TimelineState> {
         let mut receiver = self.state.subscribe();
         loop {
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline/walreceiver/connection_manager.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline/walreceiver/connection_manager.rs
index 9cb17ea799..2305844d75 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline/walreceiver/connection_manager.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline/walreceiver/connection_manager.rs
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ use storage_broker::proto::SubscribeSafekeeperInfoRequest;
 use storage_broker::proto::TenantTimelineId as ProtoTenantTimelineId;
 use storage_broker::BrokerClientChannel;
 use storage_broker::Streaming;
+use tokio::select;
 use tokio::sync::RwLock;
-use tokio::{select, sync::watch};
 use tracing::*;
 
 use crate::{exponential_backoff, DEFAULT_BASE_BACKOFF_SECONDS, DEFAULT_MAX_BACKOFF_SECONDS};
@@ -50,13 +50,13 @@ pub(super) async fn connection_manager_loop_step(
     ctx: &RequestContext,
     manager_status: &RwLock<Option<ConnectionManagerStatus>>,
 ) -> ControlFlow<(), ()> {
-    let mut timeline_state_updates = connection_manager_state
+    match connection_manager_state
         .timeline
-        .subscribe_for_state_updates();
-
-    match wait_for_active_timeline(&mut timeline_state_updates).await {
-        ControlFlow::Continue(()) => {}
-        ControlFlow::Break(()) => {
+        .wait_to_become_active(ctx)
+        .await
+    {
+        Ok(()) => {}
+        Err(_) => {
             info!("Timeline dropped state updates sender before becoming active, stopping wal connection manager loop");
             return ControlFlow::Break(());
         }
@@ -72,6 +72,10 @@ pub(super) async fn connection_manager_loop_step(
         timeline_id: connection_manager_state.timeline.timeline_id,
     };
 
+    let mut timeline_state_updates = connection_manager_state
+        .timeline
+        .subscribe_for_state_updates();
+
     // Subscribe to the broker updates. Stream shares underlying TCP connection
     // with other streams on this client (other connection managers). When
     // object goes out of scope, stream finishes in drop() automatically.
@@ -195,34 +199,6 @@ pub(super) async fn connection_manager_loop_step(
     }
 }
 
-async fn wait_for_active_timeline(
-    timeline_state_updates: &mut watch::Receiver<TimelineState>,
-) -> ControlFlow<(), ()> {
-    let current_state = *timeline_state_updates.borrow();
-    if current_state == TimelineState::Active {
-        return ControlFlow::Continue(());
-    }
-
-    loop {
-        match timeline_state_updates.changed().await {
-            Ok(()) => {
-                let new_state = *timeline_state_updates.borrow();
-                match new_state {
-                    TimelineState::Active => {
-                        debug!("Timeline state changed to active, continuing the walreceiver connection manager");
-                        return ControlFlow::Continue(());
-                    }
-                    state => {
-                        debug!("Not running the walreceiver connection manager, timeline is not active: {state:?}");
-                        continue;
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-            Err(_sender_dropped_error) => return ControlFlow::Break(()),
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 /// Endlessly try to subscribe for broker updates for a given timeline.
 async fn subscribe_for_timeline_updates(
     broker_client: &mut BrokerClientChannel,