diff --git a/libs/utils/src/sync/heavier_once_cell.rs b/libs/utils/src/sync/heavier_once_cell.rs
index 703a6dfd52..a3aee45b58 100644
--- a/libs/utils/src/sync/heavier_once_cell.rs
+++ b/libs/utils/src/sync/heavier_once_cell.rs
@@ -110,6 +110,49 @@ impl<T> OnceCell<T> {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Returns a guard to an existing initialized value, or returns an unique initialization
+    /// permit which can be used to initialize this `OnceCell` using `OnceCell::set`.
+    pub async fn get_or_init_detached(&self) -> Result<Guard<'_, T>, InitPermit> {
+        // It looks like OnceCell::get_or_init could be implemented using this method instead of
+        // duplication. However, that makes the future be !Send due to possibly holding on to the
+        // MutexGuard over an await point.
+        loop {
+            let sem = {
+                let guard = self.inner.lock().unwrap();
+                if guard.value.is_some() {
+                    return Ok(Guard(guard));
+                }
+                guard.init_semaphore.clone()
+            };
+
+            {
+                let permit = {
+                    // increment the count for the duration of queued
+                    let _guard = CountWaitingInitializers::start(self);
+                    sem.acquire().await
+                };
+
+                let Ok(permit) = permit else {
+                    let guard = self.inner.lock().unwrap();
+                    if !Arc::ptr_eq(&sem, &guard.init_semaphore) {
+                        // there was a take_and_deinit in between
+                        continue;
+                    }
+                    assert!(
+                        guard.value.is_some(),
+                        "semaphore got closed, must be initialized"
+                    );
+                    return Ok(Guard(guard));
+                };
+
+                permit.forget();
+            }
+
+            let permit = InitPermit(sem);
+            return Err(permit);
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Assuming a permit is held after previous call to [`Guard::take_and_deinit`], it can be used
     /// to complete initializing the inner value.
     ///
@@ -481,4 +524,39 @@ mod tests {
 
         assert_eq!("t1", *cell.get().unwrap());
     }
+
+    #[tokio::test(start_paused = true)]
+    async fn detached_init_smoke() {
+        let target = OnceCell::default();
+
+        let Err(permit) = target.get_or_init_detached().await else {
+            unreachable!("it is not initialized")
+        };
+
+        tokio::time::timeout(
+            std::time::Duration::from_secs(3600 * 24 * 7 * 365),
+            target.get_or_init(|permit2| async { Ok::<_, Infallible>((11, permit2)) }),
+        )
+        .await
+        .expect_err("should timeout since we are already holding the permit");
+
+        target.set(42, permit);
+
+        let (_answer, permit) = {
+            let mut guard = target
+                .get_or_init(|permit| async { Ok::<_, Infallible>((11, permit)) })
+                .await
+                .unwrap();
+
+            assert_eq!(*guard, 42);
+
+            guard.take_and_deinit()
+        };
+
+        assert!(target.get().is_none());
+
+        target.set(11, permit);
+
+        assert_eq!(*target.get().unwrap(), 11);
+    }
 }