diff --git a/control_plane/src/local_env.rs b/control_plane/src/local_env.rs
index 387fc297f0..e8abde4901 100644
--- a/control_plane/src/local_env.rs
+++ b/control_plane/src/local_env.rs
@@ -211,6 +211,8 @@ pub struct NeonStorageControllerConf {
     pub use_local_compute_notifications: bool,
 
     pub timeline_safekeeper_count: Option<i64>,
+
+    pub kick_secondary_downloads: Option<bool>,
 }
 
 impl NeonStorageControllerConf {
@@ -242,6 +244,7 @@ impl Default for NeonStorageControllerConf {
             use_https_safekeeper_api: false,
             use_local_compute_notifications: true,
             timeline_safekeeper_count: None,
+            kick_secondary_downloads: None,
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/control_plane/src/storage_controller.rs b/control_plane/src/storage_controller.rs
index 95f7533057..334949924c 100644
--- a/control_plane/src/storage_controller.rs
+++ b/control_plane/src/storage_controller.rs
@@ -557,6 +557,10 @@ impl StorageController {
             args.push("--use-local-compute-notifications".to_string());
         }
 
+        if let Some(value) = self.config.kick_secondary_downloads {
+            args.push(format!("--kick-secondary-downloads={value}"));
+        }
+
         if let Some(ssl_ca_file) = self.env.ssl_ca_cert_path() {
             args.push(format!("--ssl-ca-file={}", ssl_ca_file.to_str().unwrap()));
         }
diff --git a/storage_controller/src/main.rs b/storage_controller/src/main.rs
index fc0ba9f28c..ff134a4ebc 100644
--- a/storage_controller/src/main.rs
+++ b/storage_controller/src/main.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ use std::time::Duration;
 
 use anyhow::{Context, anyhow};
 use camino::Utf8PathBuf;
+
+#[cfg(feature = "testing")]
+use clap::ArgAction;
 use clap::Parser;
 use futures::future::OptionFuture;
 use http_utils::tls_certs::ReloadingCertificateResolver;
@@ -213,6 +216,13 @@ struct Cli {
     /// This option exists primarily for testing purposes.
     #[arg(long, default_value = "3", value_parser = clap::value_parser!(i64).range(1..))]
     timeline_safekeeper_count: i64,
+
+    /// When set, actively checks and initiates heatmap downloads/uploads during reconciliation.
+    /// This speed up migrations by avoiding the default wait for the heatmap download interval.
+    /// Primarily useful for testing to reduce test execution time.
+    #[cfg(feature = "testing")]
+    #[arg(long, default_value = "true", action=ArgAction::Set)]
+    kick_secondary_downloads: bool,
 }
 
 enum StrictMode {
@@ -445,6 +455,8 @@ async fn async_main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         timelines_onto_safekeepers: args.timelines_onto_safekeepers,
         use_local_compute_notifications: args.use_local_compute_notifications,
         timeline_safekeeper_count: args.timeline_safekeeper_count,
+        #[cfg(feature = "testing")]
+        kick_secondary_downloads: args.kick_secondary_downloads,
     };
 
     // Validate that we can connect to the database
diff --git a/storage_controller/src/reconciler.rs b/storage_controller/src/reconciler.rs
index b03a6dae04..92844c9c7b 100644
--- a/storage_controller/src/reconciler.rs
+++ b/storage_controller/src/reconciler.rs
@@ -856,6 +856,7 @@ impl Reconciler {
                 &self.shard,
                 &self.config,
                 &self.placement_policy,
+                self.intent.secondary.len(),
             );
             match self.observed.locations.get(&node.get_id()) {
                 Some(conf) if conf.conf.as_ref() == Some(&wanted_conf) => {
@@ -1235,11 +1236,11 @@ pub(crate) fn attached_location_conf(
     shard: &ShardIdentity,
     config: &TenantConfig,
     policy: &PlacementPolicy,
+    secondary_count: usize,
 ) -> LocationConfig {
     let has_secondaries = match policy {
-        PlacementPolicy::Attached(0) | PlacementPolicy::Detached | PlacementPolicy::Secondary => {
-            false
-        }
+        PlacementPolicy::Detached | PlacementPolicy::Secondary => false,
+        PlacementPolicy::Attached(0) => secondary_count > 0,
         PlacementPolicy::Attached(_) => true,
     };
 
diff --git a/storage_controller/src/service.rs b/storage_controller/src/service.rs
index 6ec3963c48..0eb87ffbe3 100644
--- a/storage_controller/src/service.rs
+++ b/storage_controller/src/service.rs
@@ -470,6 +470,9 @@ pub struct Config {
     /// Number of safekeepers to choose for a timeline when creating it.
     /// Safekeepers will be choosen from different availability zones.
     pub timeline_safekeeper_count: i64,
+
+    #[cfg(feature = "testing")]
+    pub kick_secondary_downloads: bool,
 }
 
 impl From<DatabaseError> for ApiError {
@@ -2064,6 +2067,7 @@ impl Service {
                             &tenant_shard.shard,
                             &tenant_shard.config,
                             &PlacementPolicy::Attached(0),
+                            tenant_shard.intent.get_secondary().len(),
                         )),
                     },
                 )]);
@@ -5605,7 +5609,15 @@ impl Service {
             for parent_id in parent_ids {
                 let child_ids = parent_id.split(new_shard_count);
 
-                let (pageserver, generation, policy, parent_ident, config, preferred_az) = {
+                let (
+                    pageserver,
+                    generation,
+                    policy,
+                    parent_ident,
+                    config,
+                    preferred_az,
+                    secondary_count,
+                ) = {
                     let mut old_state = tenants
                         .remove(&parent_id)
                         .expect("It was present, we just split it");
@@ -5625,6 +5637,7 @@ impl Service {
                         old_state.shard,
                         old_state.config.clone(),
                         old_state.preferred_az().cloned(),
+                        old_state.intent.get_secondary().len(),
                     )
                 };
 
@@ -5646,6 +5659,7 @@ impl Service {
                                 &child_shard,
                                 &config,
                                 &policy,
+                                secondary_count,
                             )),
                         },
                     );
@@ -8373,6 +8387,11 @@ impl Service {
     /// we have this helper to move things along faster.
     #[cfg(feature = "testing")]
     async fn kick_secondary_download(&self, tenant_shard_id: TenantShardId) {
+        if !self.config.kick_secondary_downloads {
+            // No-op if kick_secondary_downloads functionaliuty is not configured
+            return;
+        }
+
         let (attached_node, secondaries) = {
             let locked = self.inner.read().unwrap();
             let Some(shard) = locked.tenants.get(&tenant_shard_id) else {
diff --git a/storage_controller/src/tenant_shard.rs b/storage_controller/src/tenant_shard.rs
index acd18734cf..789327bfaf 100644
--- a/storage_controller/src/tenant_shard.rs
+++ b/storage_controller/src/tenant_shard.rs
@@ -1381,8 +1381,13 @@ impl TenantShard {
                 .generation
                 .expect("Attempted to enter attached state without a generation");
 
-            let wanted_conf =
-                attached_location_conf(generation, &self.shard, &self.config, &self.policy);
+            let wanted_conf = attached_location_conf(
+                generation,
+                &self.shard,
+                &self.config,
+                &self.policy,
+                self.intent.get_secondary().len(),
+            );
             match self.observed.locations.get(&node_id) {
                 Some(conf) if conf.conf.as_ref() == Some(&wanted_conf) => {}
                 Some(_) | None => {
diff --git a/test_runner/fixtures/neon_fixtures.py b/test_runner/fixtures/neon_fixtures.py
index 050d61055e..4eb85119ca 100644
--- a/test_runner/fixtures/neon_fixtures.py
+++ b/test_runner/fixtures/neon_fixtures.py
@@ -453,6 +453,7 @@ class NeonEnvBuilder:
         pageserver_get_vectored_concurrent_io: str | None = None,
         pageserver_tracing_config: PageserverTracingConfig | None = None,
         pageserver_import_config: PageserverImportConfig | None = None,
+        storcon_kick_secondary_downloads: bool | None = None,
     ):
         self.repo_dir = repo_dir
         self.rust_log_override = rust_log_override
@@ -514,6 +515,8 @@ class NeonEnvBuilder:
         self.pageserver_tracing_config = pageserver_tracing_config
         self.pageserver_import_config = pageserver_import_config
 
+        self.storcon_kick_secondary_downloads = storcon_kick_secondary_downloads
+
         self.pageserver_default_tenant_config_compaction_algorithm: dict[str, Any] | None = (
             pageserver_default_tenant_config_compaction_algorithm
         )
@@ -1221,6 +1224,14 @@ class NeonEnv:
             else:
                 cfg["storage_controller"] = {"use_local_compute_notifications": False}
 
+        if config.storcon_kick_secondary_downloads is not None:
+            # Configure whether storage controller should actively kick off secondary downloads
+            if "storage_controller" not in cfg:
+                cfg["storage_controller"] = {}
+            cfg["storage_controller"]["kick_secondary_downloads"] = (
+                config.storcon_kick_secondary_downloads
+            )
+
         # Create config for pageserver
         http_auth_type = "NeonJWT" if config.auth_enabled else "Trust"
         pg_auth_type = "NeonJWT" if config.auth_enabled else "Trust"
diff --git a/test_runner/regress/test_storage_controller.py b/test_runner/regress/test_storage_controller.py
index 74ba74645e..be7f0c8a3e 100644
--- a/test_runner/regress/test_storage_controller.py
+++ b/test_runner/regress/test_storage_controller.py
@@ -4434,6 +4434,53 @@ def test_storage_controller_graceful_migration(neon_env_builder: NeonEnvBuilder,
         assert initial_ps.http_client().tenant_list_locations()["tenant_shards"] == []
 
 
+def test_attached_0_graceful_migration(neon_env_builder: NeonEnvBuilder):
+    neon_env_builder.num_pageservers = 4
+    neon_env_builder.num_azs = 2
+
+    neon_env_builder.storcon_kick_secondary_downloads = False
+
+    env = neon_env_builder.init_start()
+
+    # It is default, but we want to ensure that there are no secondary locations requested
+    env.storage_controller.tenant_policy_update(env.initial_tenant, {"placement": {"Attached": 0}})
+    env.storage_controller.reconcile_until_idle()
+
+    desc = env.storage_controller.tenant_describe(env.initial_tenant)["shards"][0]
+    src_ps_id = desc["node_attached"]
+    src_ps = env.get_pageserver(src_ps_id)
+    src_az = desc["preferred_az_id"]
+
+    # There must be no secondary locations with Attached(0) placement policy
+    assert len(desc["node_secondary"]) == 0
+
+    # Migrate tenant shard to the same AZ node
+    dst_ps = [ps for ps in env.pageservers if ps.id != src_ps_id and ps.az_id == src_az][0]
+
+    env.storage_controller.tenant_shard_migrate(
+        TenantShardId(env.initial_tenant, 0, 0),
+        dst_ps.id,
+        config=StorageControllerMigrationConfig(prewarm=True),
+    )
+
+    def tenant_shard_migrated():
+        src_locations = src_ps.http_client().tenant_list_locations()["tenant_shards"]
+        assert len(src_locations) == 0
+        log.info(f"Tenant shard migrated from {src_ps.id}")
+        dst_locations = dst_ps.http_client().tenant_list_locations()["tenant_shards"]
+        assert len(dst_locations) == 1
+        assert dst_locations[0][1]["mode"] == "AttachedSingle"
+        log.info(f"Tenant shard migrated to {dst_ps.id}")
+
+    # After all we expect that tenant shard exists only on dst node.
+    # We wait so long because [`DEFAULT_HEATMAP_PERIOD`] and [`DEFAULT_DOWNLOAD_INTERVAL`]
+    # are set to 60 seconds by default.
+    #
+    # TODO: we should consider making these configurable, so the test can run faster.
+    wait_until(tenant_shard_migrated, timeout=180, interval=5, status_interval=10)
+    log.info("Tenant shard migrated successfully")
+
+
 @run_only_on_default_postgres("this is like a 'unit test' against storcon db")
 def test_storage_controller_migrate_with_pageserver_restart(
     neon_env_builder: NeonEnvBuilder, make_httpserver