diff --git a/pageserver/src/virtual_file.rs b/pageserver/src/virtual_file.rs
index b16ba2b5be..6c7e174462 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/virtual_file.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/virtual_file.rs
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ impl VirtualFile {
     // Copied from https://doc.rust-lang.org/1.72.0/src/std/os/unix/fs.rs.html#117-135
     pub async fn read_exact_at_async(
         &self,
-        mut write_guard: crate::buffer_pool::Buffer,
+        mut buf: crate::buffer_pool::Buffer,
         offset: u64,
     ) -> Result<crate::buffer_pool::Buffer, Error> {
         let file = self.handle.lock().unwrap().take().unwrap();
@@ -294,48 +294,16 @@ impl VirtualFile {
                 panic!("mut put self.handle back")
             }
         };
-        let system = tokio_epoll_uring::thread_local_system().await;
-        struct PageWriteGuardBuf {
-            buf: crate::buffer_pool::Buffer,
-            init_up_to: usize,
-        }
-        unsafe impl tokio_epoll_uring::IoBuf for PageWriteGuardBuf {
-            fn stable_ptr(&self) -> *const u8 {
-                self.buf.as_ptr()
-            }
-            fn bytes_init(&self) -> usize {
-                self.init_up_to
-            }
-            fn bytes_total(&self) -> usize {
-                self.buf.len()
-            }
-        }
-        unsafe impl tokio_epoll_uring::IoBufMut for PageWriteGuardBuf {
-            fn stable_mut_ptr(&mut self) -> *mut u8 {
-                self.buf.as_mut_ptr()
-            }
-
-            unsafe fn set_init(&mut self, pos: usize) {
-                assert!(pos <= self.buf.len());
-                self.init_up_to = pos;
-            }
-        }
-        let buf = PageWriteGuardBuf {
-            buf: write_guard,
-            init_up_to: 0,
-        };
-        let ((file, buf), res) = system.read(file.into(), offset, buf).await;
-        let PageWriteGuardBuf {
-            buf: write_guard,
-            init_up_to,
-        } = buf;
-        if let Ok(num_read) = res {
-            assert!(init_up_to <= num_read);
-        }
+        let ((file, buf), res) = tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
+            let res = file.read_exact_at(buf.as_mut(), offset);
+            ((file, buf), res)
+        })
+        .await
+        .expect("spawn_blocking");
         let replaced = self.handle.lock().unwrap().replace(File::from(file));
         assert!(replaced.is_none());
         put_back.store(true, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::Relaxed);
-        res.map(|_| write_guard)
+        res.map(|_| buf)
             .map_err(|e| Error::new(ErrorKind::Other, e))
     }