diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/batch_split_writer.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/batch_split_writer.rs
index 1d50a5f3a0..9c2a177f3a 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/batch_split_writer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/batch_split_writer.rs
@@ -55,11 +55,11 @@ pub struct BatchLayerWriter {
 }
 
 impl BatchLayerWriter {
-    pub async fn new(conf: &'static PageServerConf) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
-        Ok(Self {
+    pub fn new(conf: &'static PageServerConf) -> Self {
+        Self {
             generated_layer_writers: Vec::new(),
             conf,
-        })
+        }
     }
 
     pub fn add_unfinished_image_writer(
@@ -209,6 +209,7 @@ impl<'a> SplitImageLayerWriter<'a> {
     ) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
         Ok(Self {
             target_layer_size,
+            // XXX make this lazy like in SplitDeltaLayerWriter?
             inner: ImageLayerWriter::new(
                 conf,
                 timeline_id,
@@ -223,7 +224,7 @@ impl<'a> SplitImageLayerWriter<'a> {
             conf,
             timeline_id,
             tenant_shard_id,
-            batches: BatchLayerWriter::new(conf).await?,
+            batches: BatchLayerWriter::new(conf),
             lsn,
             start_key,
             gate,
@@ -319,7 +320,7 @@ pub struct SplitDeltaLayerWriter<'a> {
 }
 
 impl<'a> SplitDeltaLayerWriter<'a> {
-    pub async fn new(
+    pub fn new(
         conf: &'static PageServerConf,
         timeline_id: TimelineId,
         tenant_shard_id: TenantShardId,
@@ -327,8 +328,8 @@ impl<'a> SplitDeltaLayerWriter<'a> {
         target_layer_size: u64,
         gate: &'a utils::sync::gate::Gate,
         cancel: CancellationToken,
-    ) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
-        Ok(Self {
+    ) -> Self {
+        Self {
             target_layer_size,
             inner: None,
             conf,
@@ -336,10 +337,10 @@ impl<'a> SplitDeltaLayerWriter<'a> {
             tenant_shard_id,
             lsn_range,
             last_key_written: Key::MIN,
-            batches: BatchLayerWriter::new(conf).await?,
+            batches: BatchLayerWriter::new(conf),
             gate,
             cancel,
-        })
+        }
     }
 
     pub async fn put_value(
@@ -510,9 +511,7 @@ mod tests {
             4 * 1024 * 1024,
             &tline.gate,
             tline.cancel.clone(),
-        )
-        .await
-        .unwrap();
+        );
 
         image_writer
             .put_image(get_key(0), get_img(0), &ctx)
@@ -590,9 +589,7 @@ mod tests {
             4 * 1024 * 1024,
             &tline.gate,
             tline.cancel.clone(),
-        )
-        .await
-        .unwrap();
+        );
         const N: usize = 2000;
         for i in 0..N {
             let i = i as u32;
@@ -692,9 +689,7 @@ mod tests {
             4 * 1024,
             &tline.gate,
             tline.cancel.clone(),
-        )
-        .await
-        .unwrap();
+        );
 
         image_writer
             .put_image(get_key(0), get_img(0), &ctx)
@@ -770,9 +765,7 @@ mod tests {
             4 * 1024 * 1024,
             &tline.gate,
             tline.cancel.clone(),
-        )
-        .await
-        .unwrap();
+        );
 
         for i in 0..N {
             let i = i as u32;
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
index 7261ce783d..08bc6d4a59 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
@@ -763,7 +763,7 @@ pub(crate) enum CreateImageLayersError {
     PageReconstructError(#[source] PageReconstructError),
 
     #[error(transparent)]
-    Other(#[from] anyhow::Error),
+    Other(anyhow::Error),
 }
 
 impl From<layer_manager::Shutdown> for CreateImageLayersError {
@@ -5590,7 +5590,7 @@ impl Timeline {
                 self.should_check_if_image_layers_required(lsn)
             };
 
-        let mut batch_image_writer = BatchLayerWriter::new(self.conf).await?;
+        let mut batch_image_writer = BatchLayerWriter::new(self.conf);
 
         let mut all_generated = true;
 
@@ -5694,7 +5694,8 @@ impl Timeline {
                 self.cancel.clone(),
                 ctx,
             )
-            .await?;
+            .await
+            .map_err(CreateImageLayersError::Other)?;
 
             fail_point!("image-layer-writer-fail-before-finish", |_| {
                 Err(CreateImageLayersError::Other(anyhow::anyhow!(
@@ -5789,7 +5790,10 @@ impl Timeline {
             }
         }
 
-        let image_layers = batch_image_writer.finish(self, ctx).await?;
+        let image_layers = batch_image_writer
+            .finish(self, ctx)
+            .await
+            .map_err(CreateImageLayersError::Other)?;
 
         let mut guard = self.layers.write(LayerManagerLockHolder::Compaction).await;
 
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline/compaction.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline/compaction.rs
index 1b8e5f4b9c..02bc4f6bdf 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline/compaction.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline/compaction.rs
@@ -3531,10 +3531,7 @@ impl Timeline {
             self.get_compaction_target_size(),
             &self.gate,
             self.cancel.clone(),
-        )
-        .await
-        .context("failed to create delta layer writer")
-        .map_err(CompactionError::Other)?;
+        );
 
         #[derive(Default)]
         struct RewritingLayers {
@@ -4330,7 +4327,8 @@ impl TimelineAdaptor {
             self.timeline.cancel.clone(),
             ctx,
         )
-        .await?;
+        .await
+        .map_err(CreateImageLayersError::Other)?;
 
         fail_point!("image-layer-writer-fail-before-finish", |_| {
             Err(CreateImageLayersError::Other(anyhow::anyhow!(
@@ -4339,7 +4337,10 @@ impl TimelineAdaptor {
         });
 
         let keyspace = KeySpace {
-            ranges: self.get_keyspace(key_range, lsn, ctx).await?,
+            ranges: self
+                .get_keyspace(key_range, lsn, ctx)
+                .await
+                .map_err(CreateImageLayersError::Other)?,
         };
         // TODO set proper (stateful) start. The create_image_layer_for_rel_blocks function mostly
         let outcome = self
@@ -4358,9 +4359,13 @@ impl TimelineAdaptor {
             unfinished_image_layer,
         } = outcome
         {
-            let (desc, path) = unfinished_image_layer.finish(ctx).await?;
+            let (desc, path) = unfinished_image_layer
+                .finish(ctx)
+                .await
+                .map_err(CreateImageLayersError::Other)?;
             let image_layer =
-                Layer::finish_creating(self.timeline.conf, &self.timeline, desc, &path)?;
+                Layer::finish_creating(self.timeline.conf, &self.timeline, desc, &path)
+                    .map_err(CreateImageLayersError::Other)?;
             self.new_images.push(image_layer);
         }