diff --git a/pageserver/src/bin/pageserver.rs b/pageserver/src/bin/pageserver.rs
index e0c969279e..966b2b81c0 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/bin/pageserver.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/bin/pageserver.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ use anyhow::{anyhow, Context};
 use clap::{Arg, ArgAction, Command};
 use fail::FailScenario;
 use metrics::launch_timestamp::{set_launch_timestamp_metric, LaunchTimestamp};
+use pageserver::deletion_queue::DeletionQueue;
 use pageserver::disk_usage_eviction_task::{self, launch_disk_usage_global_eviction_task};
 use pageserver::metrics::{STARTUP_DURATION, STARTUP_IS_LOADING};
 use pageserver::task_mgr::WALRECEIVER_RUNTIME;
@@ -348,6 +349,10 @@ fn start_pageserver(
     // Set up remote storage client
     let remote_storage = create_remote_storage_client(conf)?;
 
+    // Set up deletion queue
+    let (deletion_queue, mut deletion_worker) = DeletionQueue::new(remote_storage.clone(), conf);
+    BACKGROUND_RUNTIME.spawn(async move { deletion_worker.background().await });
+
     // Up to this point no significant I/O has been done: this should have been fast.  Record
     // duration prior to starting I/O intensive phase of startup.
     startup_checkpoint("initial", "Starting loading tenants");
diff --git a/pageserver/src/lib.rs b/pageserver/src/lib.rs
index 4ff8ffcc4f..35017995de 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/lib.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/lib.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ pub mod basebackup;
 pub mod config;
 pub mod consumption_metrics;
 pub mod context;
+pub mod deletion_queue;
 pub mod disk_usage_eviction_task;
 pub mod http;
 pub mod import_datadir;