diff --git a/pageserver/src/page_service.rs b/pageserver/src/page_service.rs
index b070d3dad8..1cc8080928 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/page_service.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/page_service.rs
@@ -685,54 +685,14 @@ impl postgres_backend::Handler for PageServerHandler {
             let result = timeline.gc_iteration(gc_horizon, true)?;
 
             pgb.write_message_noflush(&BeMessage::RowDescription(&[
-                RowDescriptor {
-                    name: b"n_relations",
-                    typoid: 20,
-                    typlen: 8,
-                    ..Default::default()
-                },
-                RowDescriptor {
-                    name: b"truncated",
-                    typoid: 20,
-                    typlen: 8,
-                    ..Default::default()
-                },
-                RowDescriptor {
-                    name: b"deleted",
-                    typoid: 20,
-                    typlen: 8,
-                    ..Default::default()
-                },
-                RowDescriptor {
-                    name: b"prep_deleted",
-                    typoid: 20,
-                    typlen: 8,
-                    ..Default::default()
-                },
-                RowDescriptor {
-                    name: b"slru_deleted",
-                    typoid: 20,
-                    typlen: 8,
-                    ..Default::default()
-                },
-                RowDescriptor {
-                    name: b"chkp_deleted",
-                    typoid: 20,
-                    typlen: 8,
-                    ..Default::default()
-                },
-                RowDescriptor {
-                    name: b"dropped",
-                    typoid: 20,
-                    typlen: 8,
-                    ..Default::default()
-                },
-                RowDescriptor {
-                    name: b"elapsed",
-                    typoid: 20,
-                    typlen: 8,
-                    ..Default::default()
-                },
+                RowDescriptor::int8_col(b"n_relations"),
+                RowDescriptor::int8_col(b"truncated"),
+                RowDescriptor::int8_col(b"deleted"),
+                RowDescriptor::int8_col(b"prep_deleted"),
+                RowDescriptor::int8_col(b"slru_deleted"),
+                RowDescriptor::int8_col(b"chkp_deleted"),
+                RowDescriptor::int8_col(b"dropped"),
+                RowDescriptor::int8_col(b"elapsed"),
             ]))?
             .write_message_noflush(&BeMessage::DataRow(&[
                 Some(&result.n_relations.to_string().as_bytes()),
diff --git a/zenith_utils/src/pq_proto.rs b/zenith_utils/src/pq_proto.rs
index 0d1fa9d236..780474a4b9 100644
--- a/zenith_utils/src/pq_proto.rs
+++ b/zenith_utils/src/pq_proto.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ use std::str;
 pub type Oid = u32;
 pub type SystemId = u64;
 
+pub const TEXT_OID: Oid = 25;
+pub const INT8_OID: Oid = 20;
+
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub enum FeMessage {
     StartupMessage(FeStartupMessage),
@@ -380,6 +383,21 @@ impl Default for RowDescriptor<'_> {
     }
 }
 
+impl RowDescriptor<'_> {
+    /// Convenience function to create a RowDescriptor message for an int8 column
+    pub const fn int8_col(name: &[u8]) -> RowDescriptor {
+        RowDescriptor {
+            name,
+            tableoid: 0,
+            attnum: 0,
+            typoid: INT8_OID,
+            typlen: 8,
+            typmod: 0,
+            formatcode: 0,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct XLogDataBody<'a> {
     pub wal_start: u64,
@@ -389,7 +407,7 @@ pub struct XLogDataBody<'a> {
 }
 
 pub static HELLO_WORLD_ROW: BeMessage = BeMessage::DataRow(&[Some(b"hello world")]);
-pub const TEXT_OID: Oid = 25;
+
 // single text column
 pub static SINGLE_COL_ROWDESC: BeMessage = BeMessage::RowDescription(&[RowDescriptor {
     name: b"data",