diff --git a/pageserver/src/storage_sync2/index.rs b/pageserver/src/storage_sync2/index.rs
index b1f43dcb93..2d5f3b1d54 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/storage_sync2/index.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/storage_sync2/index.rs
@@ -104,7 +104,8 @@ pub struct IndexPart {
 
     /// FIXME: unused field. This should be removed, but that changes the on-disk format,
     /// so we need to make sure we're backwards- (and maybe forwards-) compatible
-    missing_layers: HashSet<RelativePath>,
+    /// First pass is to move it to Optional and the next would be its removal
+    missing_layers: Option<HashSet<RelativePath>>,
 
     /// Per layer file metadata, which can be present for a present or missing layer file.
     ///
@@ -145,7 +146,7 @@ impl IndexPart {
         Self {
             version: Self::LATEST_VERSION,
             timeline_layers,
-            missing_layers: HashSet::new(),
+            missing_layers: Some(HashSet::new()),
             layer_metadata,
             disk_consistent_lsn,
             metadata_bytes,
@@ -199,7 +200,7 @@ mod tests {
         let expected = IndexPart {
             version: 0,
             timeline_layers: [RelativePath("000000000000000000000000000000000000-FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF__0000000001696070-00000000016960E9".to_owned())].into_iter().collect(),
-            missing_layers: [RelativePath("not_a_real_layer_but_adding_coverage".to_owned())].into_iter().collect(),
+            missing_layers: Some([RelativePath("not_a_real_layer_but_adding_coverage".to_owned())].into_iter().collect()),
             layer_metadata: HashMap::default(),
             disk_consistent_lsn: "0/16960E8".parse::<Lsn>().unwrap(),
             metadata_bytes: [113,11,159,210,0,54,0,4,0,0,0,0,1,105,96,232,1,0,0,0,0,1,105,96,112,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,105,96,112,0,0,0,0,1,105,96,112,0,0,0,14,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0].to_vec(),
@@ -227,7 +228,7 @@ mod tests {
             // note this is not verified, could be anything, but exists for humans debugging.. could be the git version instead?
             version: 1,
             timeline_layers: [RelativePath("000000000000000000000000000000000000-FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF__0000000001696070-00000000016960E9".to_owned())].into_iter().collect(),
-            missing_layers: [RelativePath("not_a_real_layer_but_adding_coverage".to_owned())].into_iter().collect(),
+            missing_layers: Some([RelativePath("not_a_real_layer_but_adding_coverage".to_owned())].into_iter().collect()),
             layer_metadata: HashMap::from([
                 (RelativePath("000000000000000000000000000000000000-FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF__0000000001696070-00000000016960E9".to_owned()), IndexLayerMetadata {
                     file_size: Some(25600000),
@@ -245,4 +246,40 @@ mod tests {
         let part = serde_json::from_str::<IndexPart>(example).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(part, expected);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn v1_indexpart_is_parsed_with_optional_missing_layers() {
+        let example = r#"{
+            "version":1,
+            "timeline_layers":["000000000000000000000000000000000000-FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF__0000000001696070-00000000016960E9"],
+            "layer_metadata":{
+                "000000000000000000000000000000000000-FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF__0000000001696070-00000000016960E9": { "file_size": 25600000 },
+                "not_a_real_layer_but_adding_coverage": { "file_size": 9007199254741001 }
+            },
+            "disk_consistent_lsn":"0/16960E8",
+            "metadata_bytes":[112,11,159,210,0,54,0,4,0,0,0,0,1,105,96,232,1,0,0,0,0,1,105,96,112,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,105,96,112,0,0,0,0,1,105,96,112,0,0,0,14,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
+        }"#;
+
+        let expected = IndexPart {
+            // note this is not verified, could be anything, but exists for humans debugging.. could be the git version instead?
+            version: 1,
+            timeline_layers: [RelativePath("000000000000000000000000000000000000-FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF__0000000001696070-00000000016960E9".to_owned())].into_iter().collect(),
+            layer_metadata: HashMap::from([
+                (RelativePath("000000000000000000000000000000000000-FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF__0000000001696070-00000000016960E9".to_owned()), IndexLayerMetadata {
+                    file_size: Some(25600000),
+                }),
+                (RelativePath("not_a_real_layer_but_adding_coverage".to_owned()), IndexLayerMetadata {
+                    // serde_json should always parse this but this might be a double with jq for
+                    // example.
+                    file_size: Some(9007199254741001),
+                })
+            ]),
+            disk_consistent_lsn: "0/16960E8".parse::<Lsn>().unwrap(),
+            metadata_bytes: [112,11,159,210,0,54,0,4,0,0,0,0,1,105,96,232,1,0,0,0,0,1,105,96,112,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,105,96,112,0,0,0,0,1,105,96,112,0,0,0,14,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0].to_vec(),
+            missing_layers: None::<HashSet<RelativePath>>,
+        };
+
+        let part = serde_json::from_str::<IndexPart>(example).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(part, expected);
+    }
 }