diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
index ff7b8c932c..838df6d884 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
@@ -867,30 +867,98 @@ impl Timeline {
         Ok(Some(true))
     }
 
-    /// Evicts one layer as in replaces a downloaded layer with a remote layer
-    ///
-    /// Returns:
-    /// - `Ok(Some(true))` when the layer was replaced
-    /// - `Ok(Some(false))` when the layer was found, but no changes were made
-    ///    - evictee was not yet downloaded
-    ///    - layermap replacement failed
-    /// - `Ok(None)` when the layer is not found
+    /// Like [`evict_layer_batch`], but for just one layer.
+    /// Additional case `Ok(None)` covers the case where the layer could not be found by its `layer_file_name`.
     pub async fn evict_layer(&self, layer_file_name: &str) -> anyhow::Result<Option<bool>> {
-        use super::layer_map::Replacement;
-
         let Some(local_layer) = self.find_layer(layer_file_name) else { return Ok(None) };
-        if local_layer.is_remote_layer() {
-            return Ok(Some(false));
-        }
-
-        // ensure the current layer is uploaded for sure
-        self.remote_client
+        let remote_client = self
+            .remote_client
             .as_ref()
-            .ok_or_else(|| anyhow::anyhow!("remote storage not configured; cannot evict"))?
+            .ok_or_else(|| anyhow::anyhow!("remote storage not configured; cannot evict"))?;
+
+        let cancel = CancellationToken::new();
+        let results = self
+            .evict_layer_batch(remote_client, &[local_layer], cancel)
+            .await?;
+        assert_eq!(results.len(), 1);
+        let result: Option<anyhow::Result<bool>> = results.into_iter().next().unwrap();
+        match result {
+            None => anyhow::bail!("task_mgr shutdown requested"),
+            Some(Ok(b)) => Ok(Some(b)),
+            Some(Err(e)) => Err(e),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Try to evict the given `layers_to_evict` by
+    /// 1. Replacing the given layer object in the layer map with a corresponding [`RemoteLayer`] object.
+    /// 2. Deleting the now unreferenced layer file from disk.
+    ///
+    /// The `remote_client` should be this timeline's `self.remote_client`.
+    /// We make the caller provide it so that they are responsible for handling the case
+    /// where someone wants to evict the layer but no remote storage is configured.
+    ///
+    /// Returns either `Err()` or `Ok(results)` where `results.len() == layers_to_evict.len()`.
+    /// If `Err()` is returned, no eviction was attempted.
+    /// Each position of `Ok(results)` corresponds to the layer in `layers_to_evict`.
+    /// Meaning of each `result[i]`:
+    /// - `Some(Err(...))` if layer replacement failed for an unexpected reason
+    /// - `Some(Ok(true))` if everything went well.
+    /// - `Some(Ok(false))` if there was an expected reason why the layer could not be replaced, e.g.:
+    ///    - evictee was not yet downloaded
+    ///    - replacement failed for an expectable reason (e.g., layer removed by GC before we grabbed all locks)
+    /// - `None` if no eviction attempt was made for the layer because `cancel.is_cancelled() == true`.
+    async fn evict_layer_batch(
+        &self,
+        remote_client: &Arc<RemoteTimelineClient>,
+        layers_to_evict: &[Arc<dyn PersistentLayer>],
+        cancel: CancellationToken,
+    ) -> anyhow::Result<Vec<Option<anyhow::Result<bool>>>> {
+        // ensure that the layers have finished uploading
+        // (don't hold the layer_removal_cs while we do it, we're not removing anything yet)
+        remote_client
             .wait_completion()
             .await
             .context("wait for layer upload ops to complete")?;
 
+        // now lock out layer removal (compaction, gc, timeline deletion)
+        let layer_removal_guard = self.layer_removal_cs.lock().await;
+
+        // start the batch update
+        let mut layer_map = self.layers.write().unwrap();
+        let mut batch_updates = layer_map.batch_update();
+
+        let mut results = Vec::with_capacity(layers_to_evict.len());
+
+        for l in layers_to_evict.iter() {
+            let res = if cancel.is_cancelled() {
+                None
+            } else {
+                Some(self.evict_layer_batch_impl(&layer_removal_guard, l, &mut batch_updates))
+            };
+            results.push(res);
+        }
+
+        // commit the updates & release locks
+        batch_updates.flush();
+        drop(layer_map);
+        drop(layer_removal_guard);
+
+        assert_eq!(results.len(), layers_to_evict.len());
+        Ok(results)
+    }
+
+    fn evict_layer_batch_impl(
+        &self,
+        _layer_removal_cs: &tokio::sync::MutexGuard<'_, ()>,
+        local_layer: &Arc<dyn PersistentLayer>,
+        batch_updates: &mut BatchedUpdates<'_, dyn PersistentLayer>,
+    ) -> anyhow::Result<bool> {
+        use super::layer_map::Replacement;
+
+        if local_layer.is_remote_layer() {
+            return Ok(false);
+        }
+
         let layer_metadata = LayerFileMetadata::new(
             local_layer
                 .file_size()
@@ -917,11 +985,7 @@ impl Timeline {
             ),
         });
 
-        let gc_lock = self.layer_removal_cs.lock().await;
-        let mut layers = self.layers.write().unwrap();
-        let mut updates = layers.batch_update();
-
-        let replaced = match updates.replace_historic(&local_layer, new_remote_layer)? {
+        let replaced = match batch_updates.replace_historic(local_layer, new_remote_layer)? {
             Replacement::Replaced { .. } => {
                 let layer_size = local_layer.file_size();
 
@@ -944,7 +1008,7 @@ impl Timeline {
             }
             Replacement::Unexpected(other) => {
                 error!(
-                    local_layer.ptr=?Arc::as_ptr(&local_layer),
+                    local_layer.ptr=?Arc::as_ptr(local_layer),
                     other.ptr=?Arc::as_ptr(&other),
                     ?other,
                     "failed to replace");
@@ -952,11 +1016,7 @@ impl Timeline {
             }
         };
 
-        updates.flush();
-        drop(layers);
-        drop(gc_lock);
-
-        Ok(Some(replaced))
+        Ok(replaced)
     }
 }