diff --git a/libs/pageserver_api/src/config.rs b/libs/pageserver_api/src/config.rs
index 8f56d60a4a..bd9f7efb7f 100644
--- a/libs/pageserver_api/src/config.rs
+++ b/libs/pageserver_api/src/config.rs
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ pub struct ConfigToml {
     #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     pub generate_unarchival_heatmap: Option<bool>,
     pub tracing: Option<Tracing>,
+    pub enable_tls_page_service_api: bool,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
@@ -631,6 +632,7 @@ impl Default for ConfigToml {
             load_previous_heatmap: None,
             generate_unarchival_heatmap: None,
             tracing: None,
+            enable_tls_page_service_api: false,
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/pageserver/src/bin/pageserver.rs b/pageserver/src/bin/pageserver.rs
index 54fecee588..2740f81758 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/bin/pageserver.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/bin/pageserver.rs
@@ -452,6 +452,23 @@ fn start_pageserver(
     info!("Using auth for http API: {:#?}", conf.http_auth_type);
     info!("Using auth for pg connections: {:#?}", conf.pg_auth_type);
 
+    let tls_server_config = if conf.listen_https_addr.is_some() || conf.enable_tls_page_service_api
+    {
+        let resolver = BACKGROUND_RUNTIME.block_on(ReloadingCertificateResolver::new(
+            &conf.ssl_key_file,
+            &conf.ssl_cert_file,
+            conf.ssl_cert_reload_period,
+        ))?;
+
+        let server_config = rustls::ServerConfig::builder()
+            .with_no_client_auth()
+            .with_cert_resolver(resolver);
+
+        Some(Arc::new(server_config))
+    } else {
+        None
+    };
+
     match var("NEON_AUTH_TOKEN") {
         Ok(v) => {
             info!("Loaded JWT token for authentication with Safekeeper");
@@ -670,17 +687,11 @@ fn start_pageserver(
 
         let https_task = match https_listener {
             Some(https_listener) => {
-                let resolver = MGMT_REQUEST_RUNTIME.block_on(ReloadingCertificateResolver::new(
-                    &conf.ssl_key_file,
-                    &conf.ssl_cert_file,
-                    conf.ssl_cert_reload_period,
-                ))?;
+                let tls_server_config = tls_server_config
+                    .clone()
+                    .expect("tls_server_config is set earlier if https is enabled");
 
-                let server_config = rustls::ServerConfig::builder()
-                    .with_no_client_auth()
-                    .with_cert_resolver(resolver);
-
-                let tls_acceptor = tokio_rustls::TlsAcceptor::from(Arc::new(server_config));
+                let tls_acceptor = tokio_rustls::TlsAcceptor::from(tls_server_config);
 
                 let server =
                     http_utils::server::Server::new(service, https_listener, Some(tls_acceptor))?;
@@ -736,6 +747,11 @@ fn start_pageserver(
             tokio::net::TcpListener::from_std(pageserver_listener)
                 .context("create tokio listener")?
         },
+        if conf.enable_tls_page_service_api {
+            tls_server_config
+        } else {
+            None
+        },
     );
 
     // All started up! Now just sit and wait for shutdown signal.
diff --git a/pageserver/src/config.rs b/pageserver/src/config.rs
index ccc29e59d4..26ae6af70e 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/config.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/config.rs
@@ -219,6 +219,11 @@ pub struct PageServerConf {
     pub generate_unarchival_heatmap: bool,
 
     pub tracing: Option<pageserver_api::config::Tracing>,
+
+    /// Enable TLS in page service API.
+    /// Does not force TLS: the client negotiates TLS usage during the handshake.
+    /// Uses key and certificate from ssl_key_file/ssl_cert_file.
+    pub enable_tls_page_service_api: bool,
 }
 
 /// Token for authentication to safekeepers
@@ -391,6 +396,7 @@ impl PageServerConf {
             load_previous_heatmap,
             generate_unarchival_heatmap,
             tracing,
+            enable_tls_page_service_api,
         } = config_toml;
 
         let mut conf = PageServerConf {
@@ -441,6 +447,7 @@ impl PageServerConf {
             page_service_pipelining,
             get_vectored_concurrent_io,
             tracing,
+            enable_tls_page_service_api,
 
             // ------------------------------------------------------------
             // fields that require additional validation or custom handling
diff --git a/pageserver/src/page_service.rs b/pageserver/src/page_service.rs
index 7e3991dbdc..61f524fc29 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/page_service.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/page_service.rs
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ pub fn spawn(
     pg_auth: Option<Arc<SwappableJwtAuth>>,
     perf_trace_dispatch: Option<Dispatch>,
     tcp_listener: tokio::net::TcpListener,
+    tls_config: Option<Arc<rustls::ServerConfig>>,
 ) -> Listener {
     let cancel = CancellationToken::new();
     let libpq_ctx = RequestContext::todo_child(
@@ -124,6 +125,7 @@ pub fn spawn(
             perf_trace_dispatch,
             tcp_listener,
             conf.pg_auth_type,
+            tls_config,
             conf.page_service_pipelining.clone(),
             libpq_ctx,
             cancel.clone(),
@@ -181,6 +183,7 @@ pub async fn libpq_listener_main(
     perf_trace_dispatch: Option<Dispatch>,
     listener: tokio::net::TcpListener,
     auth_type: AuthType,
+    tls_config: Option<Arc<rustls::ServerConfig>>,
     pipelining_config: PageServicePipeliningConfig,
     listener_ctx: RequestContext,
     listener_cancel: CancellationToken,
@@ -223,6 +226,7 @@ pub async fn libpq_listener_main(
                     local_auth,
                     socket,
                     auth_type,
+                    tls_config.clone(),
                     pipelining_config.clone(),
                     connection_ctx,
                     connections_cancel.child_token(),
@@ -264,6 +268,7 @@ async fn page_service_conn_main(
     auth: Option<Arc<SwappableJwtAuth>>,
     socket: tokio::net::TcpStream,
     auth_type: AuthType,
+    tls_config: Option<Arc<rustls::ServerConfig>>,
     pipelining_config: PageServicePipeliningConfig,
     connection_ctx: RequestContext,
     cancel: CancellationToken,
@@ -334,7 +339,8 @@ async fn page_service_conn_main(
         cancel.clone(),
         gate_guard,
     );
-    let pgbackend = PostgresBackend::new_from_io(socket_fd, socket, peer_addr, auth_type, None)?;
+    let pgbackend =
+        PostgresBackend::new_from_io(socket_fd, socket, peer_addr, auth_type, tls_config)?;
 
     match pgbackend.run(&mut conn_handler, &cancel).await {
         Ok(()) => {