diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant.rs
index f5816ae08d..ed062fe9fe 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant.rs
@@ -2671,7 +2671,7 @@ impl Tenant {
         // TODO should we check for state in s3 as well?
         // Right now we're overwriting IndexPart but other layer files would remain.
 
-        // do a few opportunistic checks before trying to get out spot
+        // do a few opportunistic checks before trying to get our spot
         check_uninit_mark_not_exist()?;
         check_timeline_path_not_exist()?;
 
@@ -2692,8 +2692,8 @@ impl Tenant {
         };
 
         // Do all the checks again, now we know that we won.
-        check_timeline_path_not_exist()?;
         check_uninit_mark_not_exist()?;
+        check_timeline_path_not_exist()?;
 
         let create_uninit_mark_file = || {
             fs::OpenOptions::new()
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
index 206eb43138..bef0c7c4ac 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
@@ -1780,7 +1780,7 @@ impl Timeline {
 
         if disk_consistent_lsn == Lsn(0) {
             // If disk_consistent_lsn is 0, then we're still in bootstrap/basebackup_import/create_test_timeline.
-            // Set next_open_layer_at to initdb_lsn because to enable the put@initdb_lsn optimization in flush_frozen_layer.
+            // Set next_open_layer_at to initdb_lsn to enable the put@initdb_lsn optimization in flush_frozen_layer.
             assert!(matches!(cause, TimelineLoadCause::TimelineCreate { .. }));
             assert_eq!(
                 num_layers, 0,