diff --git a/pgxn/neon/libpagestore.c b/pgxn/neon/libpagestore.c
index a3543bca78..e31de3c6b5 100644
--- a/pgxn/neon/libpagestore.c
+++ b/pgxn/neon/libpagestore.c
@@ -316,6 +316,7 @@ pageserver_connect(shardno_t shard_no, int elevel)
 	static uint64_t delay_us = MIN_RECONNECT_INTERVAL_USEC;
 	TimestampTz now;
 	uint64_t	us_since_last_connect;
+	bool	broke_from_loop = false;
 
 	Assert(page_servers[shard_no].conn == NULL);
 
@@ -418,7 +419,9 @@ pageserver_connect(shardno_t shard_no, int elevel)
 
 					neon_shard_log(shard_no, elevel, "could not complete handshake with pageserver: %s",
 								   msg);
-					return false;
+					/* Returning from inside PG_TRY is bad, so we break/return later */
+					broke_from_loop = true;
+					break;
 				}
 			}
 		}
@@ -431,6 +434,11 @@ pageserver_connect(shardno_t shard_no, int elevel)
 	}
 	PG_END_TRY();
 
+	if (broke_from_loop)
+	{
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	neon_shard_log(shard_no, LOG, "libpagestore: connected to '%s'", connstr);
 	page_servers[shard_no].conn = conn;
 	page_servers[shard_no].wes = wes;