diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs
index 707745cce5..b0d3942354 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs
@@ -845,7 +845,8 @@ impl DeltaLayerInner {
         path: &std::path::Path,
         summary: Option<Summary>,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
-        let file = VirtualFile::open(path)
+        let file = VirtualFile::open_async(path)
+            .await
             .with_context(|| format!("Failed to open file '{}'", path.display()))?;
         let file = FileBlockReader::new(file);
 
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/image_layer.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/image_layer.rs
index 6f43bc1fa7..27aa239f6f 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/image_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/image_layer.rs
@@ -438,7 +438,8 @@ impl ImageLayerInner {
         lsn: Lsn,
         summary: Option<Summary>,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
-        let file = VirtualFile::open(path)
+        let file = VirtualFile::open_async(path)
+            .await
             .with_context(|| format!("Failed to open file '{}'", path.display()))?;
         let file = FileBlockReader::new(file);
         let summary_blk = file.read_blk(0).await?;
diff --git a/pageserver/src/virtual_file.rs b/pageserver/src/virtual_file.rs
index 922b7a52c9..5929a594ae 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/virtual_file.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/virtual_file.rs
@@ -121,6 +121,74 @@ impl VirtualFile {
         Ok(vfile)
     }
 
+    /// Open a file in read-only mode. Like File::open.
+    pub async fn open_async(path: &Path) -> Result<VirtualFile, std::io::Error> {
+        let mut options = OpenOptions::new();
+        options.read(true);
+        Self::open_with_options_async(path, options).await
+    }
+
+    /// Create a new file for writing. If the file exists, it will be truncated.
+    /// Like File::create.
+    pub async fn create_async(path: &Path) -> Result<VirtualFile, std::io::Error> {
+        let mut options = OpenOptions::new();
+        options.write(true).create(true).truncate(true);
+        Self::open_with_options_async(path, options).await
+    }
+
+    /// Open a file with given options.
+    ///
+    /// Note: If any custom flags were set in 'open_options' through OpenOptionsExt,
+    /// they will be applied also when the file is subsequently re-opened, not only
+    /// on the first time. Make sure that's sane!
+    pub async fn open_with_options_async(
+        path: &Path,
+        open_options: OpenOptions,
+    ) -> Result<VirtualFile, std::io::Error> {
+        let path_str = path.to_string_lossy();
+        let parts = path_str.split('/').collect::<Vec<&str>>();
+        let tenant_id;
+        let timeline_id;
+        if parts.len() > 5 && parts[parts.len() - 5] == "tenants" {
+            tenant_id = parts[parts.len() - 4].to_string();
+            timeline_id = parts[parts.len() - 2].to_string();
+        } else {
+            tenant_id = "*".to_string();
+            timeline_id = "*".to_string();
+        }
+        let start = std::time::Instant::now();
+        let file = tokio::task::spawn_blocking({
+            let path = path.to_owned();
+            let open_options = open_options.clone();
+            move || open_options.open(path)
+        })
+        .await
+        .expect("spawn_blocking")?;
+        STORAGE_IO_TIME
+            .with_label_values(&["open"])
+            .observe(start.elapsed().as_secs_f64());
+
+        // Strip all options other than read and write.
+        //
+        // It would perhaps be nicer to check just for the read and write flags
+        // explicitly, but OpenOptions doesn't contain any functions to read flags,
+        // only to set them.
+        let mut reopen_options = open_options;
+        reopen_options.create(false);
+        reopen_options.create_new(false);
+        reopen_options.truncate(false);
+
+        let vfile = VirtualFile {
+            handle: Arc::new(Mutex::new(Some(file))),
+            pos: 0,
+            path: path.to_path_buf(),
+            tenant_id,
+            timeline_id,
+        };
+
+        Ok(vfile)
+    }
+
     /// Call File::sync_all() on the underlying File.
     pub fn sync_all(&self) -> Result<(), Error> {
         self.with_file("fsync", |file| file.sync_all())?
@@ -258,7 +326,10 @@ impl VirtualFile {
             init_up_to: 0,
         };
         let ((file, buf), res) = system.read(file.into(), offset, buf).await;
-        let PageWriteGuardBuf { buf: write_guard, init_up_to } = buf;
+        let PageWriteGuardBuf {
+            buf: write_guard,
+            init_up_to,
+        } = buf;
         if let Ok(num_read) = res {
             assert!(init_up_to <= num_read);
         }