diff --git a/safekeeper/client/src/mgmt_api.rs b/safekeeper/client/src/mgmt_api.rs
index 40e5afc4aa..5c305769dd 100644
--- a/safekeeper/client/src/mgmt_api.rs
+++ b/safekeeper/client/src/mgmt_api.rs
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ impl Client {
     }
 
     pub async fn utilization(&self) -> Result<SafekeeperUtilization> {
-        let uri = format!("{}/v1/utilization/", self.mgmt_api_endpoint);
+        let uri = format!("{}/v1/utilization", self.mgmt_api_endpoint);
         let resp = self.get(&uri).await?;
         resp.json().await.map_err(Error::ReceiveBody)
     }
diff --git a/storage_controller/src/heartbeater.rs b/storage_controller/src/heartbeater.rs
index 6f110d3294..1f20326398 100644
--- a/storage_controller/src/heartbeater.rs
+++ b/storage_controller/src/heartbeater.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,10 @@ use std::{
 };
 use tokio_util::sync::CancellationToken;
 
-use pageserver_api::{controller_api::NodeAvailability, models::PageserverUtilization};
+use pageserver_api::{
+    controller_api::{NodeAvailability, SkSchedulingPolicy},
+    models::PageserverUtilization,
+};
 
 use thiserror::Error;
 use utils::{id::NodeId, logging::SecretString};
@@ -311,6 +314,9 @@ impl HeartBeat<Safekeeper, SafekeeperState> for HeartbeaterTask<Safekeeper, Safe
 
         let mut heartbeat_futs = FuturesUnordered::new();
         for (node_id, sk) in &*safekeepers {
+            if sk.scheduling_policy() == SkSchedulingPolicy::Decomissioned {
+                continue;
+            }
             heartbeat_futs.push({
                 let jwt_token = self
                     .jwt_token
diff --git a/storage_controller/src/safekeeper.rs b/storage_controller/src/safekeeper.rs
index be073d0cb9..b85b4de1e8 100644
--- a/storage_controller/src/safekeeper.rs
+++ b/storage_controller/src/safekeeper.rs
@@ -18,12 +18,14 @@ pub struct Safekeeper {
     cancel: CancellationToken,
     listen_http_addr: String,
     listen_http_port: u16,
+    scheduling_policy: SkSchedulingPolicy,
     id: NodeId,
     availability: SafekeeperState,
 }
 
 impl Safekeeper {
     pub(crate) fn from_persistence(skp: SafekeeperPersistence, cancel: CancellationToken) -> Self {
+        let scheduling_policy = SkSchedulingPolicy::from_str(&skp.scheduling_policy).unwrap();
         Self {
             cancel,
             listen_http_addr: skp.host.clone(),
@@ -31,6 +33,7 @@ impl Safekeeper {
             id: NodeId(skp.id as u64),
             skp,
             availability: SafekeeperState::Offline,
+            scheduling_policy,
         }
     }
     pub(crate) fn base_url(&self) -> String {
@@ -46,6 +49,13 @@ impl Safekeeper {
     pub(crate) fn set_availability(&mut self, availability: SafekeeperState) {
         self.availability = availability;
     }
+    pub(crate) fn scheduling_policy(&self) -> SkSchedulingPolicy {
+        self.scheduling_policy
+    }
+    pub(crate) fn set_scheduling_policy(&mut self, scheduling_policy: SkSchedulingPolicy) {
+        self.scheduling_policy = scheduling_policy;
+        self.skp.scheduling_policy = String::from(scheduling_policy);
+    }
     /// Perform an operation (which is given a [`SafekeeperClient`]) with retries
     pub(crate) async fn with_client_retries<T, O, F>(
         &self,
@@ -129,10 +139,8 @@ impl Safekeeper {
                 self.id.0
             );
         }
-        self.skp = crate::persistence::SafekeeperPersistence::from_upsert(
-            record,
-            SkSchedulingPolicy::from_str(&self.skp.scheduling_policy).unwrap(),
-        );
+        self.skp =
+            crate::persistence::SafekeeperPersistence::from_upsert(record, self.scheduling_policy);
         self.listen_http_port = http_port as u16;
         self.listen_http_addr = host;
     }
diff --git a/storage_controller/src/service.rs b/storage_controller/src/service.rs
index dd4d93dc84..f47dd72579 100644
--- a/storage_controller/src/service.rs
+++ b/storage_controller/src/service.rs
@@ -819,7 +819,9 @@ impl Service {
             .heartbeater_ps
             .heartbeat(Arc::new(nodes_to_heartbeat))
             .await;
-        let res_sk = self.heartbeater_sk.heartbeat(all_sks).await;
+        // Put a small, but reasonable timeout to get the initial heartbeats of the safekeepers to avoid a storage controller downtime
+        const SK_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(5);
+        let res_sk = tokio::time::timeout(SK_TIMEOUT, self.heartbeater_sk.heartbeat(all_sks)).await;
 
         let mut online_nodes = HashMap::new();
         if let Ok(deltas) = res_ps {
@@ -837,7 +839,7 @@ impl Service {
         }
 
         let mut online_sks = HashMap::new();
-        if let Ok(deltas) = res_sk {
+        if let Ok(Ok(deltas)) = res_sk {
             for (node_id, status) in deltas.0 {
                 match status {
                     SafekeeperState::Available {
@@ -7960,7 +7962,7 @@ impl Service {
             let sk = safekeepers
                 .get_mut(&node_id)
                 .ok_or(DatabaseError::Logical("Not found".to_string()))?;
-            sk.skp.scheduling_policy = String::from(scheduling_policy);
+            sk.set_scheduling_policy(scheduling_policy);
 
             locked.safekeepers = Arc::new(safekeepers);
         }
diff --git a/test_runner/regress/test_storage_controller.py b/test_runner/regress/test_storage_controller.py
index 88d30308f7..1d95312140 100644
--- a/test_runner/regress/test_storage_controller.py
+++ b/test_runner/regress/test_storage_controller.py
@@ -3238,12 +3238,17 @@ def test_safekeeper_deployment_time_update(neon_env_builder: NeonEnvBuilder):
     newest_info = target.get_safekeeper(inserted["id"])
     assert newest_info
     assert newest_info["scheduling_policy"] == "Pause"
-    target.safekeeper_scheduling_policy(inserted["id"], "Decomissioned")
+    target.safekeeper_scheduling_policy(inserted["id"], "Active")
     newest_info = target.get_safekeeper(inserted["id"])
     assert newest_info
-    assert newest_info["scheduling_policy"] == "Decomissioned"
+    assert newest_info["scheduling_policy"] == "Active"
     # Ensure idempotency
-    target.safekeeper_scheduling_policy(inserted["id"], "Decomissioned")
+    target.safekeeper_scheduling_policy(inserted["id"], "Active")
+    newest_info = target.get_safekeeper(inserted["id"])
+    assert newest_info
+    assert newest_info["scheduling_policy"] == "Active"
+    # change back to paused again
+    target.safekeeper_scheduling_policy(inserted["id"], "Pause")
 
     def storcon_heartbeat():
         assert env.storage_controller.log_contains(
@@ -3252,6 +3257,9 @@ def test_safekeeper_deployment_time_update(neon_env_builder: NeonEnvBuilder):
 
     wait_until(storcon_heartbeat)
 
+    # Now decomission it
+    target.safekeeper_scheduling_policy(inserted["id"], "Decomissioned")
+
 
 def eq_safekeeper_records(a: dict[str, Any], b: dict[str, Any]) -> bool:
     compared = [dict(a), dict(b)]