diff --git a/control_plane/attachment_service/src/lib.rs b/control_plane/attachment_service/src/lib.rs
index d8f996952a..e4ca9aa304 100644
--- a/control_plane/attachment_service/src/lib.rs
+++ b/control_plane/attachment_service/src/lib.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ enum PlacementPolicy {
     /// Production-ready way to attach a tenant: one attached pageserver and
     /// some number of secondaries.
     Double(usize),
+    /// Do not attach to any pageservers
+    Detached,
 }
 
 #[derive(Ord, PartialOrd, Eq, PartialEq, Copy, Clone)]
diff --git a/control_plane/attachment_service/src/persistence.rs b/control_plane/attachment_service/src/persistence.rs
index 4a3fc8c779..e944a2e9ed 100644
--- a/control_plane/attachment_service/src/persistence.rs
+++ b/control_plane/attachment_service/src/persistence.rs
@@ -245,6 +245,7 @@ impl Persistence {
                 anyhow::bail!("Tried to increment generation of unknown shard");
             };
             shard.generation_pageserver = None;
+            shard.placement_policy = serde_json::to_string(&PlacementPolicy::Detached).unwrap();
             Ok(())
         })
         .await
diff --git a/control_plane/attachment_service/src/service.rs b/control_plane/attachment_service/src/service.rs
index 5b44c097b1..c9ed07ae5f 100644
--- a/control_plane/attachment_service/src/service.rs
+++ b/control_plane/attachment_service/src/service.rs
@@ -381,6 +381,11 @@ impl Service {
 
         if let Some(new_generation) = new_generation {
             tenant_state.generation = new_generation;
+        } else {
+            // This is a detach notification.  We must update placement policy to avoid re-attaching
+            // during background scheduling/reconciliation, or during attachment service restart.
+            assert!(attach_req.node_id.is_none());
+            tenant_state.policy = PlacementPolicy::Detached;
         }
 
         if let Some(attaching_pageserver) = attach_req.node_id.as_ref() {
@@ -870,7 +875,6 @@ impl Service {
             } else {
                 let old_attached = shard.intent.attached;
 
-                shard.intent.attached = Some(migrate_req.node_id);
                 match shard.policy {
                     PlacementPolicy::Single => {
                         shard.intent.secondary.clear();
@@ -884,7 +888,13 @@ impl Service {
                             shard.intent.secondary.push(old_attached);
                         }
                     }
+                    PlacementPolicy::Detached => {
+                        return Err(ApiError::BadRequest(anyhow::anyhow!(
+                            "Cannot migrate a tenant that is PlacementPolicy::Detached: configure it to an attached policy first"
+                        )))
+                    }
                 }
+                shard.intent.attached = Some(migrate_req.node_id);
 
                 tracing::info!("Migrating: new intent {:?}", shard.intent);
                 shard.sequence = shard.sequence.next();
diff --git a/control_plane/attachment_service/src/tenant_state.rs b/control_plane/attachment_service/src/tenant_state.rs
index a907628eff..5290197d84 100644
--- a/control_plane/attachment_service/src/tenant_state.rs
+++ b/control_plane/attachment_service/src/tenant_state.rs
@@ -312,6 +312,18 @@ impl TenantState {
                     modified = true;
                 }
             }
+            Detached => {
+                // Should have no attached or secondary pageservers
+                if self.intent.attached.is_some() {
+                    self.intent.attached = None;
+                    modified = true;
+                }
+
+                if !self.intent.secondary.is_empty() {
+                    self.intent.secondary.clear();
+                    modified = true;
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         if modified {