diff --git a/pageserver/src/page_cache.rs b/pageserver/src/page_cache.rs
index 4e49cbef3e..1467afeefc 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/page_cache.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/page_cache.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 //! This module acts as a switchboard to access different repositories managed by this
 //! page server.
 
+use crate::branches;
 use crate::object_repository::ObjectRepository;
 use crate::repository::Repository;
 use crate::rocksdb_storage::RocksObjectStore;
 use crate::walredo::PostgresRedoManager;
 use crate::{PageServerConf, ZTenantId};
-use anyhow::{anyhow, Result};
+use anyhow::{anyhow, bail, Result};
 use lazy_static::lazy_static;
 use log::info;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
@@ -38,6 +39,24 @@ pub fn init(conf: &'static PageServerConf) {
     }
 }
 
+pub fn create_repository_for_tenant(
+    conf: &'static PageServerConf,
+    tenantid: ZTenantId,
+) -> Result<()> {
+    let mut m = REPOSITORY.lock().unwrap();
+
+    // First check that the tenant doesn't exist already
+    if m.get(&tenantid).is_some() {
+        bail!("tenant {} already exists", tenantid);
+    }
+    let wal_redo_manager = Arc::new(PostgresRedoManager::new(conf, tenantid));
+    let repo = branches::create_repo(conf, tenantid, wal_redo_manager)?;
+
+    m.insert(tenantid, Arc::new(repo));
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 pub fn insert_repository_for_tenant(tenantid: ZTenantId, repo: Arc<dyn Repository>) {
     let o = &mut REPOSITORY.lock().unwrap();
     o.insert(tenantid, repo);
diff --git a/pageserver/src/page_service.rs b/pageserver/src/page_service.rs
index 434cfffbcd..2855abbd44 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/page_service.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/page_service.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ use regex::Regex;
 use std::io::Write;
 use std::net::TcpListener;
 use std::str::FromStr;
-use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::thread;
 use std::{io, net::TcpStream};
 use zenith_utils::postgres_backend::PostgresBackend;
@@ -33,7 +32,6 @@ use crate::object_key::ObjectTag;
 use crate::page_cache;
 use crate::repository::{BufferTag, Modification, RelTag};
 use crate::walreceiver;
-use crate::walredo::PostgresRedoManager;
 use crate::PageServerConf;
 use crate::ZTenantId;
 use crate::ZTimelineId;
@@ -508,9 +506,8 @@ impl postgres_backend::Handler for PageServerHandler {
             let caps = re.captures(&query_string).ok_or_else(err)?;
 
             let tenantid = ZTenantId::from_str(caps.get(1).unwrap().as_str())?;
-            let wal_redo_manager = Arc::new(PostgresRedoManager::new(self.conf, tenantid));
-            let repo = branches::create_repo(self.conf, tenantid, wal_redo_manager)?;
-            page_cache::insert_repository_for_tenant(tenantid, Arc::new(repo));
+
+            page_cache::create_repository_for_tenant(&self.conf, tenantid)?;
 
             pgb.write_message_noflush(&SINGLE_COL_ROWDESC)?
                 .write_message_noflush(&BeMessage::CommandComplete(b"SELECT 1"))?;
diff --git a/test_runner/batch_others/test_pageserver_api.py b/test_runner/batch_others/test_pageserver_api.py
index 4bc0c36a08..3410eea90a 100644
--- a/test_runner/batch_others/test_pageserver_api.py
+++ b/test_runner/batch_others/test_pageserver_api.py
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ def test_tenant_list(pageserver: ZenithPageserver, zenith_cli):
     cur = conn.cursor()
 
     # check same tenant cannot be created twice
-    with pytest.raises(psycopg2.DatabaseError, match=f'repo for {pageserver.initial_tenant} already exists'):
+    with pytest.raises(psycopg2.DatabaseError, match=f'tenant {pageserver.initial_tenant} already exists'):
         cur.execute(f'tenant_create {pageserver.initial_tenant}')
 
     # create one more tenant