diff --git a/pageserver/ctl/src/layer_map_analyzer.rs b/pageserver/ctl/src/layer_map_analyzer.rs
index 32d0d1bed2..495dae87e3 100644
--- a/pageserver/ctl/src/layer_map_analyzer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/ctl/src/layer_map_analyzer.rs
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ pub(crate) fn parse_filename(name: &str) -> Option<LayerFile> {
 
 // Finds the max_holes largest holes, ignoring any that are smaller than MIN_HOLE_LENGTH"
 async fn get_holes(path: &Path, max_holes: usize) -> Result<Vec<Hole>> {
-    let file = FileBlockReader::new(VirtualFile::open(path)?);
+    let file = FileBlockReader::new(VirtualFile::open(path).await?);
     let summary_blk = file.read_blk(0).await?;
     let actual_summary = Summary::des_prefix(summary_blk.as_ref())?;
     let tree_reader = DiskBtreeReader::<_, DELTA_KEY_SIZE>::new(
diff --git a/pageserver/ctl/src/layers.rs b/pageserver/ctl/src/layers.rs
index ff2044653a..33a6f197cf 100644
--- a/pageserver/ctl/src/layers.rs
+++ b/pageserver/ctl/src/layers.rs
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ async fn read_delta_file(path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Result<()> {
     let path = path.as_ref();
     virtual_file::init(10);
     page_cache::init(100);
-    let file = FileBlockReader::new(VirtualFile::open(path)?);
+    let file = FileBlockReader::new(VirtualFile::open(path).await?);
     let summary_blk = file.read_blk(0).await?;
     let actual_summary = Summary::des_prefix(summary_blk.as_ref())?;
     let tree_reader = DiskBtreeReader::<_, DELTA_KEY_SIZE>::new(
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/blob_io.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/blob_io.rs
index 71db8d2978..ad8693b18b 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/blob_io.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/blob_io.rs
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ mod tests {
             wtr.flush_buffer().await?;
         }
 
-        let file = VirtualFile::open(&path)?;
+        let file = VirtualFile::open(&path).await?;
         let rdr = BlockReaderRef::VirtualFile(&file);
         let rdr = BlockCursor::new(rdr);
         for (idx, (blob, offset)) in blobs.iter().zip(offsets.iter()).enumerate() {
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs
index 7305ec1486..ad97476a5f 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs
@@ -851,6 +851,7 @@ impl DeltaLayerInner {
         summary: Option<Summary>,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
         let file = VirtualFile::open(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 2d0fcf0b23..3592877c5d 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/image_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/image_layer.rs
@@ -438,6 +438,7 @@ impl ImageLayerInner {
         summary: Option<Summary>,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
         let file = VirtualFile::open(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 ec30328436..8b152782a1 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/virtual_file.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/virtual_file.rs
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ impl CrashsafeOverwriteError {
 
 impl VirtualFile {
     /// Open a file in read-only mode. Like File::open.
-    pub fn open(path: &Path) -> Result<VirtualFile, std::io::Error> {
+    pub async fn open(path: &Path) -> Result<VirtualFile, std::io::Error> {
         Self::open_with_options(path, OpenOptions::new().read(true))
     }