diff --git a/pageserver/src/pgdatadir_mapping.rs b/pageserver/src/pgdatadir_mapping.rs
index c653f0b7ea..b81037ae47 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/pgdatadir_mapping.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/pgdatadir_mapping.rs
@@ -822,10 +822,7 @@ impl<'a> DatadirModification<'a> {
         self.put(DBDIR_KEY, Value::Image(buf.into()));
 
         // Create AuxFilesDirectory
-        let buf = AuxFilesDirectory::ser(&AuxFilesDirectory {
-            files: HashMap::new(),
-        })?;
-        self.put(AUX_FILES_KEY, Value::Image(Bytes::from(buf)));
+        self.init_aux_dir()?;
 
         let buf = TwoPhaseDirectory::ser(&TwoPhaseDirectory {
             xids: HashSet::new(),
@@ -933,10 +930,7 @@ impl<'a> DatadirModification<'a> {
             self.put(DBDIR_KEY, Value::Image(buf.into()));
 
             // Create AuxFilesDirectory as well
-            let buf = AuxFilesDirectory::ser(&AuxFilesDirectory {
-                files: HashMap::new(),
-            })?;
-            self.put(AUX_FILES_KEY, Value::Image(Bytes::from(buf)));
+            self.init_aux_dir()?;
         }
         if r.is_none() {
             // Create RelDirectory
@@ -1261,6 +1255,14 @@ impl<'a> DatadirModification<'a> {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    pub fn init_aux_dir(&mut self) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+        let buf = AuxFilesDirectory::ser(&AuxFilesDirectory {
+            files: HashMap::new(),
+        })?;
+        self.put(AUX_FILES_KEY, Value::Image(Bytes::from(buf)));
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     pub async fn put_file(
         &mut self,
         path: &str,
@@ -1767,6 +1769,13 @@ const AUX_FILES_KEY: Key = Key {
 // Reverse mappings for a few Keys.
 // These are needed by WAL redo manager.
 
+// AUX_FILES currently stores only data for logical replication (slots etc), and
+// we don't preserve these on a branch because safekeepers can't follow timeline
+// switch (and generally it likely should be optional), so ignore these.
+pub fn is_inherited_key(key: Key) -> bool {
+    key != AUX_FILES_KEY
+}
+
 pub fn key_to_rel_block(key: Key) -> anyhow::Result<(RelTag, BlockNumber)> {
     Ok(match key.field1 {
         0x00 => (
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
index f3907a6d2b..81dbc04793 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ use crate::metrics::{
     TimelineMetrics, MATERIALIZED_PAGE_CACHE_HIT, MATERIALIZED_PAGE_CACHE_HIT_DIRECT,
 };
 use crate::pgdatadir_mapping::LsnForTimestamp;
-use crate::pgdatadir_mapping::{is_rel_fsm_block_key, is_rel_vm_block_key};
+use crate::pgdatadir_mapping::{is_inherited_key, is_rel_fsm_block_key, is_rel_vm_block_key};
 use crate::pgdatadir_mapping::{BlockNumber, CalculateLogicalSizeError};
 use crate::tenant::config::{EvictionPolicy, TenantConfOpt};
 use pageserver_api::reltag::RelTag;
@@ -2278,7 +2278,7 @@ impl Timeline {
             }
 
             // Recurse into ancestor if needed
-            if Lsn(cont_lsn.0 - 1) <= timeline.ancestor_lsn {
+            if is_inherited_key(key) && Lsn(cont_lsn.0 - 1) <= timeline.ancestor_lsn {
                 trace!(
                     "going into ancestor {}, cont_lsn is {}",
                     timeline.ancestor_lsn,
diff --git a/test_runner/regress/test_logical_replication.py b/test_runner/regress/test_logical_replication.py
index d2d8d71e3f..51e358e60d 100644
--- a/test_runner/regress/test_logical_replication.py
+++ b/test_runner/regress/test_logical_replication.py
@@ -236,3 +236,30 @@ def test_wal_page_boundary_start(neon_simple_env: NeonEnv, vanilla_pg):
     assert vanilla_pg.safe_psql(
         "select sum(somedata) from replication_example"
     ) == endpoint.safe_psql("select sum(somedata) from replication_example")
+
+
+#
+# Check that slots are not inherited in brnach
+#
+def test_slots_and_branching(neon_simple_env: NeonEnv):
+    env = neon_simple_env
+
+    tenant, timeline = env.neon_cli.create_tenant()
+    env.pageserver.http_client()
+
+    main_branch = env.endpoints.create_start("main", tenant_id=tenant)
+    main_cur = main_branch.connect().cursor()
+
+    # Create table and insert some data
+    main_cur.execute("select pg_create_logical_replication_slot('my_slot', 'pgoutput')")
+
+    wait_for_last_flush_lsn(env, main_branch, tenant, timeline)
+
+    # Create branch ws.
+    env.neon_cli.create_branch("ws", "main", tenant_id=tenant)
+    ws_branch = env.endpoints.create_start("ws", tenant_id=tenant)
+    log.info("postgres is running on 'ws' branch")
+
+    # Check that we can create slot with the same name
+    ws_cur = ws_branch.connect().cursor()
+    ws_cur.execute("select pg_create_logical_replication_slot('my_slot', 'pgoutput')")