diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant.rs
index 5647a0c345..6782209fcb 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant.rs
@@ -538,9 +538,7 @@ impl Tenant {
         // We're ready for business.
         // Change to active state under the hood spawns background loops
         // The loops will shut themselves down when they notice that the tenant is inactive.
-        self.set_state(TenantState::Active {
-            background_jobs_running: true,
-        });
+        self.activate(true);
 
         info!("Done");
 
@@ -777,9 +775,7 @@ impl Tenant {
         // We're ready for business.
         // Change to active state under the hood spawns background loops
         // The loops will shut themselves down when they notice that the tenant is inactive.
-        self.set_state(TenantState::Active {
-            background_jobs_running: true,
-        });
+        self.activate(true);
 
         info!("Done");
 
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant_mgr.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant_mgr.rs
index 853447470c..c694671de5 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant_mgr.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant_mgr.rs
@@ -307,10 +307,11 @@ pub fn create_tenant(
         hash_map::Entry::Vacant(v) => {
             let wal_redo_manager = Arc::new(PostgresRedoManager::new(conf, tenant_id));
             create_tenant_files(conf, tenant_conf, tenant_id)?;
-            // TODO review, created in active state immediately, is it correctly?
+            // create tenant in Active state so it is possible to issue create_timeline
+            // request. Which on timeline activation will trigger tenant activation
             let tenant = Arc::new(Tenant::new(
                 TenantState::Active {
-                    background_jobs_running: true,
+                    background_jobs_running: false,
                 },
                 conf,
                 tenant_conf,