diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer.rs
index 1ae3cfaf25..17673e2cb9 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer.rs
@@ -312,8 +312,7 @@ impl ValuesReconstructState {
         &mut self,
         key: &Key,
         lsn: Lsn,
-        completes: bool,
-        value: sync::oneshot::Receiver<Result<Bytes, std::io::Error>>,
+        future_value: FutureValue,
     ) -> ValueReconstructSituation {
         let state = self
             .keys
@@ -321,14 +320,22 @@ impl ValuesReconstructState {
             .or_insert(Ok(VectoredValueReconstructState::default()));
 
         if let Ok(state) = state {
-            match state.situation {
+            let key_done = match state.situation {
                 ValueReconstructSituation::Complete => unreachable!(),
-                ValueReconstructSituation::Continue => {
-                    state.records.push((lsn, value));
-                }
-            }
+                ValueReconstructSituation::Continue => match future_value {
+                    FutureValue::Img { rx } => {
+                        assert!(state.img.is_none());
+                        state.img = Some((lsn, rx));
+                        true
+                    }
+                    FutureValue::WalRecord { will_init, rx } => {
+                        state.records.push((lsn, rx));
+                        will_init
+                    }
+                },
+            };
 
-            if completes && state.situation == ValueReconstructSituation::Continue {
+            if key_done && state.situation == ValueReconstructSituation::Continue {
                 state.situation = ValueReconstructSituation::Complete;
                 self.keys_done.add_key(*key);
             }
@@ -359,6 +366,16 @@ impl ValuesReconstructState {
     }
 }
 
+enum FutureValue {
+    WalRecord {
+        will_init: bool,
+        rx: sync::oneshot::Receiver<Result<Bytes, std::io::Error>>,
+    },
+    Img {
+        rx: sync::oneshot::Receiver<Result<Bytes, std::io::Error>>,
+    },
+}
+
 impl Default for ValuesReconstructState {
     fn default() -> Self {
         Self::new()
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs
index d68dec4754..032543c4f0 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs
@@ -1002,8 +1002,10 @@ impl DeltaLayerInner {
                 reconstruct_state.update_key(
                     &blob_meta.key,
                     blob_meta.lsn,
-                    blob_meta.will_init,
-                    rx,
+                    super::FutureValue::WalRecord {
+                        will_init: blob_meta.will_init,
+                        rx,
+                    },
                 );
             }
 
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/image_layer.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/image_layer.rs
index 609a033426..8abd8f2bb7 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/image_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/image_layer.rs
@@ -588,8 +588,11 @@ impl ImageLayerInner {
             for (_, blob_meta) in read.blobs_at.as_slice() {
                 let (tx, rx) = oneshot::channel();
                 senders.insert((blob_meta.key, blob_meta.lsn), tx);
-
-                reconstruct_state.update_key(&blob_meta.key, blob_meta.lsn, true, rx);
+                reconstruct_state.update_key(
+                    &blob_meta.key,
+                    blob_meta.lsn,
+                    super::FutureValue::Img { rx },
+                );
             }
 
             let buf_size = read.size();
@@ -624,9 +627,7 @@ impl ImageLayerInner {
                             let sender = senders
                                 .remove(&(meta.meta.key, meta.meta.lsn))
                                 .expect("sender must exist");
-                            // TODO: this is silly - sort it out
-                            let bytes = Value::ser(&Value::Image(Bytes::copy_from_slice(buf)))
-                                .expect("stupid but correct");
+                            let bytes = Bytes::copy_from_slice(buf);
                             let _ = sender.send(Ok(bytes.into()));
                         }
 
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/inmemory_layer.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/inmemory_layer.rs
index 70c42d44d4..b6dc6c0ada 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/inmemory_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/inmemory_layer.rs
@@ -467,7 +467,11 @@ impl InMemoryLayer {
 
                     let (tx, rx) = tokio::sync::oneshot::channel();
                     senders.insert((key, *entry_lsn), tx);
-                    reconstruct_state.update_key(&key, *entry_lsn, will_init, rx);
+                    reconstruct_state.update_key(
+                        &key,
+                        *entry_lsn,
+                        crate::tenant::storage_layer::FutureValue::WalRecord { will_init, rx },
+                    );
 
                     if will_init {
                         break;