diff --git a/pageserver/src/layered_repository.rs b/pageserver/src/layered_repository.rs
index b3026fe3a7..db5b77a4d9 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/layered_repository.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/layered_repository.rs
@@ -232,23 +232,32 @@ impl Repository for LayeredRepository {
 
     fn create_empty_timeline(
         &self,
-        timelineid: ZTimelineId,
+        timeline_id: ZTimelineId,
         initdb_lsn: Lsn,
     ) -> Result<Arc<LayeredTimeline>> {
         let mut timelines = self.timelines.lock().unwrap();
+        let vacant_timeline_entry = match timelines.entry(timeline_id) {
+            Entry::Occupied(_) => bail!("Timeline already exists"),
+            Entry::Vacant(vacant_entry) => vacant_entry,
+        };
+
+        let timeline_path = self.conf.timeline_path(&timeline_id, &self.tenant_id);
+        if timeline_path.exists() {
+            bail!("Timeline directory already exists, but timeline is missing in repository map. This is a bug.")
+        }
 
         // Create the timeline directory, and write initial metadata to file.
-        crashsafe_dir::create_dir_all(self.conf.timeline_path(&timelineid, &self.tenant_id))?;
+        crashsafe_dir::create_dir_all(timeline_path)?;
 
         let metadata = TimelineMetadata::new(Lsn(0), None, None, Lsn(0), initdb_lsn, initdb_lsn);
-        Self::save_metadata(self.conf, timelineid, self.tenant_id, &metadata, true)?;
+        Self::save_metadata(self.conf, timeline_id, self.tenant_id, &metadata, true)?;
 
         let timeline = LayeredTimeline::new(
             self.conf,
             Arc::clone(&self.tenant_conf),
             metadata,
             None,
-            timelineid,
+            timeline_id,
             self.tenant_id,
             Arc::clone(&self.walredo_mgr),
             self.upload_layers,
@@ -257,12 +266,7 @@ impl Repository for LayeredRepository {
 
         // Insert if not exists
         let timeline = Arc::new(timeline);
-        match timelines.entry(timelineid) {
-            Entry::Occupied(_) => bail!("Timeline already exists"),
-            Entry::Vacant(vacant) => {
-                vacant.insert(LayeredTimelineEntry::Loaded(Arc::clone(&timeline)))
-            }
-        };
+        vacant_timeline_entry.insert(LayeredTimelineEntry::Loaded(Arc::clone(&timeline)));
 
         Ok(timeline)
     }
diff --git a/pageserver/src/repository.rs b/pageserver/src/repository.rs
index 756c3b8191..9501a416b4 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/repository.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/repository.rs
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ pub trait Repository: Send + Sync {
     /// Initdb lsn is provided for timeline impl to be able to perform checks for some operations against it.
     fn create_empty_timeline(
         &self,
-        timelineid: ZTimelineId,
+        timeline_id: ZTimelineId,
         initdb_lsn: Lsn,
     ) -> Result<Arc<Self::Timeline>>;
 
@@ -636,6 +636,19 @@ mod tests {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn no_duplicate_timelines() -> Result<()> {
+        let repo = RepoHarness::create("no_duplicate_timelines")?.load();
+        let _ = repo.create_empty_timeline(TIMELINE_ID, Lsn(0))?;
+
+        match repo.create_empty_timeline(TIMELINE_ID, Lsn(0)) {
+            Ok(_) => panic!("duplicate timeline creation should fail"),
+            Err(e) => assert_eq!(e.to_string(), "Timeline already exists"),
+        }
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     /// Convenience function to create a page image with given string as the only content
     pub fn test_value(s: &str) -> Value {
         let mut buf = BytesMut::new();