diff --git a/control_plane/storcon_cli/src/main.rs b/control_plane/storcon_cli/src/main.rs
index 96bfad4c86..d9b76b9600 100644
--- a/control_plane/storcon_cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/control_plane/storcon_cli/src/main.rs
@@ -298,14 +298,7 @@ impl FromStr for SkSchedulingPolicyArg {
     type Err = anyhow::Error;
 
     fn from_str(s: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Err> {
-        match s {
-            "active" => Ok(Self(SkSchedulingPolicy::Active)),
-            "disabled" => Ok(Self(SkSchedulingPolicy::Disabled)),
-            "decomissioned" => Ok(Self(SkSchedulingPolicy::Decomissioned)),
-            _ => Err(anyhow::anyhow!(
-                "Unknown scheduling policy '{s}', try active,disabled,decomissioned"
-            )),
-        }
+        SkSchedulingPolicy::from_str(s).map(Self)
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/libs/pageserver_api/src/controller_api.rs b/libs/pageserver_api/src/controller_api.rs
index 08d1fa55b9..78e080981a 100644
--- a/libs/pageserver_api/src/controller_api.rs
+++ b/libs/pageserver_api/src/controller_api.rs
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ impl From<NodeSchedulingPolicy> for String {
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Clone, Copy, Eq, PartialEq, Debug)]
 pub enum SkSchedulingPolicy {
     Active,
-    Disabled,
+    Pause,
     Decomissioned,
 }
 
@@ -334,9 +334,13 @@ impl FromStr for SkSchedulingPolicy {
     fn from_str(s: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Err> {
         Ok(match s {
             "active" => Self::Active,
-            "disabled" => Self::Disabled,
+            "pause" => Self::Pause,
             "decomissioned" => Self::Decomissioned,
-            _ => return Err(anyhow::anyhow!("Unknown scheduling state '{s}'")),
+            _ => {
+                return Err(anyhow::anyhow!(
+                    "Unknown scheduling policy '{s}', try active,pause,decomissioned"
+                ))
+            }
         })
     }
 }
@@ -346,7 +350,7 @@ impl From<SkSchedulingPolicy> for String {
         use SkSchedulingPolicy::*;
         match value {
             Active => "active",
-            Disabled => "disabled",
+            Pause => "pause",
             Decomissioned => "decomissioned",
         }
         .to_string()
diff --git a/storage_controller/migrations/2025-01-15-181207_safekeepers_disabled_to_pause/down.sql b/storage_controller/migrations/2025-01-15-181207_safekeepers_disabled_to_pause/down.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3c7126e343
--- /dev/null
+++ b/storage_controller/migrations/2025-01-15-181207_safekeepers_disabled_to_pause/down.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+ALTER TABLE safekeepers ALTER COLUMN scheduling_policy SET DEFAULT 'disabled';
+UPDATE safekeepers SET scheduling_policy = 'disabled' WHERE scheduling_policy = 'pause';
diff --git a/storage_controller/migrations/2025-01-15-181207_safekeepers_disabled_to_pause/up.sql b/storage_controller/migrations/2025-01-15-181207_safekeepers_disabled_to_pause/up.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9ff75444f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/storage_controller/migrations/2025-01-15-181207_safekeepers_disabled_to_pause/up.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+ALTER TABLE safekeepers ALTER COLUMN scheduling_policy SET DEFAULT 'pause';
+UPDATE safekeepers SET scheduling_policy = 'pause' WHERE scheduling_policy = 'disabled';
diff --git a/test_runner/regress/test_storage_controller.py b/test_runner/regress/test_storage_controller.py
index b1e1fd81d6..ff479e8fe2 100644
--- a/test_runner/regress/test_storage_controller.py
+++ b/test_runner/regress/test_storage_controller.py
@@ -3211,7 +3211,7 @@ def test_safekeeper_deployment_time_update(neon_env_builder: NeonEnvBuilder):
     # some small tests for the scheduling policy querying and returning APIs
     newest_info = target.get_safekeeper(inserted["id"])
     assert newest_info
-    assert newest_info["scheduling_policy"] == "Disabled"
+    assert newest_info["scheduling_policy"] == "Pause"
     target.safekeeper_scheduling_policy(inserted["id"], "Decomissioned")
     newest_info = target.get_safekeeper(inserted["id"])
     assert newest_info