diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/mgr.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/mgr.rs
index c47f51a4c1..a963e3e63b 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/mgr.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/mgr.rs
@@ -56,18 +56,34 @@ impl LazyTenantsMap {
         .with_context(|| format!("Failed to schedule tenant processing in path {tenant_path:?}"))
     }
 
-    async fn try_load_tenant(&self, tenant_id: &TenantId) -> Result<Arc<Tenant>, GetTenantError> {
-        self.load_tenant(tenant_id)
-            .map_err(|e| GetTenantError::NotLoaded(*tenant_id, e))
+    async fn try_load_tenant(
+        &self,
+        tenant_id: &TenantId,
+        wait_to_become_active: bool,
+    ) -> Result<Arc<Tenant>, GetTenantError> {
+        let tenant = self
+            .load_tenant(tenant_id)
+            .map_err(|e| GetTenantError::NotLoaded(*tenant_id, e))?;
+        if wait_to_become_active {
+            tenant
+                .wait_to_become_active()
+                .await
+                .map_err(|_| GetTenantError::NotActive(*tenant_id))?;
+        }
+        Ok(tenant)
     }
 
-    async fn get(&self, tenant_id: &TenantId) -> Result<&Arc<Tenant>, GetTenantError> {
+    async fn get(
+        &self,
+        tenant_id: &TenantId,
+        wait_to_become_active: bool,
+    ) -> Result<&Arc<Tenant>, GetTenantError> {
         let tenant = self
             .map
             .get(tenant_id)
             .ok_or(GetTenantError::NotFound(*tenant_id))?;
         tenant
-            .get_or_try_init(|| self.try_load_tenant(tenant_id))
+            .get_or_try_init(|| self.try_load_tenant(tenant_id, wait_to_become_active))
             .await
     }
 }
@@ -86,10 +102,14 @@ enum TenantsMap {
 }
 
 impl TenantsMap {
-    async fn get(&self, tenant_id: &TenantId) -> Result<&Arc<Tenant>, GetTenantError> {
+    async fn get(
+        &self,
+        tenant_id: &TenantId,
+        wait_to_become_active: bool,
+    ) -> Result<&Arc<Tenant>, GetTenantError> {
         match self {
             TenantsMap::Initializing => Err(GetTenantError::NotFound(*tenant_id)),
-            TenantsMap::Open(m) => m.get(tenant_id).await,
+            TenantsMap::Open(m) => m.get(tenant_id, wait_to_become_active).await,
             TenantsMap::ShuttingDown(m) => {
                 m.get(tenant_id).ok_or(GetTenantError::NotFound(*tenant_id))
             }
@@ -484,7 +504,7 @@ pub async fn get_tenant(
     active_only: bool,
 ) -> Result<Arc<Tenant>, GetTenantError> {
     let m = TENANTS.read().await;
-    let tenant = m.get(&tenant_id).await?;
+    let tenant = m.get(&tenant_id, active_only).await?;
     if active_only && !tenant.is_active() {
         Err(GetTenantError::NotActive(tenant_id))
     } else {
@@ -620,7 +640,7 @@ pub async fn list_tenants() -> Result<Vec<(TenantId, TenantState)>, TenantMapLis
                 (
                     *id,
                     tenant
-                        .get_or_try_init(|| m.try_load_tenant(id))
+                        .get_or_try_init(|| m.try_load_tenant(id, false))
                         .await
                         .map_or(
                             TenantState::broken_from_reason("Failed to load tenant".to_string()),
@@ -764,7 +784,7 @@ where
     // avoid holding the lock for the entire process.
     {
         let tenants_accessor = TENANTS.write().await;
-        match tenants_accessor.get(&tenant_id).await {
+        match tenants_accessor.get(&tenant_id, false).await {
             Ok(tenant) => {
                 let tenant = Arc::clone(tenant);
                 // don't hold TENANTS lock while set_stopping waits for activation to finish
@@ -804,7 +824,7 @@ where
         }
         Err(e) => {
             let tenants_accessor = TENANTS.read().await;
-            match tenants_accessor.get(&tenant_id).await {
+            match tenants_accessor.get(&tenant_id, false).await {
                 Ok(tenant) => {
                     tenant.set_broken(e.to_string()).await;
                 }
@@ -871,7 +891,7 @@ pub async fn immediate_compact(
     let guard = TENANTS.read().await;
 
     let tenant = guard
-        .get(&tenant_id)
+        .get(&tenant_id, true)
         .await
         .map(Arc::clone)
         .with_context(|| format!("tenant {tenant_id}"))
diff --git a/test_runner/regress/test_broken_timeline.py b/test_runner/regress/test_broken_timeline.py
index 0fb3b4f262..bd42dbcc1c 100644
--- a/test_runner/regress/test_broken_timeline.py
+++ b/test_runner/regress/test_broken_timeline.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ def test_broken_timeline(neon_env_builder: NeonEnvBuilder):
             ".*will not become active. Current state: Broken.*",
             ".*failed to load metadata.*",
             ".*load failed.*load local timeline.*",
+            ".*load failed, setting tenant state to Broken.*",
         ]
     )