diff --git a/compute_tools/src/checker.rs b/compute_tools/src/checker.rs
index b6a287bdeb..6f52004fa8 100644
--- a/compute_tools/src/checker.rs
+++ b/compute_tools/src/checker.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,39 @@
-use anyhow::{anyhow, Result};
+use anyhow::{anyhow, Ok, Result};
+use postgres::Client;
 use tokio_postgres::NoTls;
 use tracing::{error, instrument};
 
 use crate::compute::ComputeNode;
 
+/// Create a special service table for availability checks
+/// only if it does not exist already.
+pub fn create_availability_check_data(client: &mut Client) -> Result<()> {
+    let query = "
+        DO $$
+        BEGIN
+            IF NOT EXISTS(
+                SELECT 1
+                FROM pg_catalog.pg_tables
+                WHERE tablename = 'health_check'
+            )
+            THEN
+            CREATE TABLE health_check (
+                id serial primary key,
+                updated_at timestamptz default now()
+            );
+            INSERT INTO health_check VALUES (1, now())
+                ON CONFLICT (id) DO UPDATE
+                 SET updated_at = now();
+            END IF;
+        END
+        $$;";
+    client.execute(query, &[])?;
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 /// Update timestamp in a row in a special service table to check
 /// that we can actually write some data in this particular timeline.
-/// Create table if it's missing.
 #[instrument(skip_all)]
 pub async fn check_writability(compute: &ComputeNode) -> Result<()> {
     // Connect to the database.
@@ -24,19 +51,15 @@ pub async fn check_writability(compute: &ComputeNode) -> Result<()> {
     });
 
     let query = "
-    CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS health_check (
-        id serial primary key,
-        updated_at timestamptz default now()
-    );
     INSERT INTO health_check VALUES (1, now())
         ON CONFLICT (id) DO UPDATE
          SET updated_at = now();";
 
     let result = client.simple_query(query).await?;
 
-    if result.len() != 2 {
+    if result.len() != 1 {
         return Err(anyhow::format_err!(
-            "expected 2 query results, but got {}",
+            "expected 1 query result, but got {}",
             result.len()
         ));
     }
diff --git a/compute_tools/src/compute.rs b/compute_tools/src/compute.rs
index 03ae39f79f..5c08ebe06a 100644
--- a/compute_tools/src/compute.rs
+++ b/compute_tools/src/compute.rs
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ use utils::measured_stream::MeasuredReader;
 
 use remote_storage::{DownloadError, GenericRemoteStorage, RemotePath};
 
+use crate::checker::create_availability_check_data;
 use crate::pg_helpers::*;
 use crate::spec::*;
 use crate::sync_sk::{check_if_synced, ping_safekeeper};
@@ -696,6 +697,7 @@ impl ComputeNode {
         handle_role_deletions(spec, self.connstr.as_str(), &mut client)?;
         handle_grants(spec, self.connstr.as_str())?;
         handle_extensions(spec, &mut client)?;
+        create_availability_check_data(&mut client)?;
 
         // 'Close' connection
         drop(client);
diff --git a/control_plane/src/endpoint.rs b/control_plane/src/endpoint.rs
index 7ebcf98ab0..4ed03c8771 100644
--- a/control_plane/src/endpoint.rs
+++ b/control_plane/src/endpoint.rs
@@ -138,7 +138,13 @@ impl ComputeControlPlane {
             mode,
             tenant_id,
             pg_version,
-            skip_pg_catalog_updates: false,
+            // We don't setup roles and databases in the spec locally, so we don't need to
+            // do catalog updates. Catalog updates also include check availability
+            // data creation. Yet, we have tests that check that size and db dump
+            // before and after start are the same. So, skip catalog updates,
+            // with this we basically test a case of waking up an idle compute, where
+            // we also skip catalog updates in the cloud.
+            skip_pg_catalog_updates: true,
         });
 
         ep.create_endpoint_dir()?;
@@ -152,7 +158,7 @@ impl ComputeControlPlane {
                 http_port,
                 pg_port,
                 pg_version,
-                skip_pg_catalog_updates: false,
+                skip_pg_catalog_updates: true,
             })?,
         )?;
         std::fs::write(