diff --git a/pageserver/src/page_cache.rs b/pageserver/src/page_cache.rs
index e62df68e77..24e328c357 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/page_cache.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/page_cache.rs
@@ -876,17 +876,56 @@ impl PageCache {
         &'static self,
         _permit_witness: &PinnedSlotsPermit,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<(usize, tokio::sync::RwLockWriteGuard<SlotInner>)> {
+        let integrity_check = |guard: &std::sync::MutexGuard<(
+            VecDeque<usize>,
+            VecDeque<usize>,
+            Vec<
+                Option<(
+                    Option<Waker>,
+                    Option<(usize, tokio::sync::RwLockWriteGuard<SlotInner>)>,
+                )>,
+            >,
+        )>| {
+            let (waiters, free, slots) = &**guard;
+            for (slot_idx, slot) in slots.iter().enumerate() {
+                match slot {
+                    None => {
+                        assert!(!waiters.contains(&slot_idx));
+                        assert!(free.contains(&slot_idx));
+                    }
+                    Some((None, None)) => {
+                        assert!(waiters.contains(&slot_idx));
+                        assert!(!free.contains(&slot_idx));
+                    }
+                    Some((Some(_), Some(_))) => {
+                        assert!(!waiters.contains(&slot_idx));
+                        assert!(!free.contains(&slot_idx));
+                    }
+                    Some((Some(_), None)) => {
+                        assert!(waiters.contains(&slot_idx));
+                        assert!(!free.contains(&slot_idx));
+                    }
+                    Some((None, Some(_))) => {
+                        assert!(!waiters.contains(&slot_idx));
+                        assert!(!free.contains(&slot_idx));
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        };
+
         // Get in line.
-        let my_idx = {
+        let my_waitslot_idx = {
             let mut guard = self.find_victim_waiters.lock().unwrap();
-            let (waiters, free, slots) = &mut *guard;
-            let my_idx = free
+            integrity_check(&guard);
+            let (waiters, free, waitslot) = &mut *guard;
+            let my_waitslot_idx = free
                 .pop_front()
                 .expect("can't happen, len(slots) = len(waiters");
-            waiters.push_back(my_idx);
-            let prev = slots[my_idx].replace((None, None));
+            waiters.push_back(my_waitslot_idx);
+            let prev = waitslot[my_waitslot_idx].replace((None, None));
             debug_assert!(prev.is_none());
-            my_idx
+            integrity_check(&guard);
+            my_waitslot_idx
         };
 
         let mut iters = 0;
@@ -915,10 +954,11 @@ impl PageCache {
 
                 // put in the victim we found
                 {
-                    let mut slots_guard = self.find_victim_waiters.lock().unwrap();
-                    let (waiters, _, slots) = &mut *slots_guard;
+                    let mut guard = self.find_victim_waiters.lock().unwrap();
+                    integrity_check(&guard);
+                    let (waiters, _, waitslots) = &mut *guard;
                     let winner_idx = waiters.pop_front().expect("we put ourselves in");
-                    let winner_slot = slots[winner_idx].as_mut().unwrap();
+                    let winner_slot = waitslots[winner_idx].as_mut().unwrap();
                     let prev = winner_slot.1.replace((slot_idx, inner));
                     debug_assert!(
                         prev.is_none(),
@@ -927,27 +967,53 @@ impl PageCache {
                     if let Some(waker) = winner_slot.0.take() {
                         waker.wake()
                     }
+                    integrity_check(&guard);
                 }
 
-                // take the victim that was found by someone else
-                return Ok(poll_fn(move |cx| {
-                    let mut guard = self.find_victim_waiters.lock().unwrap();
-                    let (_, free, waiters) = &mut *guard;
+                let mut poll_num = 0;
+                let mut drop_guard = Some(scopeguard::guard((), |()| {
+                    panic!("must not drop this future until Ready");
+                }));
 
-                    let my_slot = waiters[my_idx].as_mut().unwrap();
-                    if let Some(res) = my_slot.1.take() {
-                        // .take() resets the waiters slot to None
-                        free.push_back(my_idx);
-                        debug_assert!(my_slot.0.is_none());
-                        debug_assert!(my_slot.1.is_none());
-                        waiters[my_idx] = None;
+                // take the victim that was found by someone else
+                let mut fut = poll_fn(move |cx| {
+                    let mut guard = self.find_victim_waiters.lock().unwrap();
+                    integrity_check(&guard);
+                    let (_, free, waitslots) = &mut *guard;
+                    let my_waitslot = waitslots[my_waitslot_idx].as_mut().unwrap();
+                    poll_num += 1;
+                    assert!(
+                        poll_num <= 2,
+                        "once we place the waker in the slot, next wakeup should have a result: {}",
+                        my_waitslot.1.is_some()
+                    );
+                    if let Some(res) = my_waitslot.1.take() {
+                        // above .take() resets the waiters slot to None
+                        free.push_back(my_waitslot_idx);
+                        debug_assert!(my_waitslot.0.is_none());
+                        debug_assert!(my_waitslot.1.is_none());
+                        waitslots[my_waitslot_idx] = None;
+                        let _ = scopeguard::ScopeGuard::into_inner(drop_guard.take().unwrap());
+                        integrity_check(&guard);
                         return Poll::Ready(res);
                     }
-                    let prev = my_slot.0.replace(cx.waker().clone());
+                    assert_eq!(poll_num, 1);
+                    let prev = my_waitslot.0.replace(cx.waker().clone());
                     debug_assert!(prev.is_none());
+                    integrity_check(&guard);
                     Poll::Pending
-                })
-                .await);
+                });
+                loop {
+                    match tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(1), &mut fut).await {
+                        Ok(res) => return Ok(res),
+                        Err(_) => {
+                            tracing::warn!(
+                                "find_victim: timeout waiting for victim\n{}",
+                                std::backtrace::Backtrace::force_capture()
+                            );
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
             }
         }
     }