diff --git a/libs/postgres_backend/src/lib.rs b/libs/postgres_backend/src/lib.rs
index df6a95e326..858e19968d 100644
--- a/libs/postgres_backend/src/lib.rs
+++ b/libs/postgres_backend/src/lib.rs
@@ -78,17 +78,16 @@ pub fn is_expected_io_error(e: &io::Error) -> bool {
     )
 }
 
-#[async_trait::async_trait]
 pub trait Handler<IO>: HandlerSync<IO> {
     /// Handle single query.
     /// postgres_backend will issue ReadyForQuery after calling this (this
     /// might be not what we want after CopyData streaming, but currently we don't
     /// care). It will also flush out the output buffer.
-    async fn process_query(
+    fn process_query(
         &mut self,
         pgb: &mut PostgresBackend<IO>,
         query_string: &str,
-    ) -> Result<(), QueryError>;
+    ) -> impl Future<Output = Result<(), QueryError>> + Send;
 }
 pub trait HandlerSync<IO> {
     /// Called on startup packet receival, allows to process params.
diff --git a/pageserver/src/page_service.rs b/pageserver/src/page_service.rs
index 6a21dc4ab6..510f676078 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/page_service.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/page_service.rs
@@ -1412,13 +1412,12 @@ where
 
 type IO<'s> = std::pin::Pin<&'s mut tokio_io_timeout::TimeoutReader<tokio::net::TcpStream>>;
 
-#[async_trait::async_trait]
 impl<'s> postgres_backend::Handler<IO<'s>> for PageServerHandler
 {
     #[instrument(skip_all, fields(tenant_id, timeline_id))]
     async fn process_query(
         &mut self,
-        pgb: &mut PostgresBackend<IO>,
+        pgb: &mut PostgresBackend<IO<'s>>,
         query_string: &str,
     ) -> Result<(), QueryError> {
         self.process_query_(pgb, &query_string).await
diff --git a/proxy/src/console/mgmt.rs b/proxy/src/console/mgmt.rs
index 633252275d..2f41acff5a 100644
--- a/proxy/src/console/mgmt.rs
+++ b/proxy/src/console/mgmt.rs
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ pub type ComputeReady = DatabaseInfo;
 
 // TODO: replace with an http-based protocol.
 struct MgmtHandler;
-#[async_trait::async_trait]
 impl postgres_backend::Handler<tokio::net::TcpStream> for MgmtHandler {
     async fn process_query(
         &mut self,
diff --git a/safekeeper/src/handler.rs b/safekeeper/src/handler.rs
index bb3619ae15..e185ce64ec 100644
--- a/safekeeper/src/handler.rs
+++ b/safekeeper/src/handler.rs
@@ -192,7 +192,6 @@ impl<IO: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite + Unpin + Send> postgres_backend::HandlerSync<IO
     }
 }
 
-#[async_trait::async_trait]
 impl<IO: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite + Unpin + Send> postgres_backend::Handler<IO>
     for SafekeeperPostgresHandler
 {