diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs
index bf5d9249ebb5..c2d4a2776b1d 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer/delta_layer.rs
@@ -1492,6 +1492,24 @@ impl DeltaLayerInner {
         );
         offset
     }
+
+    #[cfg(test)]
+    pub(crate) fn iter<'a>(&'a self, ctx: &'a RequestContext) -> DeltaLayerIterator<'a> {
+        let block_reader = FileBlockReader::new(&self.file, self.file_id);
+        let tree_reader =
+            DiskBtreeReader::new(self.index_start_blk, self.index_root_blk, block_reader);
+        DeltaLayerIterator {
+            delta_layer: self,
+            ctx,
+            index_iter: tree_reader.iter(&[0; DELTA_KEY_SIZE], ctx),
+            key_values_batch: std::collections::VecDeque::new(),
+            is_end: false,
+            planner: crate::tenant::vectored_blob_io::StreamingVectoredReadPlanner::new(
+                1024 * 8192, // The default value. Unit tests might use a different value. 1024 * 8K = 8MB buffer.
+                1024,        // The default value. Unit tests might use a different value
+            ),
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 /// A set of data associated with a delta layer key and its value
@@ -1551,6 +1569,70 @@ impl<'a> pageserver_compaction::interface::CompactionDeltaEntry<'a, Key> for Del
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(test)]
+pub struct DeltaLayerIterator<'a> {
+    delta_layer: &'a DeltaLayerInner,
+    ctx: &'a RequestContext,
+    planner: crate::tenant::vectored_blob_io::StreamingVectoredReadPlanner,
+    index_iter: crate::tenant::disk_btree::DiskBtreeIterator<'a>,
+    key_values_batch: std::collections::VecDeque<(Key, Lsn, Value)>,
+    is_end: bool,
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+impl<'a> DeltaLayerIterator<'a> {
+    /// Retrieve a batch of key-value pairs into the iterator buffer.
+    async fn next_batch(&mut self) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+        assert!(self.key_values_batch.is_empty());
+        assert!(!self.is_end);
+
+        let plan = loop {
+            if let Some(res) = self.index_iter.next().await {
+                let (raw_key, value) = res?;
+                let key = Key::from_slice(&raw_key[..KEY_SIZE]);
+                let lsn = DeltaKey::extract_lsn_from_buf(&raw_key);
+                let blob_ref = BlobRef(value);
+                let offset = blob_ref.pos();
+                if let Some(batch_plan) = self.planner.handle(key, lsn, offset, BlobFlag::None) {
+                    break batch_plan;
+                }
+            } else {
+                self.is_end = true;
+                let data_end_offset = self.delta_layer.index_start_offset();
+                break self.planner.handle_range_end(data_end_offset);
+            }
+        };
+        let vectored_blob_reader = VectoredBlobReader::new(&self.delta_layer.file);
+        let mut next_batch = std::collections::VecDeque::new();
+        let buf_size = plan.size();
+        let buf = BytesMut::with_capacity(buf_size);
+        let blobs_buf = vectored_blob_reader
+            .read_blobs(&plan, buf, self.ctx)
+            .await?;
+        let frozen_buf = blobs_buf.buf.freeze();
+        for meta in blobs_buf.blobs.iter() {
+            let value = Value::des(&frozen_buf[meta.start..meta.end])?;
+            next_batch.push_back((meta.meta.key, meta.meta.lsn, value));
+        }
+        self.key_values_batch = next_batch;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    pub async fn next(&mut self) -> anyhow::Result<Option<(Key, Lsn, Value)>> {
+        if self.key_values_batch.is_empty() {
+            if self.is_end {
+                return Ok(None);
+            }
+            self.next_batch().await?;
+        }
+        Ok(Some(
+            self.key_values_batch
+                .pop_front()
+                .expect("should not be empty"),
+        ))
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
     use std::collections::BTreeMap;
@@ -1560,6 +1642,9 @@ mod test {
     use rand::RngCore;
 
     use super::*;
+    use crate::tenant::harness::TIMELINE_ID;
+    use crate::tenant::vectored_blob_io::StreamingVectoredReadPlanner;
+    use crate::tenant::Tenant;
     use crate::{
         context::DownloadBehavior,
         task_mgr::TaskKind,
@@ -2126,4 +2211,116 @@ mod test {
             assert_eq!(utils::Hex(&scratch_left), utils::Hex(&scratch_right));
         }
     }
+
+    async fn produce_delta_layer(
+        tenant: &Tenant,
+        tline: &Arc<Timeline>,
+        mut deltas: Vec<(Key, Lsn, Value)>,
+        ctx: &RequestContext,
+    ) -> anyhow::Result<ResidentLayer> {
+        deltas.sort_by(|(k1, l1, _), (k2, l2, _)| (k1, l1).cmp(&(k2, l2)));
+        let (key_start, _, _) = deltas.first().unwrap();
+        let (key_max, _, _) = deltas.first().unwrap();
+        let lsn_min = deltas.iter().map(|(_, lsn, _)| lsn).min().unwrap();
+        let lsn_max = deltas.iter().map(|(_, lsn, _)| lsn).max().unwrap();
+        let lsn_end = Lsn(lsn_max.0 + 1);
+        let mut writer = DeltaLayerWriter::new(
+            tenant.conf,
+            tline.timeline_id,
+            tenant.tenant_shard_id,
+            *key_start,
+            (*lsn_min)..lsn_end,
+            ctx,
+        )
+        .await?;
+        let key_end = key_max.next();
+
+        for (key, lsn, value) in deltas {
+            writer.put_value(key, lsn, value, ctx).await?;
+        }
+        let delta_layer = writer.finish(key_end, tline, ctx).await?;
+
+        Ok::<_, anyhow::Error>(delta_layer)
+    }
+
+    async fn assert_delta_iter_equal(
+        delta_iter: &mut DeltaLayerIterator<'_>,
+        expect: &[(Key, Lsn, Value)],
+    ) {
+        let mut expect_iter = expect.iter();
+        loop {
+            let o1 = delta_iter.next().await.unwrap();
+            let o2 = expect_iter.next();
+            assert_eq!(o1.is_some(), o2.is_some());
+            if o1.is_none() && o2.is_none() {
+                break;
+            }
+            let (k1, l1, v1) = o1.unwrap();
+            let (k2, l2, v2) = o2.unwrap();
+            assert_eq!(&k1, k2);
+            assert_eq!(l1, *l2);
+            assert_eq!(&v1, v2);
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn delta_layer_iterator() {
+        use crate::repository::Value;
+        use bytes::Bytes;
+
+        let harness = TenantHarness::create("delta_layer_iterator").unwrap();
+        let (tenant, ctx) = harness.load().await;
+
+        let tline = tenant
+            .create_test_timeline(TIMELINE_ID, Lsn(0x10), DEFAULT_PG_VERSION, &ctx)
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+
+        fn get_key(id: u32) -> Key {
+            let mut key = Key::from_hex("000000000033333333444444445500000000").unwrap();
+            key.field6 = id;
+            key
+        }
+        const N: usize = 1000;
+        let test_deltas = (0..N)
+            .map(|idx| {
+                (
+                    get_key(idx as u32 / 10),
+                    Lsn(0x10 * ((idx as u64) % 10 + 1)),
+                    Value::Image(Bytes::from(format!("img{idx:05}"))),
+                )
+            })
+            .collect_vec();
+        let resident_layer = produce_delta_layer(&tenant, &tline, test_deltas.clone(), &ctx)
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        let delta_layer = resident_layer.get_as_delta(&ctx).await.unwrap();
+        for max_read_size in [1, 1024] {
+            for batch_size in [1, 2, 4, 8, 3, 7, 13] {
+                println!("running with batch_size={batch_size} max_read_size={max_read_size}");
+                // Test if the batch size is correctly determined
+                let mut iter = delta_layer.iter(&ctx);
+                iter.planner = StreamingVectoredReadPlanner::new(max_read_size, batch_size);
+                let mut num_items = 0;
+                for _ in 0..3 {
+                    iter.next_batch().await.unwrap();
+                    num_items += iter.key_values_batch.len();
+                    if max_read_size == 1 {
+                        // every key should be a batch b/c the value is larger than max_read_size
+                        assert_eq!(iter.key_values_batch.len(), 1);
+                    } else {
+                        assert_eq!(iter.key_values_batch.len(), batch_size);
+                    }
+                    if num_items >= N {
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    iter.key_values_batch.clear();
+                }
+                // Test if the result is correct
+                let mut iter = delta_layer.iter(&ctx);
+                iter.planner = StreamingVectoredReadPlanner::new(max_read_size, batch_size);
+                assert_delta_iter_equal(&mut iter, &test_deltas).await;
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
index 1175b750179d..8dd0a23f4637 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
@@ -5481,12 +5481,12 @@ impl Timeline {
         }
         images.sort_unstable_by(|(ka, _), (kb, _)| ka.cmp(kb));
         let min_key = *images.first().map(|(k, _)| k).unwrap();
-        let max_key = images.last().map(|(k, _)| k).unwrap().next();
+        let end_key = images.last().map(|(k, _)| k).unwrap().next();
         let mut image_layer_writer = ImageLayerWriter::new(
             self.conf,
             self.timeline_id,
             self.tenant_shard_id,
-            &(min_key..max_key),
+            &(min_key..end_key),
             lsn,
             ctx,
         )
@@ -5518,7 +5518,7 @@ impl Timeline {
         let last_record_lsn = self.get_last_record_lsn();
         deltas.sort_unstable_by(|(ka, la, _), (kb, lb, _)| (ka, la).cmp(&(kb, lb)));
         let min_key = *deltas.first().map(|(k, _, _)| k).unwrap();
-        let max_key = deltas.last().map(|(k, _, _)| k).unwrap().next();
+        let end_key = deltas.last().map(|(k, _, _)| k).unwrap().next();
         let min_lsn = *deltas.iter().map(|(_, lsn, _)| lsn).min().unwrap();
         let max_lsn = *deltas.iter().map(|(_, lsn, _)| lsn).max().unwrap();
         assert!(
@@ -5541,7 +5541,7 @@ impl Timeline {
         for (key, lsn, val) in deltas {
             delta_layer_writer.put_value(key, lsn, val, ctx).await?;
         }
-        let delta_layer = delta_layer_writer.finish(max_key, self, ctx).await?;
+        let delta_layer = delta_layer_writer.finish(end_key, self, ctx).await?;
 
         {
             let mut guard = self.layers.write().await;