diff --git a/sstables/sstables.cc b/sstables/sstables.cc
index bb656cf016..deac9e4c80 100644
--- a/sstables/sstables.cc
+++ b/sstables/sstables.cc
@@ -784,6 +784,15 @@ static inline sstring parent_path(const sstring& fname) {
     return fs::canonical(fs::path(fname)).parent_path().string();
 }
 
+future<std::vector<sstring>> sstable::read_and_parse_toc(file f) {
+    return with_closeable(make_file_input_stream(f), [] (input_stream<char>& in) -> future<std::vector<sstring>> {
+        std::vector<sstring> components;
+        auto all = co_await util::read_entire_stream_contiguous(in);
+        boost::split(components, all, boost::is_any_of("\n"));
+        co_return components;
+    });
+}
+
 // This is small enough, and well-defined. Easier to just read it all
 // at once
 future<> sstable::read_toc() noexcept {
@@ -793,21 +802,7 @@ future<> sstable::read_toc() noexcept {
 
     try {
         co_await do_read_simple(component_type::TOC, [&] (version_types v, file f) -> future<> {
-            auto bufptr = allocate_aligned_buffer<char>(4096, 4096);
-
-            size_t size = co_await f.dma_read(0, bufptr.get(), 4096);
-            // This file is supposed to be very small. Theoretically we should check its size,
-            // but if we so much as read a whole page from it, there is definitely something fishy
-            // going on - and this simplifies the code.
-            if (size >= 4096) {
-                throw malformed_sstable_exception("SSTable TOC too big: " + to_sstring(size) + " bytes", filename(component_type::TOC));
-            }
-
-            std::string_view buf(bufptr.get(), size);
-            std::vector<sstring> comps;
-
-            boost::split(comps , buf, boost::is_any_of("\n"));
-
+            auto comps = co_await read_and_parse_toc(f);
             for (auto& c: comps) {
                 // accept trailing newlines
                 if (c == "") {
@@ -2625,12 +2620,7 @@ future<> remove_by_toc_name(sstring sstable_toc_name, storage::sync_dir sync) {
     }
     auto toc_file = co_await open_checked_file_dma(sstable_write_error_handler, new_toc_name, open_flags::ro);
     std::vector<sstring> components = co_await with_closeable(std::move(toc_file), [] (file& toc_file) {
-        return with_closeable(make_file_input_stream(toc_file), [] (input_stream<char>& in) -> future<std::vector<sstring>> {
-            std::vector<sstring> components;
-            auto all = co_await util::read_entire_stream_contiguous(in);
-            boost::split(components, all, boost::is_any_of("\n"));
-            co_return components;
-        });
+        return sstable::read_and_parse_toc(toc_file);
     });
 
     co_await coroutine::parallel_for_each(components, [&prefix] (sstring component) -> future<> {
diff --git a/sstables/sstables.hh b/sstables/sstables.hh
index 0b39f707e2..2991c83f6d 100644
--- a/sstables/sstables.hh
+++ b/sstables/sstables.hh
@@ -603,6 +603,8 @@ public:
     bool has_component(component_type f) const;
     sstables_manager& manager() { return _manager; }
     const sstables_manager& manager() const { return _manager; }
+
+    static future<std::vector<sstring>> read_and_parse_toc(file f);
 private:
     void unused(); // Called when reference count drops to zero
     future<file> open_file(component_type, open_flags, file_open_options = {}) noexcept;
diff --git a/sstables/storage.cc b/sstables/storage.cc
index 1d3d1b532e..3c4a7cd047 100644
--- a/sstables/storage.cc
+++ b/sstables/storage.cc
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include <seastar/coroutine/exception.hh>
 #include <seastar/coroutine/parallel_for_each.hh>
 #include <seastar/util/file.hh>
+#include <seastar/util/closeable.hh>
 
 #include "sstables/exceptions.hh"
 #include "sstables/sstable_directory.hh"
@@ -539,21 +540,19 @@ future<> s3_storage::wipe(const sstable& sst, sync_dir) noexcept {
 
 future<> s3_storage::remove_by_registry_entry(entry_descriptor desc) {
     auto prefix = format("/{}/{}", _bucket, desc.generation);
-    std::optional<temporary_buffer<char>> toc;
     std::vector<sstring> components;
 
     try {
-        toc = co_await _client->get_object_contiguous(prefix + "/" + sstable_version_constants::get_component_map(desc.version).at(component_type::TOC));
+        auto f = _client->make_readable_file(prefix + "/" + sstable_version_constants::get_component_map(desc.version).at(component_type::TOC));
+        components = co_await with_closeable(std::move(f), [] (file& f) {
+            return sstable::read_and_parse_toc(f);
+        });
     } catch (const storage_io_error& e) {
         if (e.code().value() != ENOENT) {
             throw;
         }
     }
-    if (!toc) {
-        co_return; // missing TOC object is OK
-    }
 
-    boost::split(components, std::string_view(toc->get(), toc->size()), boost::is_any_of("\n"));
     co_await coroutine::parallel_for_each(components, [this, &prefix] (sstring comp) -> future<> {
         if (comp != sstable_version_constants::TOC_SUFFIX) {
             co_await _client->delete_object(prefix + "/" + comp);