diff --git a/db/schema_tables.cc b/db/schema_tables.cc
index a3cb78d25b..181f088418 100644
--- a/db/schema_tables.cc
+++ b/db/schema_tables.cc
@@ -951,21 +951,20 @@ static utils::UUID table_id_from_mutations(const schema_mutations& sm) {
     return table_row.get_nonnull<utils::UUID>("id");
 }
 
-// Call inside a seastar thread
 static
-std::map<utils::UUID, schema_mutations>
+future<std::map<utils::UUID, schema_mutations>>
 read_tables_for_keyspaces(distributed<service::storage_proxy>& proxy, const std::set<sstring>& keyspace_names, schema_ptr s)
 {
     std::map<utils::UUID, schema_mutations> result;
     for (auto&& keyspace_name : keyspace_names) {
-        for (auto&& table_name : read_table_names_of_keyspace(proxy, keyspace_name, s).get0()) {
+        for (auto&& table_name : co_await read_table_names_of_keyspace(proxy, keyspace_name, s)) {
             auto qn = qualified_name(keyspace_name, table_name);
-            auto muts = read_table_mutations(proxy, qn, s).get0();
+            auto muts = co_await read_table_mutations(proxy, qn, s);
             auto id = table_id_from_mutations(muts);
             result.emplace(std::move(id), std::move(muts));
         }
     }
-    return result;
+    co_return result;
 }
 
 mutation compact_for_schema_digest(const mutation& m) {
@@ -1078,9 +1077,9 @@ static future<> do_merge_schema(distributed<service::storage_proxy>& proxy, std:
 
        // current state of the schema
        auto&& old_keyspaces = read_schema_for_keyspaces(proxy, KEYSPACES, keyspaces).get0();
-       auto&& old_column_families = read_tables_for_keyspaces(proxy, keyspaces, tables());
+       auto&& old_column_families = read_tables_for_keyspaces(proxy, keyspaces, tables()).get0();
        auto&& old_types = read_schema_for_keyspaces(proxy, TYPES, keyspaces).get0();
-       auto&& old_views = read_tables_for_keyspaces(proxy, keyspaces, views());
+       auto&& old_views = read_tables_for_keyspaces(proxy, keyspaces, views()).get0();
        auto old_functions = read_schema_for_keyspaces(proxy, FUNCTIONS, keyspaces).get0();
 #if 0 // not in 2.1.8
        /*auto& old_aggregates = */read_schema_for_keyspaces(proxy, AGGREGATES, keyspaces).get0();
@@ -1099,9 +1098,9 @@ static future<> do_merge_schema(distributed<service::storage_proxy>& proxy, std:
 
        // with new data applied
        auto&& new_keyspaces = read_schema_for_keyspaces(proxy, KEYSPACES, keyspaces).get0();
-       auto&& new_column_families = read_tables_for_keyspaces(proxy, keyspaces, tables());
+       auto&& new_column_families = read_tables_for_keyspaces(proxy, keyspaces, tables()).get0();
        auto&& new_types = read_schema_for_keyspaces(proxy, TYPES, keyspaces).get0();
-       auto&& new_views = read_tables_for_keyspaces(proxy, keyspaces, views());
+       auto&& new_views = read_tables_for_keyspaces(proxy, keyspaces, views()).get0();
        auto new_functions = read_schema_for_keyspaces(proxy, FUNCTIONS, keyspaces).get0();
 #if 0 // not in 2.1.8
        /*auto& new_aggregates = */read_schema_for_keyspaces(proxy, AGGREGATES, keyspaces).get0();