diff --git a/test_runner/performance/test_branch_creation.py b/test_runner/performance/test_branch_creation.py
index 3ce27d6cd3eb..cf2212d447f2 100644
--- a/test_runner/performance/test_branch_creation.py
+++ b/test_runner/performance/test_branch_creation.py
@@ -142,10 +142,9 @@ def test_branch_creation_many(neon_compare: NeonCompare, n_branches: int, shape:
     # start without gc so we can time compaction with less noise; use shorter
     # period for compaction so it starts earlier
     def patch_default_tenant_config(config):
-        tenant_config = config.get("tenant_config", {})
+        tenant_config = config.setdefault("tenant_config", {})
         tenant_config["compaction_period"] = "3s"
         tenant_config["gc_period"] = "0s"
-        config["tenant_config"] = tenant_config
 
     env.pageserver.edit_config_toml(patch_default_tenant_config)
     env.pageserver.start(
diff --git a/test_runner/regress/test_disk_usage_eviction.py b/test_runner/regress/test_disk_usage_eviction.py
index 05956b5b9378..954db914b9ea 100644
--- a/test_runner/regress/test_disk_usage_eviction.py
+++ b/test_runner/regress/test_disk_usage_eviction.py
@@ -62,9 +62,8 @@ def assert_overrides(tenant_id, default_tenant_conf_value):
     if config_level_override is not None:
 
         def set_min_resident_size(config):
-            tenant_config = config.get("tenant_config", {})
+            tenant_config = config.setdefault("tenant_config", {})
             tenant_config["min_resident_size_override"] = config_level_override
-            config["tenant_config"] = tenant_config
 
         env.pageserver.edit_config_toml(set_min_resident_size)
     env.pageserver.stop()
diff --git a/test_runner/regress/test_pageserver_getpage_throttle.py b/test_runner/regress/test_pageserver_getpage_throttle.py
index 6d0661f068ca..9644ebe3e2be 100644
--- a/test_runner/regress/test_pageserver_getpage_throttle.py
+++ b/test_runner/regress/test_pageserver_getpage_throttle.py
@@ -183,7 +183,8 @@ def test_throttle_fair_config_is_settable_but_ignored_in_config_toml(
     """
 
     def set_tenant_config(ps_cfg):
-        ps_cfg["tenant_config"] = {"timeline_get_throttle": throttle_config_with_field_fair_set}
+        tenant_config = ps_cfg.setdefault("tenant_config", {})
+        tenant_config["timeline_get_throttle"] = throttle_config_with_field_fair_set
 
     neon_env_builder.pageserver_config_override = set_tenant_config
     env = neon_env_builder.init_start()