diff --git a/synapse/storage/persist_events.py b/synapse/storage/persist_events.py
index c751edac70e7..cc96a33b04d2 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/persist_events.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/persist_events.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
     StateMap,
     get_domain_from_id,
 )
-from synapse.util.async_helpers import ObservableDeferred
+from synapse.util.async_helpers import ObservableDeferred, concurrently_execute
 from synapse.util.metrics import Measure
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -135,25 +135,24 @@ def __init__(
         self._currently_persisting_rooms: Set[str] = set()
         self._per_item_callback = per_item_callback
 
-    def add_to_queue(self, room_id, events_and_contexts, backfilled) -> Deferred:
+    async def add_to_queue(
+        self,
+        room_id: str,
+        events_and_contexts: Iterable[Tuple[EventBase, EventContext]],
+        backfilled: bool,
+    ) -> _PersistResult:
         """Add events to the queue, with the given persist_event options.
 
         If we are not already processing events in this room, starts off a background
         process to to so, calling the per_item_callback for each item.
 
-        NB: due to the normal usage pattern of this method, it does *not*
-        follow the synapse logcontext rules, and leaves the logcontext in
-        place whether or not the returned deferred is ready.
-
         Args:
             room_id (str):
             events_and_contexts (list[(EventBase, EventContext)]):
             backfilled (bool):
 
         Returns:
-            defer.Deferred: a deferred which will resolve once the events are
-            persisted. Runs its callbacks in the sentinel logcontext. The result
-            is the same as that returned by the `_per_item_callback` passed to
+            the result returned by the `_per_item_callback` passed to
             `__init__`.
         """
         queue = self._event_persist_queues.setdefault(room_id, deque())
@@ -175,7 +174,7 @@ def add_to_queue(self, room_id, events_and_contexts, backfilled) -> Deferred:
 
         end_item.events_and_contexts.extend(events_and_contexts)
         self._handle_queue(room_id)
-        return end_item.deferred.observe()
+        return await make_deferred_yieldable(end_item.deferred.observe())
 
     def _handle_queue(self, room_id):
         """Attempts to handle the queue for a room if not already being handled.
@@ -278,22 +277,20 @@ async def persist_events(
         for event, ctx in events_and_contexts:
             partitioned.setdefault(event.room_id, []).append((event, ctx))
 
-        deferreds = []
-        for room_id, evs_ctxs in partitioned.items():
-            d = self._event_persist_queue.add_to_queue(
+        async def enqueue(item):
+            room_id, evs_ctxs = item
+            return await self._event_persist_queue.add_to_queue(
                 room_id, evs_ctxs, backfilled=backfilled
             )
-            deferreds.append(d)
 
-        # Each deferred returns a map from event ID to existing event ID if the
-        # event was deduplicated. (The dict may also include other entries if
+        ret_vals = concurrently_execute(enqueue, partitioned.items(), 20)
+
+        # Each call to add_to_queue returns a map from event ID to existing event ID if
+        # the event was deduplicated. (The dict may also include other entries if
         # the event was persisted in a batch with other events).
         #
-        # Since we use `defer.gatherResults` we need to merge the returned list
+        # Since we use `concurrently_execute` we need to merge the returned list
         # of dicts into one.
-        ret_vals = await make_deferred_yieldable(
-            defer.gatherResults(deferreds, consumeErrors=True)
-        )
         replaced_events: Dict[str, str] = {}
         for d in ret_vals:
             replaced_events.update(d)
@@ -321,14 +318,12 @@ async def persist_event(
             event if it was deduplicated due to an existing event matching the
             transaction ID.
         """
-        deferred = self._event_persist_queue.add_to_queue(
-            event.room_id, [(event, context)], backfilled=backfilled
-        )
-
-        # The deferred returns a map from event ID to existing event ID if the
+        # add_to_queue returns a map from event ID to existing event ID if the
         # event was deduplicated. (The dict may also include other entries if
         # the event was persisted in a batch with other events.)
-        replaced_events = await make_deferred_yieldable(deferred)
+        replaced_events = await self._event_persist_queue.add_to_queue(
+            event.room_id, [(event, context)], backfilled=backfilled
+        )
         replaced_event = replaced_events.get(event.event_id)
         if replaced_event:
             event = await self.main_store.get_event(replaced_event)