diff --git a/synapse/storage/database.py b/synapse/storage/database.py
index a2f016a7ef..b302cd5786 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/database.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/database.py
@@ -2059,15 +2059,12 @@ def make_in_list_sql_clause(
 KV = TypeVar("KV")
 
 
-def make_tuple_comparison_clause(
-    _database_engine: BaseDatabaseEngine, keys: List[Tuple[str, KV]]
-) -> Tuple[str, List[KV]]:
+def make_tuple_comparison_clause(keys: List[Tuple[str, KV]]) -> Tuple[str, List[KV]]:
     """Returns a tuple comparison SQL clause
 
     Builds a SQL clause that looks like "(a, b) > (?, ?)"
 
     Args:
-        _database_engine
         keys: A set of (column, value) pairs to be compared.
 
     Returns:
diff --git a/synapse/storage/databases/main/client_ips.py b/synapse/storage/databases/main/client_ips.py
index 6d18e692b0..ea3c15fd0e 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/databases/main/client_ips.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/databases/main/client_ips.py
@@ -298,7 +298,6 @@ class ClientIpBackgroundUpdateStore(SQLBaseStore):
             #      times, which is fine.
 
             where_clause, where_args = make_tuple_comparison_clause(
-                self.database_engine,
                 [("user_id", last_user_id), ("device_id", last_device_id)],
             )
 
diff --git a/synapse/storage/databases/main/devices.py b/synapse/storage/databases/main/devices.py
index d327e9aa0b..9bf8ba888f 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/databases/main/devices.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/databases/main/devices.py
@@ -985,7 +985,7 @@ class DeviceBackgroundUpdateStore(SQLBaseStore):
 
         def _txn(txn):
             clause, args = make_tuple_comparison_clause(
-                self.db_pool.engine, [(x, last_row[x]) for x in KEY_COLS]
+                [(x, last_row[x]) for x in KEY_COLS]
             )
             sql = """
                 SELECT stream_id, destination, user_id, device_id, MAX(ts) AS ts
diff --git a/synapse/storage/databases/main/events_bg_updates.py b/synapse/storage/databases/main/events_bg_updates.py
index 78367ea58d..79e7df6ca9 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/databases/main/events_bg_updates.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/databases/main/events_bg_updates.py
@@ -838,7 +838,6 @@ class EventsBackgroundUpdatesStore(SQLBaseStore):
         # We want to do a `(topological_ordering, stream_ordering) > (?,?)`
         # comparison, but that is not supported on older SQLite versions
         tuple_clause, tuple_args = make_tuple_comparison_clause(
-            self.database_engine,
             [
                 ("events.room_id", last_room_id),
                 ("topological_ordering", last_depth),
diff --git a/tests/storage/test_database.py b/tests/storage/test_database.py
index 1bba58fc03..a906d30e73 100644
--- a/tests/storage/test_database.py
+++ b/tests/storage/test_database.py
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ def _stub_db_engine(**kwargs) -> BaseDatabaseEngine:
 
 class TupleComparisonClauseTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_native_tuple_comparison(self):
-        db_engine = _stub_db_engine()
-        clause, args = make_tuple_comparison_clause(db_engine, [("a", 1), ("b", 2)])
+        clause, args = make_tuple_comparison_clause([("a", 1), ("b", 2)])
         self.assertEqual(clause, "(a,b) > (?,?)")
         self.assertEqual(args, [1, 2])