diff --git a/synapse/app/appservice.py b/synapse/app/appservice.py
index 7d0c2879ae..c6fe4516d1 100644
--- a/synapse/app/appservice.py
+++ b/synapse/app/appservice.py
@@ -49,19 +49,6 @@ class AppserviceSlaveStore(
 
 
 class AppserviceServer(HomeServer):
-    def get_db_conn(self, run_new_connection=True):
-        # Any param beginning with cp_ is a parameter for adbapi, and should
-        # not be passed to the database engine.
-        db_params = {
-            k: v for k, v in self.db_config.get("args", {}).items()
-            if not k.startswith("cp_")
-        }
-        db_conn = self.database_engine.module.connect(**db_params)
-
-        if run_new_connection:
-            self.database_engine.on_new_connection(db_conn)
-        return db_conn
-
     def setup(self):
         logger.info("Setting up.")
         self.datastore = AppserviceSlaveStore(self.get_db_conn(), self)
diff --git a/synapse/app/client_reader.py b/synapse/app/client_reader.py
index dc3f6efd43..3b3352798d 100644
--- a/synapse/app/client_reader.py
+++ b/synapse/app/client_reader.py
@@ -64,19 +64,6 @@ class ClientReaderSlavedStore(
 
 
 class ClientReaderServer(HomeServer):
-    def get_db_conn(self, run_new_connection=True):
-        # Any param beginning with cp_ is a parameter for adbapi, and should
-        # not be passed to the database engine.
-        db_params = {
-            k: v for k, v in self.db_config.get("args", {}).items()
-            if not k.startswith("cp_")
-        }
-        db_conn = self.database_engine.module.connect(**db_params)
-
-        if run_new_connection:
-            self.database_engine.on_new_connection(db_conn)
-        return db_conn
-
     def setup(self):
         logger.info("Setting up.")
         self.datastore = ClientReaderSlavedStore(self.get_db_conn(), self)
diff --git a/synapse/app/federation_reader.py b/synapse/app/federation_reader.py
index a072291e1f..4de43c41f0 100644
--- a/synapse/app/federation_reader.py
+++ b/synapse/app/federation_reader.py
@@ -58,19 +58,6 @@ class FederationReaderSlavedStore(
 
 
 class FederationReaderServer(HomeServer):
-    def get_db_conn(self, run_new_connection=True):
-        # Any param beginning with cp_ is a parameter for adbapi, and should
-        # not be passed to the database engine.
-        db_params = {
-            k: v for k, v in self.db_config.get("args", {}).items()
-            if not k.startswith("cp_")
-        }
-        db_conn = self.database_engine.module.connect(**db_params)
-
-        if run_new_connection:
-            self.database_engine.on_new_connection(db_conn)
-        return db_conn
-
     def setup(self):
         logger.info("Setting up.")
         self.datastore = FederationReaderSlavedStore(self.get_db_conn(), self)
diff --git a/synapse/app/federation_sender.py b/synapse/app/federation_sender.py
index 09e9488f06..f760826d27 100644
--- a/synapse/app/federation_sender.py
+++ b/synapse/app/federation_sender.py
@@ -76,19 +76,6 @@ class FederationSenderSlaveStore(
 
 
 class FederationSenderServer(HomeServer):
-    def get_db_conn(self, run_new_connection=True):
-        # Any param beginning with cp_ is a parameter for adbapi, and should
-        # not be passed to the database engine.
-        db_params = {
-            k: v for k, v in self.db_config.get("args", {}).items()
-            if not k.startswith("cp_")
-        }
-        db_conn = self.database_engine.module.connect(**db_params)
-
-        if run_new_connection:
-            self.database_engine.on_new_connection(db_conn)
-        return db_conn
-
     def setup(self):
         logger.info("Setting up.")
         self.datastore = FederationSenderSlaveStore(self.get_db_conn(), self)
diff --git a/synapse/app/frontend_proxy.py b/synapse/app/frontend_proxy.py
index ae531c0aa4..e32ee8fe93 100644
--- a/synapse/app/frontend_proxy.py
+++ b/synapse/app/frontend_proxy.py
@@ -118,19 +118,6 @@ class FrontendProxySlavedStore(
 
 
 class FrontendProxyServer(HomeServer):
-    def get_db_conn(self, run_new_connection=True):
-        # Any param beginning with cp_ is a parameter for adbapi, and should
-        # not be passed to the database engine.
-        db_params = {
-            k: v for k, v in self.db_config.get("args", {}).items()
-            if not k.startswith("cp_")
-        }
-        db_conn = self.database_engine.module.connect(**db_params)
-
-        if run_new_connection:
-            self.database_engine.on_new_connection(db_conn)
-        return db_conn
-
     def setup(self):
         logger.info("Setting up.")
         self.datastore = FrontendProxySlavedStore(self.get_db_conn(), self)
diff --git a/synapse/app/homeserver.py b/synapse/app/homeserver.py
index 92ab3b311b..cb82a415a6 100755
--- a/synapse/app/homeserver.py
+++ b/synapse/app/homeserver.py
@@ -266,19 +266,6 @@ class SynapseHomeServer(HomeServer):
         except IncorrectDatabaseSetup as e:
             quit_with_error(e.message)
 
-    def get_db_conn(self, run_new_connection=True):
-        # Any param beginning with cp_ is a parameter for adbapi, and should
-        # not be passed to the database engine.
-        db_params = {
-            k: v for k, v in self.db_config.get("args", {}).items()
-            if not k.startswith("cp_")
-        }
-        db_conn = self.database_engine.module.connect(**db_params)
-
-        if run_new_connection:
-            self.database_engine.on_new_connection(db_conn)
-        return db_conn
-
 
 def setup(config_options):
     """
diff --git a/synapse/app/media_repository.py b/synapse/app/media_repository.py
index eab1597aaa..1ed1ca8772 100644
--- a/synapse/app/media_repository.py
+++ b/synapse/app/media_repository.py
@@ -60,19 +60,6 @@ class MediaRepositorySlavedStore(
 
 
 class MediaRepositoryServer(HomeServer):
-    def get_db_conn(self, run_new_connection=True):
-        # Any param beginning with cp_ is a parameter for adbapi, and should
-        # not be passed to the database engine.
-        db_params = {
-            k: v for k, v in self.db_config.get("args", {}).items()
-            if not k.startswith("cp_")
-        }
-        db_conn = self.database_engine.module.connect(**db_params)
-
-        if run_new_connection:
-            self.database_engine.on_new_connection(db_conn)
-        return db_conn
-
     def setup(self):
         logger.info("Setting up.")
         self.datastore = MediaRepositorySlavedStore(self.get_db_conn(), self)
diff --git a/synapse/app/pusher.py b/synapse/app/pusher.py
index 7fbbb0b0e1..32ccea3f13 100644
--- a/synapse/app/pusher.py
+++ b/synapse/app/pusher.py
@@ -81,19 +81,6 @@ class PusherSlaveStore(
 
 
 class PusherServer(HomeServer):
-    def get_db_conn(self, run_new_connection=True):
-        # Any param beginning with cp_ is a parameter for adbapi, and should
-        # not be passed to the database engine.
-        db_params = {
-            k: v for k, v in self.db_config.get("args", {}).items()
-            if not k.startswith("cp_")
-        }
-        db_conn = self.database_engine.module.connect(**db_params)
-
-        if run_new_connection:
-            self.database_engine.on_new_connection(db_conn)
-        return db_conn
-
     def setup(self):
         logger.info("Setting up.")
         self.datastore = PusherSlaveStore(self.get_db_conn(), self)
diff --git a/synapse/app/synchrotron.py b/synapse/app/synchrotron.py
index 0abba3016e..f87531f1b6 100644
--- a/synapse/app/synchrotron.py
+++ b/synapse/app/synchrotron.py
@@ -246,19 +246,6 @@ class SynchrotronApplicationService(object):
 
 
 class SynchrotronServer(HomeServer):
-    def get_db_conn(self, run_new_connection=True):
-        # Any param beginning with cp_ is a parameter for adbapi, and should
-        # not be passed to the database engine.
-        db_params = {
-            k: v for k, v in self.db_config.get("args", {}).items()
-            if not k.startswith("cp_")
-        }
-        db_conn = self.database_engine.module.connect(**db_params)
-
-        if run_new_connection:
-            self.database_engine.on_new_connection(db_conn)
-        return db_conn
-
     def setup(self):
         logger.info("Setting up.")
         self.datastore = SynchrotronSlavedStore(self.get_db_conn(), self)
diff --git a/synapse/app/user_dir.py b/synapse/app/user_dir.py
index a48c4a2ae6..494ccb702c 100644
--- a/synapse/app/user_dir.py
+++ b/synapse/app/user_dir.py
@@ -92,19 +92,6 @@ class UserDirectorySlaveStore(
 
 
 class UserDirectoryServer(HomeServer):
-    def get_db_conn(self, run_new_connection=True):
-        # Any param beginning with cp_ is a parameter for adbapi, and should
-        # not be passed to the database engine.
-        db_params = {
-            k: v for k, v in self.db_config.get("args", {}).items()
-            if not k.startswith("cp_")
-        }
-        db_conn = self.database_engine.module.connect(**db_params)
-
-        if run_new_connection:
-            self.database_engine.on_new_connection(db_conn)
-        return db_conn
-
     def setup(self):
         logger.info("Setting up.")
         self.datastore = UserDirectorySlaveStore(self.get_db_conn(), self)
diff --git a/synapse/server.py b/synapse/server.py
index 99693071b6..ff8a8fbc46 100644
--- a/synapse/server.py
+++ b/synapse/server.py
@@ -307,6 +307,23 @@ class HomeServer(object):
             **self.db_config.get("args", {})
         )
 
+    def get_db_conn(self, run_new_connection=True):
+        """Makes a new connection to the database, skipping the db pool
+
+        Returns:
+            Connection: a connection object implementing the PEP-249 spec
+        """
+        # Any param beginning with cp_ is a parameter for adbapi, and should
+        # not be passed to the database engine.
+        db_params = {
+            k: v for k, v in self.db_config.get("args", {}).items()
+            if not k.startswith("cp_")
+        }
+        db_conn = self.database_engine.module.connect(**db_params)
+        if run_new_connection:
+            self.database_engine.on_new_connection(db_conn)
+        return db_conn
+
     def build_media_repository_resource(self):
         # build the media repo resource. This indirects through the HomeServer
         # to ensure that we only have a single instance of