diff --git a/synapse/storage/_base.py b/synapse/storage/_base.py
index a6c6676f8d..5c33bd81a8 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/_base.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/_base.py
@@ -952,7 +952,7 @@ class SQLBaseStore(object):
             defer.returnValue({})
 
         rows = []
-        N = 2
+        N = 200
         for i in range(1 + len(events) / N):
             evs = events[i*N:(i + 1)*N]
             if not evs: