diff --git a/changelog.d/6126.feature b/changelog.d/6126.feature
deleted file mode 100644
index 1207ba6206..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/6126.feature
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Group events into larger federation transactions at times of high traffic.
diff --git a/synapse/federation/sender/__init__.py b/synapse/federation/sender/__init__.py
index 497485fac2..d46f4aaeb1 100644
--- a/synapse/federation/sender/__init__.py
+++ b/synapse/federation/sender/__init__.py
@@ -152,24 +152,9 @@ class FederationSender(object):
 
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def _process_event_queue_loop(self):
-        loop_start_time = self.clock.time_msec()
         try:
             self._is_processing = True
             while True:
-                # if we've been going around this loop for a long time without
-                # catching up, deprioritise transaction transmission. This should mean
-                # that events get batched into fewer transactions, which is more
-                # efficient, and hence give us a chance to catch up
-                if (
-                    self.clock.time_msec() - loop_start_time > 60 * 1000
-                    and not self._transaction_manager.deprioritise_transmission
-                ):
-                    logger.warning(
-                        "Event processing loop is getting behind: deprioritising "
-                        "transaction transmission"
-                    )
-                    self._transaction_manager.deprioritise_transmission = True
-
                 last_token = yield self.store.get_federation_out_pos("events")
                 next_token, events = yield self.store.get_all_new_events_stream(
                     last_token, self._last_poked_id, limit=100
@@ -266,9 +251,6 @@ class FederationSender(object):
 
         finally:
             self._is_processing = False
-            if self._transaction_manager.deprioritise_transmission:
-                logger.info("Event queue caught up: re-prioritising transmission")
-                self._transaction_manager.deprioritise_transmission = False
 
     def _send_pdu(self, pdu, destinations):
         # We loop through all destinations to see whether we already have
diff --git a/synapse/federation/sender/per_destination_queue.py b/synapse/federation/sender/per_destination_queue.py
index b890aaf840..fad980b893 100644
--- a/synapse/federation/sender/per_destination_queue.py
+++ b/synapse/federation/sender/per_destination_queue.py
@@ -189,11 +189,6 @@ class PerDestinationQueue(object):
 
             pending_pdus = []
             while True:
-                if self._transaction_manager.deprioritise_transmission:
-                    # if the event-processing loop has got behind, sleep to give it
-                    # a chance to catch up
-                    yield self._clock.sleep(2)
-
                 # We have to keep 2 free slots for presence and rr_edus
                 limit = MAX_EDUS_PER_TRANSACTION - 2
 
diff --git a/synapse/federation/sender/transaction_manager.py b/synapse/federation/sender/transaction_manager.py
index 69679dbf65..5b6c79c51a 100644
--- a/synapse/federation/sender/transaction_manager.py
+++ b/synapse/federation/sender/transaction_manager.py
@@ -49,10 +49,6 @@ class TransactionManager(object):
         # HACK to get unique tx id
         self._next_txn_id = int(self.clock.time_msec())
 
-        # the federation sender sometimes sets this to delay transaction transmission,
-        # if the sender gets behind.
-        self.deprioritise_transmission = False
-
     @measure_func("_send_new_transaction")
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def send_new_transaction(self, destination, pending_pdus, pending_edus):