diff --git a/keyserver/api/api.go b/keyserver/api/api.go
index 520562e7a..aa6df96f8 100644
--- a/keyserver/api/api.go
+++ b/keyserver/api/api.go
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ type PerformClaimKeysResponse struct {
 type PerformUploadDeviceKeysRequest struct {
 	gomatrixserverlib.CrossSigningKeys
 	// The user that uploaded the key, should be populated by the clientapi.
-	UserID string `json:"user_id"`
+	UserID string
 }
 
 type PerformUploadDeviceKeysResponse struct {
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ type PerformUploadDeviceKeysResponse struct {
 type PerformUploadDeviceSignaturesRequest struct {
 	Signatures map[string]map[gomatrixserverlib.KeyID]gomatrixserverlib.CrossSigningForKeyOrDevice
 	// The user that uploaded the sig, should be populated by the clientapi.
-	UserID string `json:"user_id"`
+	UserID string
 }
 
 type PerformUploadDeviceSignaturesResponse struct {
diff --git a/keyserver/internal/cross_signing.go b/keyserver/internal/cross_signing.go
index 7575b6522..28126fbc0 100644
--- a/keyserver/internal/cross_signing.go
+++ b/keyserver/internal/cross_signing.go
@@ -117,46 +117,11 @@ func (a *KeyInternalAPI) PerformUploadDeviceKeys(ctx context.Context, req *api.P
 		masterKey, hasMasterKey = existingKeys[gomatrixserverlib.CrossSigningKeyPurposeMaster]
 	}
 
-	// If the user isn't a local user and we haven't successfully found a key
-	// through any local means then ask over federation.
-	if !hasMasterKey {
-		_, host, err := gomatrixserverlib.SplitID('@', req.UserID)
-		if err != nil {
-			res.Error = &api.KeyError{
-				Err: "Retrieving cross-signing keys from federation failed: " + err.Error(),
-			}
-			return
-		}
-		keys, err := a.FedClient.QueryKeys(ctx, host, map[string][]string{
-			req.UserID: {},
-		})
-		if err != nil {
-			res.Error = &api.KeyError{
-				Err: "Retrieving cross-signing keys from federation failed: " + err.Error(),
-			}
-			return
-		}
-		switch k := keys.MasterKeys[req.UserID].CrossSigningBody.(type) {
-		case *gomatrixserverlib.CrossSigningKey:
-			if err := sanityCheckKey(*k, req.UserID, gomatrixserverlib.CrossSigningKeyPurposeMaster); err != nil {
-				res.Error = &api.KeyError{
-					Err: "Master key sanity check failed: " + err.Error(),
-				}
-				return
-			}
-		default:
-			res.Error = &api.KeyError{
-				Err: "Unexpected type for master key retrieved from federation",
-			}
-			return
-		}
-	}
-
 	// If we still don't have a master key at this point then there's nothing else
 	// we can do - we've checked both the request and the database.
 	if !hasMasterKey {
 		res.Error = &api.KeyError{
-			Err:            "No master key was found, either in the database or in the request!",
+			Err:            "No master key was found either in the database or in the request!",
 			IsMissingParam: true,
 		}
 		return
diff --git a/keyserver/internal/internal.go b/keyserver/internal/internal.go
index 28638c294..668587e2a 100644
--- a/keyserver/internal/internal.go
+++ b/keyserver/internal/internal.go
@@ -372,9 +372,15 @@ func (a *KeyInternalAPI) queryRemoteKeys(
 
 	domains := map[string]struct{}{}
 	for domain := range domainToDeviceKeys {
+		if domain == string(a.ThisServer) {
+			continue
+		}
 		domains[domain] = struct{}{}
 	}
 	for domain := range domainToCrossSigningKeys {
+		if domain == string(a.ThisServer) {
+			continue
+		}
 		domains[domain] = struct{}{}
 	}
 	wg.Add(len(domains))
@@ -430,8 +436,12 @@ func (a *KeyInternalAPI) queryRemoteKeysOnServer(
 	res *api.QueryKeysResponse,
 ) {
 	defer wg.Done()
-	fedCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, timeout)
-	defer cancel()
+	fedCtx := ctx
+	if timeout > 0 {
+		var cancel context.CancelFunc
+		fedCtx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(ctx, timeout)
+		defer cancel()
+	}
 	// for users who we do not have any knowledge about, try to start doing device list updates for them
 	// by hitting /users/devices - otherwise fallback to /keys/query which has nicer bulk properties but
 	// lack a stream ID.
diff --git a/keyserver/inthttp/server.go b/keyserver/inthttp/server.go
index ac70e3e55..475544a5b 100644
--- a/keyserver/inthttp/server.go
+++ b/keyserver/inthttp/server.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func AddRoutes(internalAPIMux *mux.Router, s api.KeyInternalAPI) {
 		httputil.MakeInternalAPI("performUploadDeviceKeys", func(req *http.Request) util.JSONResponse {
 			request := api.PerformUploadDeviceKeysRequest{}
 			response := api.PerformUploadDeviceKeysResponse{}
-			if err := json.NewDecoder(req.Body).Decode(&request.CrossSigningKeys); err != nil {
+			if err := json.NewDecoder(req.Body).Decode(&request); err != nil {
 				return util.MessageResponse(http.StatusBadRequest, err.Error())
 			}
 			s.PerformUploadDeviceKeys(req.Context(), &request, &response)
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func AddRoutes(internalAPIMux *mux.Router, s api.KeyInternalAPI) {
 		httputil.MakeInternalAPI("performUploadDeviceSignatures", func(req *http.Request) util.JSONResponse {
 			request := api.PerformUploadDeviceSignaturesRequest{}
 			response := api.PerformUploadDeviceSignaturesResponse{}
-			if err := json.NewDecoder(req.Body).Decode(&request.Signatures); err != nil {
+			if err := json.NewDecoder(req.Body).Decode(&request); err != nil {
 				return util.MessageResponse(http.StatusBadRequest, err.Error())
 			}
 			s.PerformUploadDeviceSignatures(req.Context(), &request, &response)