diff --git a/appservice/appservice.go b/appservice/appservice.go
index 782e090a1..ddb99d024 100644
--- a/appservice/appservice.go
+++ b/appservice/appservice.go
@@ -131,10 +131,11 @@ func generateAppServiceAccount(
 	}
 	var devRes userapi.PerformDeviceCreationResponse
 	err = userAPI.PerformDeviceCreation(context.Background(), &userapi.PerformDeviceCreationRequest{
-		Localpart:         as.SenderLocalpart,
-		AccessToken:       as.ASToken,
-		DeviceID:          &as.SenderLocalpart,
-		DeviceDisplayName: &as.SenderLocalpart,
+		Localpart:          as.SenderLocalpart,
+		AccessToken:        as.ASToken,
+		DeviceID:           &as.SenderLocalpart,
+		DeviceDisplayName:  &as.SenderLocalpart,
+		NoDeviceListUpdate: true,
 	}, &devRes)
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/userapi/api/api.go b/userapi/api/api.go
index 0c7604832..04609659c 100644
--- a/userapi/api/api.go
+++ b/userapi/api/api.go
@@ -290,6 +290,10 @@ type PerformDeviceCreationRequest struct {
 	IPAddr string
 	// Useragent for this device
 	UserAgent string
+	// NoDeviceListUpdate determines whether we should avoid sending a device list
+	// update for this account. Generally the only reason to do this is if the account
+	// is an appservice account.
+	NoDeviceListUpdate bool
 }
 
 // PerformDeviceCreationResponse is the response for PerformDeviceCreation
diff --git a/userapi/internal/api.go b/userapi/internal/api.go
index fc0d13042..5d91383de 100644
--- a/userapi/internal/api.go
+++ b/userapi/internal/api.go
@@ -119,6 +119,9 @@ func (a *UserInternalAPI) PerformDeviceCreation(ctx context.Context, req *api.Pe
 	}
 	res.DeviceCreated = true
 	res.Device = dev
+	if req.NoDeviceListUpdate {
+		return nil
+	}
 	// create empty device keys and upload them to trigger device list changes
 	return a.deviceListUpdate(dev.UserID, []string{dev.ID})
 }