diff --git a/federationapi/internal/perform.go b/federationapi/internal/perform.go
index 1179801e6..c226d7691 100644
--- a/federationapi/internal/perform.go
+++ b/federationapi/internal/perform.go
@@ -708,15 +708,8 @@ func (r *FederationInternalAPI) PerformWakeupServers(
 
 func (r *FederationInternalAPI) MarkServersAlive(destinations []gomatrixserverlib.ServerName) {
 	for _, srv := range destinations {
-		// Check the statistics cache for the blacklist & assumed offline status to prevent hitting
-		// the database unnecessarily.
-		if r.statistics.ForServer(srv).AssumedOffline() {
-			_ = r.db.RemoveServerAssumedOffline(srv)
-		}
-		if r.queues.IsServerBlacklisted(srv) {
-			_ = r.db.RemoveServerFromBlacklist(srv)
-		}
-		r.queues.RetryServer(srv)
+		wasBlacklisted := r.statistics.ForServer(srv).MarkServerAlive()
+		r.queues.RetryServer(srv, wasBlacklisted)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/federationapi/queue/queue.go b/federationapi/queue/queue.go
index 22ec4c3af..d7744790a 100644
--- a/federationapi/queue/queue.go
+++ b/federationapi/queue/queue.go
@@ -374,25 +374,13 @@ func (oqs *OutgoingQueues) SendEDU(
 	return nil
 }
 
-// IsServerBlacklisted returns whether or not the provided server is currently
-// blacklisted.
-func (oqs *OutgoingQueues) IsServerBlacklisted(srv gomatrixserverlib.ServerName) bool {
-	return oqs.statistics.ForServer(srv).Blacklisted()
-}
-
 // RetryServer attempts to resend events to the given server if we had given up.
-func (oqs *OutgoingQueues) RetryServer(srv gomatrixserverlib.ServerName) {
+func (oqs *OutgoingQueues) RetryServer(srv gomatrixserverlib.ServerName, wasBlacklisted bool) {
 	if oqs.disabled {
 		return
 	}
 
-	serverStatistics := oqs.statistics.ForServer(srv)
-	forceWakeup := serverStatistics.Blacklisted()
-	serverStatistics.RemoveAssumedOffline()
-	serverStatistics.RemoveBlacklist()
-	serverStatistics.ClearBackoff()
-
 	if queue := oqs.getQueue(srv); queue != nil {
-		queue.wakeQueueIfEventsPending(forceWakeup)
+		queue.wakeQueueIfEventsPending(wasBlacklisted)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/federationapi/queue/queue_test.go b/federationapi/queue/queue_test.go
index d7a87cb42..0e573ea54 100644
--- a/federationapi/queue/queue_test.go
+++ b/federationapi/queue/queue_test.go
@@ -528,8 +528,8 @@ func TestRetryServerSendsPDUSuccessfully(t *testing.T) {
 	poll.WaitOn(t, checkBlacklisted, poll.WithTimeout(5*time.Second), poll.WithDelay(100*time.Millisecond))
 
 	fc.shouldTxSucceed = true
-	db.RemoveServerFromBlacklist(destination)
-	queues.RetryServer(destination)
+	wasBlacklisted := dest.statistics.MarkServerAlive()
+	queues.RetryServer(destination, wasBlacklisted)
 	checkRetry := func(log poll.LogT) poll.Result {
 		data, dbErr := db.GetPendingPDUs(pc.Context(), destination, 100)
 		assert.NoError(t, dbErr)
@@ -579,8 +579,8 @@ func TestRetryServerSendsEDUSuccessfully(t *testing.T) {
 	poll.WaitOn(t, checkBlacklisted, poll.WithTimeout(5*time.Second), poll.WithDelay(100*time.Millisecond))
 
 	fc.shouldTxSucceed = true
-	db.RemoveServerFromBlacklist(destination)
-	queues.RetryServer(destination)
+	wasBlacklisted := dest.statistics.MarkServerAlive()
+	queues.RetryServer(destination, wasBlacklisted)
 	checkRetry := func(log poll.LogT) poll.Result {
 		data, dbErr := db.GetPendingEDUs(pc.Context(), destination, 100)
 		assert.NoError(t, dbErr)
@@ -821,8 +821,8 @@ func TestQueueInteractsWithRealDatabasePDUAndEDU(t *testing.T) {
 		poll.WaitOn(t, checkBlacklisted, poll.WithTimeout(10*time.Second), poll.WithDelay(100*time.Millisecond))
 
 		fc.shouldTxSucceed = true
-		db.RemoveServerFromBlacklist(destination)
-		queues.RetryServer(destination)
+		wasBlacklisted := dest.statistics.MarkServerAlive()
+		queues.RetryServer(destination, wasBlacklisted)
 		checkRetry := func(log poll.LogT) poll.Result {
 			pduData, dbErrPDU := db.GetPendingPDUs(pc.Context(), destination, 200)
 			assert.NoError(t, dbErrPDU)
diff --git a/federationapi/statistics/statistics.go b/federationapi/statistics/statistics.go
index 5395f70a3..8bc724a01 100644
--- a/federationapi/statistics/statistics.go
+++ b/federationapi/statistics/statistics.go
@@ -214,6 +214,14 @@ func (s *ServerStatistics) Failure() (time.Time, bool) {
 	return s.backoffUntil.Load().(time.Time), false
 }
 
+// MarkServerAlive removes the assumed offline and blacklisted statuses from this server.
+// Returns whether the server was blacklisted before this point.
+func (s *ServerStatistics) MarkServerAlive() bool {
+	s.removeAssumedOffline()
+	wasBlacklisted := s.removeBlacklist()
+	return wasBlacklisted
+}
+
 // ClearBackoff stops the backoff timer for this destination if it is running
 // and removes the timer from the backoffTimers map.
 func (s *ServerStatistics) ClearBackoff() {
@@ -262,14 +270,26 @@ func (s *ServerStatistics) AssumedOffline() bool {
 	return s.assumedOffline.Load()
 }
 
-// RemoveBlacklist removes the blacklisted status from the server.
-func (s *ServerStatistics) RemoveBlacklist() {
+// removeBlacklist removes the blacklisted status from the server.
+// Returns whether the server was blacklisted.
+func (s *ServerStatistics) removeBlacklist() bool {
+	var wasBlacklisted bool
+
+	if s.Blacklisted() {
+		wasBlacklisted = true
+		_ = s.statistics.DB.RemoveServerFromBlacklist(s.serverName)
+	}
 	s.cancel()
 	s.backoffCount.Store(0)
+
+	return wasBlacklisted
 }
 
-// RemoveAssumedOffline removes the assumed offline status from the server.
-func (s *ServerStatistics) RemoveAssumedOffline() {
+// removeAssumedOffline removes the assumed offline status from the server.
+func (s *ServerStatistics) removeAssumedOffline() {
+	if s.AssumedOffline() {
+		_ = s.statistics.DB.RemoveServerAssumedOffline(s.serverName)
+	}
 	s.assumedOffline.Store(false)
 }