diff --git a/syncapi/storage/interface.go b/syncapi/storage/interface.go
index 0fea88da6..91ed8eb72 100644
--- a/syncapi/storage/interface.go
+++ b/syncapi/storage/interface.go
@@ -161,4 +161,5 @@ type Presence interface {
 	GetPresence(ctx context.Context, userID string) (*types.PresenceInternal, error)
 	PresenceAfter(ctx context.Context, after types.StreamPosition) (map[string]*types.PresenceInternal, error)
 	MaxStreamPositionForPresence(ctx context.Context) (types.StreamPosition, error)
+	RecentPresence(ctx context.Context) (map[string]*types.PresenceInternal, error)
 }
diff --git a/syncapi/storage/postgres/presence_table.go b/syncapi/storage/postgres/presence_table.go
index 49336c4eb..1efe88a4f 100644
--- a/syncapi/storage/postgres/presence_table.go
+++ b/syncapi/storage/postgres/presence_table.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package postgres
 import (
 	"context"
 	"database/sql"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/internal"
 	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/internal/sqlutil"
@@ -74,12 +75,18 @@ const selectPresenceAfter = "" +
 	" FROM syncapi_presence" +
 	" WHERE id > $1"
 
+const selectRecentPresence = "" +
+	" SELECT id, user_id, presence, status_msg, last_active_ts" +
+	" FROM syncapi_presence" +
+	" WHERE last_active_ts >= $1"
+
 type presenceStatements struct {
 	upsertPresenceStmt         *sql.Stmt
 	upsertPresenceFromSyncStmt *sql.Stmt
 	selectPresenceForUsersStmt *sql.Stmt
 	selectMaxPresenceStmt      *sql.Stmt
 	selectPresenceAfterStmt    *sql.Stmt
+	selectRecentPresenceStmt   *sql.Stmt
 }
 
 func NewPostgresPresenceTable(db *sql.DB) (*presenceStatements, error) {
@@ -94,6 +101,7 @@ func NewPostgresPresenceTable(db *sql.DB) (*presenceStatements, error) {
 		{&s.selectPresenceForUsersStmt, selectPresenceForUserSQL},
 		{&s.selectMaxPresenceStmt, selectMaxPresenceSQL},
 		{&s.selectPresenceAfterStmt, selectPresenceAfter},
+		{&s.selectRecentPresenceStmt, selectRecentPresence},
 	}.Prepare(db)
 }
 
@@ -160,3 +168,28 @@ func (p *presenceStatements) GetPresenceAfter(
 	}
 	return presences, rows.Err()
 }
+
+// GetRecentPresence gets updates from the last five minutes.
+func (p *presenceStatements) GetRecentPresence(
+	ctx context.Context, txn *sql.Tx,
+) (presences map[string]*types.PresenceInternal, err error) {
+	presences = make(map[string]*types.PresenceInternal)
+	stmt := sqlutil.TxStmt(txn, p.selectPresenceAfterStmt)
+
+	sinceTS := gomatrixserverlib.AsTimestamp(time.Now().Add(time.Minute * -5))
+
+	rows, err := stmt.QueryContext(ctx, sinceTS)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	defer internal.CloseAndLogIfError(ctx, rows, "GetPresenceAfter: failed to close rows")
+	for rows.Next() {
+		qryRes := &types.PresenceInternal{}
+		if err := rows.Scan(&qryRes.StreamPos, &qryRes.UserID, &qryRes.Presence, &qryRes.ClientFields.StatusMsg, &qryRes.LastActiveTS); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		qryRes.ClientFields.Presence = qryRes.Presence.String()
+		presences[qryRes.UserID] = qryRes
+	}
+	return presences, rows.Err()
+}
diff --git a/syncapi/storage/shared/syncserver.go b/syncapi/storage/shared/syncserver.go
index 3c431db48..2d16faeec 100644
--- a/syncapi/storage/shared/syncserver.go
+++ b/syncapi/storage/shared/syncserver.go
@@ -1060,6 +1060,10 @@ func (s *Database) PresenceAfter(ctx context.Context, after types.StreamPosition
 	return s.Presence.GetPresenceAfter(ctx, nil, after)
 }
 
+func (s *Database) RecentPresence(ctx context.Context) (map[string]*types.PresenceInternal, error) {
+	return s.Presence.GetRecentPresence(ctx, nil)
+}
+
 func (s *Database) MaxStreamPositionForPresence(ctx context.Context) (types.StreamPosition, error) {
 	return s.Presence.GetMaxPresenceID(ctx, nil)
 }
diff --git a/syncapi/storage/sqlite3/presence_table.go b/syncapi/storage/sqlite3/presence_table.go
index 00b16458d..36eabe175 100644
--- a/syncapi/storage/sqlite3/presence_table.go
+++ b/syncapi/storage/sqlite3/presence_table.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package sqlite3
 import (
 	"context"
 	"database/sql"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/internal"
 	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/internal/sqlutil"
@@ -73,6 +74,11 @@ const selectPresenceAfter = "" +
 	" FROM syncapi_presence" +
 	" WHERE id > $1"
 
+const selectRecentPresence = "" +
+	" SELECT id, user_id, presence, status_msg, last_active_ts" +
+	" FROM syncapi_presence" +
+	" WHERE last_active_ts >= $1"
+
 type presenceStatements struct {
 	db                         *sql.DB
 	streamIDStatements         *StreamIDStatements
@@ -81,6 +87,7 @@ type presenceStatements struct {
 	selectPresenceForUsersStmt *sql.Stmt
 	selectMaxPresenceStmt      *sql.Stmt
 	selectPresenceAfterStmt    *sql.Stmt
+	selectRecentPresenceStmt   *sql.Stmt
 }
 
 func NewSqlitePresenceTable(db *sql.DB, streamID *StreamIDStatements) (*presenceStatements, error) {
@@ -98,6 +105,7 @@ func NewSqlitePresenceTable(db *sql.DB, streamID *StreamIDStatements) (*presence
 		{&s.selectPresenceForUsersStmt, selectPresenceForUserSQL},
 		{&s.selectMaxPresenceStmt, selectMaxPresenceSQL},
 		{&s.selectPresenceAfterStmt, selectPresenceAfter},
+		{&s.selectRecentPresenceStmt, selectRecentPresence},
 	}.Prepare(db)
 }
 
@@ -175,3 +183,28 @@ func (p *presenceStatements) GetPresenceAfter(
 	}
 	return presences, rows.Err()
 }
+
+// GetRecentPresence gets updates from the last five minutes.
+func (p *presenceStatements) GetRecentPresence(
+	ctx context.Context, txn *sql.Tx,
+) (presences map[string]*types.PresenceInternal, err error) {
+	presences = make(map[string]*types.PresenceInternal)
+	stmt := sqlutil.TxStmt(txn, p.selectPresenceAfterStmt)
+
+	sinceTS := gomatrixserverlib.AsTimestamp(time.Now().Add(time.Minute * -5))
+
+	rows, err := stmt.QueryContext(ctx, sinceTS)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	defer internal.CloseAndLogIfError(ctx, rows, "GetPresenceAfter: failed to close rows")
+	for rows.Next() {
+		qryRes := &types.PresenceInternal{}
+		if err := rows.Scan(&qryRes.StreamPos, &qryRes.UserID, &qryRes.Presence, &qryRes.ClientFields.StatusMsg, &qryRes.LastActiveTS); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		qryRes.ClientFields.Presence = qryRes.Presence.String()
+		presences[qryRes.UserID] = qryRes
+	}
+	return presences, rows.Err()
+}
diff --git a/syncapi/storage/tables/interface.go b/syncapi/storage/tables/interface.go
index ac713dd5c..abc6f325b 100644
--- a/syncapi/storage/tables/interface.go
+++ b/syncapi/storage/tables/interface.go
@@ -189,4 +189,5 @@ type Presence interface {
 	GetPresenceForUser(ctx context.Context, txn *sql.Tx, userID string) (presence *types.PresenceInternal, err error)
 	GetMaxPresenceID(ctx context.Context, txn *sql.Tx) (pos types.StreamPosition, err error)
 	GetPresenceAfter(ctx context.Context, txn *sql.Tx, after types.StreamPosition) (presences map[string]*types.PresenceInternal, err error)
+	GetRecentPresence(ctx context.Context, txn *sql.Tx) (presences map[string]*types.PresenceInternal, err error)
 }
diff --git a/syncapi/streams/stream_presence.go b/syncapi/streams/stream_presence.go
index 9a6c5c130..23d27b3fd 100644
--- a/syncapi/streams/stream_presence.go
+++ b/syncapi/streams/stream_presence.go
@@ -46,7 +46,44 @@ func (p *PresenceStreamProvider) CompleteSync(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	req *types.SyncRequest,
 ) types.StreamPosition {
-	return p.IncrementalSync(ctx, req, 0, p.LatestPosition(ctx))
+	presences, err := p.DB.RecentPresence(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		req.Log.WithError(err).Error("p.DB.RecentPresence failed")
+		return 0
+	}
+
+	for i := range presences {
+		presence := presences[i]
+		// Ignore users we don't share a room with
+		if req.Device.UserID != presence.UserID && !p.notifier.IsSharedUser(req.Device.UserID, presence.UserID) {
+			continue
+		}
+		cacheKey := req.Device.UserID + req.Device.ID + presence.UserID
+
+		if _, known := types.PresenceFromString(presence.ClientFields.Presence); known {
+			presence.ClientFields.LastActiveAgo = presence.LastActiveAgo()
+			if presence.ClientFields.Presence == "online" {
+				currentlyActive := presence.CurrentlyActive()
+				presence.ClientFields.CurrentlyActive = &currentlyActive
+			}
+		} else {
+			presence.ClientFields.Presence = "offline"
+		}
+
+		content, err := json.Marshal(presence.ClientFields)
+		if err != nil {
+			return 0
+		}
+
+		req.Response.Presence.Events = append(req.Response.Presence.Events, gomatrixserverlib.ClientEvent{
+			Content: content,
+			Sender:  presence.UserID,
+			Type:    gomatrixserverlib.MPresence,
+		})
+		p.cache.Store(cacheKey, presence)
+	}
+
+	return p.LatestPosition(ctx)
 }
 
 func (p *PresenceStreamProvider) IncrementalSync(