diff --git a/syncapi/sync/notifier_test.go b/syncapi/sync/notifier_test.go
index 39124214a..d24da4636 100644
--- a/syncapi/sync/notifier_test.go
+++ b/syncapi/sync/notifier_test.go
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ func waitForEvents(n *Notifier, req syncRequest) (types.StreamingToken, error) {
 		return types.StreamingToken{}, fmt.Errorf(
 			"waitForEvents timed out waiting for %s (pos=%v)", req.device.UserID, req.since,
 		)
-	case <-listener.GetNotifyChannel(*req.since):
+	case <-listener.GetNotifyChannel(req.since):
 		p := listener.GetSyncPosition()
 		return p, nil
 	}
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ func newTestSyncRequest(userID, deviceID string, since types.StreamingToken) syn
 			ID:     deviceID,
 		},
 		timeout:       1 * time.Minute,
-		since:         &since,
+		since:         since,
 		wantFullState: false,
 		limit:         DefaultTimelineLimit,
 		log:           util.GetLogger(context.TODO()),
diff --git a/syncapi/sync/request.go b/syncapi/sync/request.go
index d5cf143d9..f2f2894be 100644
--- a/syncapi/sync/request.go
+++ b/syncapi/sync/request.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ type syncRequest struct {
 	device        userapi.Device
 	limit         int
 	timeout       time.Duration
-	since         *types.StreamingToken // nil means that no since token was supplied
+	since         types.StreamingToken // nil means that no since token was supplied
 	wantFullState bool
 	log           *log.Entry
 }
@@ -55,17 +55,13 @@ func newSyncRequest(req *http.Request, device userapi.Device, syncDB storage.Dat
 	timeout := getTimeout(req.URL.Query().Get("timeout"))
 	fullState := req.URL.Query().Get("full_state")
 	wantFullState := fullState != "" && fullState != "false"
-	var since *types.StreamingToken
-	sinceStr := req.URL.Query().Get("since")
+	since, sinceStr := types.StreamingToken{}, req.URL.Query().Get("since")
 	if sinceStr != "" {
-		tok, err := types.NewStreamTokenFromString(sinceStr)
+		var err error
+		since, err = types.NewStreamTokenFromString(sinceStr)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		since = &tok
-	}
-	if since == nil {
-		since = &types.StreamingToken{}
 	}
 	timelineLimit := DefaultTimelineLimit
 	// TODO: read from stored filters too
diff --git a/syncapi/sync/requestpool.go b/syncapi/sync/requestpool.go
index 5bc249006..c3637f177 100644
--- a/syncapi/sync/requestpool.go
+++ b/syncapi/sync/requestpool.go
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ func (rp *RequestPool) OnIncomingSyncRequest(req *http.Request, device *userapi.
 	// respond with, so we skip the return an go back to waiting for content to
 	// be sent down or the request timing out.
 	var hasTimedOut bool
-	sincePos := *syncReq.since
+	sincePos := syncReq.since
 	for {
 		select {
 		// Wait for notifier to wake us up
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ func (rp *RequestPool) currentSyncForUser(req syncRequest, latestPos types.Strea
 	res := types.NewResponse()
 
 	// See if we have any new tasks to do for the send-to-device messaging.
-	events, updates, deletions, err := rp.db.SendToDeviceUpdatesForSync(req.ctx, req.device.UserID, req.device.ID, *req.since)
+	events, updates, deletions, err := rp.db.SendToDeviceUpdatesForSync(req.ctx, req.device.UserID, req.device.ID, req.since)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("rp.db.SendToDeviceUpdatesForSync: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ func (rp *RequestPool) currentSyncForUser(req syncRequest, latestPos types.Strea
 			return res, fmt.Errorf("rp.db.CompleteSync: %w", err)
 		}
 	} else {
-		res, err = rp.db.IncrementalSync(req.ctx, res, req.device, *req.since, latestPos, req.limit, req.wantFullState)
+		res, err = rp.db.IncrementalSync(req.ctx, res, req.device, req.since, latestPos, req.limit, req.wantFullState)
 		if err != nil {
 			return res, fmt.Errorf("rp.db.IncrementalSync: %w", err)
 		}
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ func (rp *RequestPool) currentSyncForUser(req syncRequest, latestPos types.Strea
 	if err != nil {
 		return res, fmt.Errorf("rp.appendAccountData: %w", err)
 	}
-	res, err = rp.appendDeviceLists(res, req.device.UserID, *req.since, latestPos)
+	res, err = rp.appendDeviceLists(res, req.device.UserID, req.since, latestPos)
 	if err != nil {
 		return res, fmt.Errorf("rp.appendDeviceLists: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ func (rp *RequestPool) currentSyncForUser(req syncRequest, latestPos types.Strea
 	// Then add the updates into the sync response.
 	if len(updates) > 0 || len(deletions) > 0 {
 		// Handle the updates and deletions in the database.
-		err = rp.db.CleanSendToDeviceUpdates(context.Background(), updates, deletions, *req.since)
+		err = rp.db.CleanSendToDeviceUpdates(context.Background(), updates, deletions, req.since)
 		if err != nil {
 			return res, fmt.Errorf("rp.db.CleanSendToDeviceUpdates: %w", err)
 		}
diff --git a/syncapi/types/types.go b/syncapi/types/types.go
index 0882c6298..1e29a0389 100644
--- a/syncapi/types/types.go
+++ b/syncapi/types/types.go
@@ -116,6 +116,17 @@ type StreamingToken struct {
 	DeviceListPosition   LogPosition
 }
 
+// This will be used as a fallback by json.Marshal.
+func (s StreamingToken) MarshalText() ([]byte, error) {
+	return []byte(s.String()), nil
+}
+
+// This will be used as a fallback by json.Unmarshal.
+func (s *StreamingToken) UnmarshalText(text []byte) (err error) {
+	*s, err = NewStreamTokenFromString(string(text))
+	return err
+}
+
 func (t StreamingToken) String() string {
 	posStr := fmt.Sprintf(
 		"s%d_%d_%d_%d",