diff --git a/federationapi/queue/queue.go b/federationapi/queue/queue.go
index dcd090856..5b5481274 100644
--- a/federationapi/queue/queue.go
+++ b/federationapi/queue/queue.go
@@ -104,28 +104,31 @@ func NewOutgoingQueues(
 	}
 	// Look up which servers we have pending items for and then rehydrate those queues.
 	if !disabled {
-		time.AfterFunc(time.Second*5, func() {
-			serverNames := map[gomatrixserverlib.ServerName]struct{}{}
-			if names, err := db.GetPendingPDUServerNames(context.Background()); err == nil {
-				for _, serverName := range names {
-					serverNames[serverName] = struct{}{}
-				}
-			} else {
-				log.WithError(err).Error("Failed to get PDU server names for destination queue hydration")
+		serverNames := map[gomatrixserverlib.ServerName]struct{}{}
+		if names, err := db.GetPendingPDUServerNames(context.Background()); err == nil {
+			for _, serverName := range names {
+				serverNames[serverName] = struct{}{}
 			}
-			if names, err := db.GetPendingEDUServerNames(context.Background()); err == nil {
-				for _, serverName := range names {
-					serverNames[serverName] = struct{}{}
-				}
-			} else {
-				log.WithError(err).Error("Failed to get EDU server names for destination queue hydration")
+		} else {
+			log.WithError(err).Error("Failed to get PDU server names for destination queue hydration")
+		}
+		if names, err := db.GetPendingEDUServerNames(context.Background()); err == nil {
+			for _, serverName := range names {
+				serverNames[serverName] = struct{}{}
 			}
-			for serverName := range serverNames {
-				if queue := queues.getQueue(serverName); queue != nil {
-					queue.wakeQueueIfNeeded()
-				}
+		} else {
+			log.WithError(err).Error("Failed to get EDU server names for destination queue hydration")
+		}
+		offset, step := time.Second*5, time.Second
+		if max := len(serverNames); max > 120 {
+			step = (time.Second * 120) / time.Duration(max)
+		}
+		for serverName := range serverNames {
+			if queue := queues.getQueue(serverName); queue != nil {
+				time.AfterFunc(offset, queue.wakeQueueIfNeeded)
+				offset += step
 			}
-		})
+		}
 	}
 	return queues
 }
diff --git a/keyserver/internal/device_list_update.go b/keyserver/internal/device_list_update.go
index 4b2b8c187..561c9a163 100644
--- a/keyserver/internal/device_list_update.go
+++ b/keyserver/internal/device_list_update.go
@@ -157,8 +157,15 @@ func (u *DeviceListUpdater) Start() error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	offset, step := time.Second*10, time.Second
+	if max := len(staleLists); max > 120 {
+		step = (time.Second * 120) / time.Duration(max)
+	}
 	for _, userID := range staleLists {
-		u.notifyWorkers(userID)
+		time.AfterFunc(offset, func() {
+			u.notifyWorkers(userID)
+		})
+		offset += step
 	}
 	return nil
 }