diff --git a/changelog.d/6936.misc b/changelog.d/6936.misc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..940072501
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/6936.misc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Increase DB/CPU perf of `_is_server_still_joined` check.
diff --git a/synapse/storage/data_stores/main/roommember.py b/synapse/storage/data_stores/main/roommember.py
index 042289f0e..d5ced0570 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/data_stores/main/roommember.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/data_stores/main/roommember.py
@@ -868,6 +868,37 @@ class RoomMemberWorkerStore(EventsWorkerStore):
             desc="get_membership_from_event_ids",
         )
 
+    async def is_local_host_in_room_ignoring_users(
+        self, room_id: str, ignore_users: Collection[str]
+    ) -> bool:
+        """Check if there are any local users, excluding those in the given
+        list, in the room.
+        """
+
+        clause, args = make_in_list_sql_clause(
+            self.database_engine, "user_id", ignore_users
+        )
+
+        sql = """
+            SELECT 1 FROM local_current_membership
+            WHERE
+                room_id = ? AND membership = ?
+                AND NOT (%s)
+                LIMIT 1
+        """ % (
+            clause,
+        )
+
+        def _is_local_host_in_room_ignoring_users_txn(txn):
+            txn.execute(sql, (room_id, Membership.JOIN, *args))
+
+            return bool(txn.fetchone())
+
+        return await self.db.runInteraction(
+            "is_local_host_in_room_ignoring_users",
+            _is_local_host_in_room_ignoring_users_txn,
+        )
+
 
 class RoomMemberBackgroundUpdateStore(SQLBaseStore):
     def __init__(self, database: Database, db_conn, hs):
diff --git a/synapse/storage/persist_events.py b/synapse/storage/persist_events.py
index a5370ed52..b950550f2 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/persist_events.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/persist_events.py
@@ -727,6 +727,7 @@ class EventsPersistenceStorage(object):
 
         # Check if any of the given events are a local join that appear in the
         # current state
+        events_to_check = []  # Event IDs that aren't an event we're persisting
         for (typ, state_key), event_id in delta.to_insert.items():
             if typ != EventTypes.Member or not self.is_mine_id(state_key):
                 continue
@@ -736,8 +737,33 @@ class EventsPersistenceStorage(object):
                     if event.membership == Membership.JOIN:
                         return True
 
-        # There's been a change of membership but we don't have a local join
-        # event in the new events, so we need to check the full state.
+            # The event is not in `ev_ctx_rm`, so we need to pull it out of
+            # the DB.
+            events_to_check.append(event_id)
+
+        # Check if any of the changes that we don't have events for are joins.
+        if events_to_check:
+            rows = await self.main_store.get_membership_from_event_ids(events_to_check)
+            is_still_joined = any(row["membership"] == Membership.JOIN for row in rows)
+            if is_still_joined:
+                return True
+
+        # None of the new state events are local joins, so we check the database
+        # to see if there are any other local users in the room. We ignore users
+        # whose state has changed as we've already their new state above.
+        users_to_ignore = [
+            state_key
+            for _, state_key in itertools.chain(delta.to_insert, delta.to_delete)
+            if self.is_mine_id(state_key)
+        ]
+
+        if await self.main_store.is_local_host_in_room_ignoring_users(
+            room_id, users_to_ignore
+        ):
+            return True
+
+        # The server will leave the room, so we go and find out which remote
+        # users will still be joined when we leave.
         if current_state is None:
             current_state = await self.main_store.get_current_state_ids(room_id)
             current_state = dict(current_state)
@@ -746,19 +772,6 @@ class EventsPersistenceStorage(object):
 
             current_state.update(delta.to_insert)
 
-        event_ids = [
-            event_id
-            for (typ, state_key,), event_id in current_state.items()
-            if typ == EventTypes.Member and self.is_mine_id(state_key)
-        ]
-
-        rows = await self.main_store.get_membership_from_event_ids(event_ids)
-        is_still_joined = any(row["membership"] == Membership.JOIN for row in rows)
-        if is_still_joined:
-            return True
-
-        # The server will leave the room, so we go and find out which remote
-        # users will still be joined when we leave.
         remote_event_ids = [
             event_id
             for (typ, state_key,), event_id in current_state.items()