diff --git a/changelog.d/5659.misc b/changelog.d/5659.misc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..686001295c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/5659.misc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Inline issue_access_token.
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/auth.py b/synapse/handlers/auth.py
index ef5585aa99..da312b188e 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/auth.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/auth.py
@@ -578,9 +578,11 @@ class AuthHandler(BaseHandler):
             StoreError if there was a problem storing the token.
         """
         logger.info("Logging in user %s on device %s", user_id, device_id)
-        access_token = yield self.issue_access_token(user_id, device_id)
         yield self.auth.check_auth_blocking(user_id)
 
+        access_token = self.macaroon_gen.generate_access_token(user_id)
+        yield self.store.add_access_token_to_user(user_id, access_token, device_id)
+
         # the device *should* have been registered before we got here; however,
         # it's possible we raced against a DELETE operation. The thing we
         # really don't want is active access_tokens without a record of the
@@ -831,12 +833,6 @@ class AuthHandler(BaseHandler):
             defer.returnValue(None)
         defer.returnValue(user_id)
 
-    @defer.inlineCallbacks
-    def issue_access_token(self, user_id, device_id=None):
-        access_token = self.macaroon_gen.generate_access_token(user_id)
-        yield self.store.add_access_token_to_user(user_id, access_token, device_id)
-        defer.returnValue(access_token)
-
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def validate_short_term_login_token_and_get_user_id(self, login_token):
         auth_api = self.hs.get_auth()
diff --git a/tests/api/test_auth.py b/tests/api/test_auth.py
index 96b26f974b..ddf2b578b3 100644
--- a/tests/api/test_auth.py
+++ b/tests/api/test_auth.py
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ class AuthTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         USER_ID = "@percy:matrix.org"
         self.store.add_access_token_to_user = Mock()
 
-        token = yield self.hs.handlers.auth_handler.issue_access_token(
+        token = yield self.hs.handlers.auth_handler.get_access_token_for_user_id(
             USER_ID, "DEVICE"
         )
         self.store.add_access_token_to_user.assert_called_with(USER_ID, token, "DEVICE")