diff --git a/synapse/storage/deviceinbox.py b/synapse/storage/deviceinbox.py
index 6b7458304e..70bc2bb2cc 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/deviceinbox.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/deviceinbox.py
@@ -208,11 +208,11 @@ class DeviceInboxWorkerStore(SQLBaseStore):
         )
 
 
-class DeviceInboxStore(DeviceInboxWorkerStore, BackgroundUpdateStore):
+class DeviceInboxBackgroundUpdateStore(BackgroundUpdateStore):
     DEVICE_INBOX_STREAM_ID = "device_inbox_stream_drop"
 
     def __init__(self, db_conn, hs):
-        super(DeviceInboxStore, self).__init__(db_conn, hs)
+        super(DeviceInboxBackgroundUpdateStore, self).__init__(db_conn, hs)
 
         self.register_background_index_update(
             "device_inbox_stream_index",
@@ -225,6 +225,26 @@ class DeviceInboxStore(DeviceInboxWorkerStore, BackgroundUpdateStore):
             self.DEVICE_INBOX_STREAM_ID, self._background_drop_index_device_inbox
         )
 
+    @defer.inlineCallbacks
+    def _background_drop_index_device_inbox(self, progress, batch_size):
+        def reindex_txn(conn):
+            txn = conn.cursor()
+            txn.execute("DROP INDEX IF EXISTS device_inbox_stream_id")
+            txn.close()
+
+        yield self.runWithConnection(reindex_txn)
+
+        yield self._end_background_update(self.DEVICE_INBOX_STREAM_ID)
+
+        return 1
+
+
+class DeviceInboxStore(DeviceInboxWorkerStore, DeviceInboxBackgroundUpdateStore):
+    DEVICE_INBOX_STREAM_ID = "device_inbox_stream_drop"
+
+    def __init__(self, db_conn, hs):
+        super(DeviceInboxStore, self).__init__(db_conn, hs)
+
         # Map of (user_id, device_id) to the last stream_id that has been
         # deleted up to. This is so that we can no op deletions.
         self._last_device_delete_cache = ExpiringCache(
@@ -435,16 +455,3 @@ class DeviceInboxStore(DeviceInboxWorkerStore, BackgroundUpdateStore):
         return self.runInteraction(
             "get_all_new_device_messages", get_all_new_device_messages_txn
         )
-
-    @defer.inlineCallbacks
-    def _background_drop_index_device_inbox(self, progress, batch_size):
-        def reindex_txn(conn):
-            txn = conn.cursor()
-            txn.execute("DROP INDEX IF EXISTS device_inbox_stream_id")
-            txn.close()
-
-        yield self.runWithConnection(reindex_txn)
-
-        yield self._end_background_update(self.DEVICE_INBOX_STREAM_ID)
-
-        return 1