diff --git a/synapse/storage/event_push_actions.py b/synapse/storage/event_push_actions.py
index 80c3cfe95f..34ff9be731 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/event_push_actions.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/event_push_actions.py
@@ -88,33 +88,50 @@ class EventPushActionsStore(SQLBaseStore):
             self._rotate_notifs, 30 * 60 * 1000
         )
 
-    def _set_push_actions_for_event_and_users_txn(self, txn, event, tuples):
+    def _set_push_actions_for_event_and_users_txn(self, txn, event):
         """
         Args:
             event: the event set actions for
             tuples: list of tuples of (user_id, actions)
         """
-        values = []
-        for uid, actions in tuples:
-            is_highlight = 1 if _action_has_highlight(actions) else 0
 
-            values.append({
-                'room_id': event.room_id,
-                'event_id': event.event_id,
-                'user_id': uid,
-                'actions': _serialize_action(actions, is_highlight),
-                'stream_ordering': event.internal_metadata.stream_ordering,
-                'topological_ordering': event.depth,
-                'notif': 1,
-                'highlight': is_highlight,
-            })
+        sql = """
+            INSERT INTO event_push_actions (
+                room_id, event_id, user_id, actions, stream_ordering,
+                topological_ordering, notif, highlight
+            )
+            SELECT ?, event_id, user_id, actions, ?, ?, notif, highlight
+            FROM event_push_actions_staging
+            WHERE event_id = ?
+        """
 
-        for uid, __ in tuples:
+        txn.execute(sql, (
+            event.room_id, event.internal_metadata.stream_ordering,
+            event.depth, event.event_id,
+        ))
+
+        user_ids = self._simple_select_onecol_txn(
+            txn,
+            table="event_push_actions_staging",
+            keyvalues={
+                "event_id": event.event_id,
+            },
+            retcol="user_id",
+        )
+
+        self._simple_delete_txn(
+            txn,
+            table="event_push_actions_staging",
+            keyvalues={
+                "event_id": event.event_id,
+            },
+        )
+
+        for uid in user_ids:
             txn.call_after(
                 self.get_unread_event_push_actions_by_room_for_user.invalidate_many,
-                (event.room_id, uid)
+                (event.room_id, uid,)
             )
-        self._simple_insert_many_txn(txn, "event_push_actions", values)
 
     @cachedInlineCallbacks(num_args=3, tree=True, max_entries=5000)
     def get_unread_event_push_actions_by_room_for_user(
@@ -751,7 +768,7 @@ class EventPushActionsStore(SQLBaseStore):
             Deferred
         """
 
-        is_highlight = _action_has_highlight(actions)
+        is_highlight = is_highlight = 1 if _action_has_highlight(actions) else 0
 
         return self._simple_insert(
             table="event_push_actions_staging",
@@ -759,7 +776,7 @@ class EventPushActionsStore(SQLBaseStore):
                 "event_id": event_id,
                 "user_id": user_id,
                 "actions": _serialize_action(actions, is_highlight),
-                "notif": True,
+                "notif": 1,
                 "highlight": is_highlight,
             },
             desc="add_push_actions_to_staging",
diff --git a/synapse/storage/events.py b/synapse/storage/events.py
index 28cce2979c..ca64aacb1c 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/events.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/events.py
@@ -1170,7 +1170,7 @@ class EventsStore(SQLBaseStore):
             # Insert all the push actions into the event_push_actions table.
             if context.push_actions:
                 self._set_push_actions_for_event_and_users_txn(
-                    txn, event, context.push_actions
+                    txn, event,
                 )
 
             if event.type == EventTypes.Redaction and event.redacts is not None: