diff --git a/synapse/storage/stream.py b/synapse/storage/stream.py
index 7f4a827528..cf84938be5 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/stream.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/stream.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ what sort order was used:
 from twisted.internet import defer
 
 from ._base import SQLBaseStore
-from synapse.util.caches.descriptors import cachedInlineCallbacks
+from synapse.util.caches.descriptors import cached
 from synapse.api.constants import EventTypes
 from synapse.types import RoomStreamToken
 from synapse.util.logcontext import preserve_fn
@@ -465,9 +465,25 @@ class StreamStore(SQLBaseStore):
 
         defer.returnValue((events, token))
 
-    @cachedInlineCallbacks(num_args=4)
+    @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def get_recent_events_for_room(self, room_id, limit, end_token, from_token=None):
+        rows, token = yield self.get_recent_event_ids_for_room(
+            room_id, limit, end_token, from_token
+        )
 
+        logger.debug("stream before")
+        events = yield self._get_events(
+            [r["event_id"] for r in rows],
+            get_prev_content=True
+        )
+        logger.debug("stream after")
+
+        self._set_before_and_after(events, rows)
+
+        defer.returnValue((events, token))
+
+    @cached(num_args=4)
+    def get_recent_event_ids_for_room(self, room_id, limit, end_token, from_token=None):
         end_token = RoomStreamToken.parse_stream_token(end_token)
 
         if from_token is None:
@@ -517,21 +533,10 @@ class StreamStore(SQLBaseStore):
 
             return rows, token
 
-        rows, token = yield self.runInteraction(
+        return self.runInteraction(
             "get_recent_events_for_room", get_recent_events_for_room_txn
         )
 
-        logger.debug("stream before")
-        events = yield self._get_events(
-            [r["event_id"] for r in rows],
-            get_prev_content=True
-        )
-        logger.debug("stream after")
-
-        self._set_before_and_after(events, rows)
-
-        defer.returnValue((events, token))
-
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def get_room_events_max_id(self, direction='f'):
         token = yield self._stream_id_gen.get_max_token()