diff --git a/src/api/client_server/keys.rs b/src/api/client_server/keys.rs
index c8523117..2a17ab3b 100644
--- a/src/api/client_server/keys.rs
+++ b/src/api/client_server/keys.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use std::{
     collections::{BTreeMap, HashMap, HashSet},
+    future::IntoFuture,
     time::Duration,
 };
 
@@ -398,12 +399,15 @@ pub(crate) async fn get_keys_helper<F: Fn(&UserId) -> bool>(
                 server,
                 tokio::time::timeout(
                     Duration::from_secs(25),
-                    services().sending.send_federation_request(
-                        server,
-                        federation::keys::get_keys::v1::Request {
-                            device_keys: device_keys_input_fed,
-                        },
-                    ),
+                    services()
+                        .sending
+                        .send_federation_request(
+                            server,
+                            federation::keys::get_keys::v1::Request {
+                                device_keys: device_keys_input_fed,
+                            },
+                        )
+                        .into_future(),
                 )
                 .await
                 .map_err(|_e| Error::BadServerResponse("Query took too long"))
diff --git a/src/service/sending.rs b/src/service/sending.rs
index 07a72972..ac861af3 100644
--- a/src/service/sending.rs
+++ b/src/service/sending.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 use std::{
     collections::{BTreeMap, HashMap, HashSet},
     fmt::Debug,
+    future::{Future, IntoFuture},
+    pin::Pin,
     sync::Arc,
     time::{Duration, Instant},
 };
@@ -116,6 +118,12 @@ pub(crate) struct RequestData {
     requester_span: Span,
 }
 
+#[must_use = "The request builder must be awaited for the request to be sent"]
+pub(crate) struct SendFederationRequestBuilder<'a, T> {
+    destination: &'a ServerName,
+    request: T,
+}
+
 pub(crate) struct Service {
     db: &'static dyn Data,
 
@@ -667,57 +675,18 @@ impl Service {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    #[tracing::instrument(skip(self, request))]
-    pub(crate) async fn send_federation_request<T>(
+    // Allowed because `SendFederationRequestBuilder::into_future` uses
+    // `services()`
+    #[allow(clippy::unused_self)]
+    pub(crate) fn send_federation_request<'a, T>(
         &self,
-        destination: &ServerName,
+        destination: &'a ServerName,
         request: T,
-    ) -> Result<T::IncomingResponse>
-    where
-        T: OutgoingRequest + Debug,
-    {
-        debug!("Waiting for permit");
-        let permit = self.maximum_requests.acquire().await;
-        debug!("Got permit");
-
-        let backoff_guard =
-            services().server_backoff.server_ready(destination)?;
-
-        let response = tokio::time::timeout(
-            Duration::from_secs(2 * 60),
-            server_server::send_request(
-                destination,
-                request,
-                LogRequestError::Yes,
-                AllowLoopbackRequests::No,
-            ),
-        )
-        .await
-        .map_err(|_| {
-            warn!("Timeout waiting for server response");
-            Error::BadServerResponse("Timeout waiting for server response")
-        })
-        .and_then(|result| result);
-        drop(permit);
-
-        match &response {
-            Err(Error::Federation(_, error)) => {
-                if error.error_kind().is_some() {
-                    // Other errors may occur during normal operation with a
-                    // healthy server, so don't increment the failure counter.
-                    backoff_guard.soft_failure();
-                } else {
-                    // The error wasn't in the expected format for matrix API
-                    // responses. This almost certainly indicates the server
-                    // is unhealthy or offline.
-                    backoff_guard.hard_failure();
-                }
-            }
-            Err(_) => backoff_guard.hard_failure(),
-            Ok(_) => backoff_guard.success(),
+    ) -> SendFederationRequestBuilder<'a, T> {
+        SendFederationRequestBuilder {
+            destination,
+            request,
         }
-
-        response
     }
 
     /// Sends a request to an appservice
@@ -745,6 +714,70 @@ impl Service {
     }
 }
 
+impl<'a, T> IntoFuture for SendFederationRequestBuilder<'a, T>
+where
+    T: OutgoingRequest + Send + Debug + 'a,
+    T::IncomingResponse: Send,
+{
+    // TODO: get rid of the Box once impl_trait_in_assoc_type is stable
+    // <https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/63063>
+    type IntoFuture = Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = Self::Output> + Send + 'a>>;
+    type Output = Result<T::IncomingResponse>;
+
+    #[tracing::instrument(
+        name = "send_federation_request",
+        skip(self),
+        fields(destination = %self.destination)
+    )]
+    fn into_future(self) -> Self::IntoFuture {
+        Box::pin(async move {
+            debug!("Waiting for permit");
+            let permit = services().sending.maximum_requests.acquire().await;
+            debug!("Got permit");
+
+            let backoff_guard =
+                services().server_backoff.server_ready(self.destination)?;
+
+            let response = tokio::time::timeout(
+                Duration::from_secs(2 * 60),
+                server_server::send_request(
+                    self.destination,
+                    self.request,
+                    LogRequestError::Yes,
+                    AllowLoopbackRequests::No,
+                ),
+            )
+            .await
+            .map_err(|_| {
+                warn!("Timeout waiting for server response");
+                Error::BadServerResponse("Timeout waiting for server response")
+            })
+            .and_then(|result| result);
+            drop(permit);
+
+            match &response {
+                Err(Error::Federation(_, error)) => {
+                    if error.error_kind().is_some() {
+                        // Other errors may occur during normal operation with a
+                        // healthy server, so don't increment the failure
+                        // counter.
+                        backoff_guard.soft_failure();
+                    } else {
+                        // The error wasn't in the expected format for matrix
+                        // API responses. This almost certainly indicates the
+                        // server is unhealthy or offline.
+                        backoff_guard.hard_failure();
+                    }
+                }
+                Err(_) => backoff_guard.hard_failure(),
+                Ok(_) => backoff_guard.success(),
+            }
+
+            response
+        })
+    }
+}
+
 #[tracing::instrument(skip(events))]
 async fn handle_appservice_event(
     id: &str,