diff --git a/src/api/client_server/keys.rs b/src/api/client_server/keys.rs
index c4422079..40a2ccb7 100644
--- a/src/api/client_server/keys.rs
+++ b/src/api/client_server/keys.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ use ruma::{
         federation,
     },
     serde::Raw,
-    OneTimeKeyAlgorithm, OwnedDeviceId, OwnedUserId, UserId,
+    OneTimeKeyAlgorithm, OwnedDeviceId, OwnedServerName, OwnedUserId,
+    ServerName, UserId,
 };
 use serde_json::json;
 use tracing::debug;
@@ -385,80 +386,17 @@ pub(crate) async fn get_keys_helper<F: Fn(&UserId) -> bool>(
 
     let mut failures = BTreeMap::new();
 
-    let back_off = |id| async {
-        match services().globals.bad_query_ratelimiter.write().await.entry(id) {
-            hash_map::Entry::Vacant(e) => {
-                e.insert((Instant::now(), 1));
-            }
-            hash_map::Entry::Occupied(mut e) => {
-                *e.get_mut() = (Instant::now(), e.get().1 + 1);
-            }
-        }
-    };
-
     let mut futures: FuturesUnordered<_> = get_over_federation
         .into_iter()
-        .map(|(server, vec)| async move {
-            if let Some((time, tries)) = services()
-                .globals
-                .bad_query_ratelimiter
-                .read()
-                .await
-                .get(server)
-            {
-                // Exponential backoff
-                let mut min_elapsed_duration =
-                    Duration::from_secs(30) * (*tries) * (*tries);
-                if min_elapsed_duration > Duration::from_secs(60 * 60 * 24) {
-                    min_elapsed_duration = Duration::from_secs(60 * 60 * 24);
-                }
-
-                if let Some(remaining) =
-                    min_elapsed_duration.checked_sub(time.elapsed())
-                {
-                    debug!(%server, %tries, ?remaining, "Backing off from server");
-                    return (
-                        server,
-                        Err(Error::BadServerResponse(
-                            "bad query, still backing off",
-                        )),
-                    );
-                }
-            }
-
-            let mut device_keys_input_fed = BTreeMap::new();
-            for (user_id, keys) in vec {
-                device_keys_input_fed.insert(user_id.to_owned(), keys.clone());
-            }
-            // TODO: switch .and_then(|result| result) to .flatten() when stable
-            // <https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/70142>
-            (
-                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,
-                        },
-                    ),
-                )
-                .await
-                .map_err(|_e| Error::BadServerResponse("Query took too long"))
-                .and_then(|result| result),
-            )
+        .map(|(server, keys)| async move {
+            (server, request_keys_from(server, keys).await)
         })
         .collect();
 
     while let Some((server, response)) = futures.next().await {
-        let response = match response {
-            Ok(response) => response,
-            Err(error) => {
-                back_off(server.to_owned()).await;
-                debug!(%server, %error, "remote device key query failed");
-                failures.insert(server.to_string(), json!({}));
-                continue;
-            }
+        let Ok(response) = response else {
+            failures.insert(server.to_string(), json!({}));
+            continue;
         };
 
         for (user, masterkey) in response.master_keys {
@@ -511,6 +449,84 @@ pub(crate) async fn get_keys_helper<F: Fn(&UserId) -> bool>(
     })
 }
 
+/// Returns `Err` if key requests to the server are being backed off due to
+/// previous errors.
+async fn check_key_requests_back_off(server: &ServerName) -> Result<()> {
+    if let Some((time, tries)) =
+        services().globals.bad_query_ratelimiter.read().await.get(server)
+    {
+        // Exponential backoff
+        let mut min_elapsed_duration =
+            Duration::from_secs(30) * (*tries) * (*tries);
+        if min_elapsed_duration > Duration::from_secs(60 * 60 * 24) {
+            min_elapsed_duration = Duration::from_secs(60 * 60 * 24);
+        }
+
+        if let Some(remaining) =
+            min_elapsed_duration.checked_sub(time.elapsed())
+        {
+            debug!(%server, %tries, ?remaining, "Backing off from server");
+            return Err(Error::BadServerResponse(
+                "bad query, still backing off",
+            ));
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// Backs off future remote device key requests to a server after a failure.
+async fn back_off_key_requests(server: OwnedServerName) {
+    match services().globals.bad_query_ratelimiter.write().await.entry(server) {
+        hash_map::Entry::Vacant(e) => {
+            e.insert((Instant::now(), 1));
+        }
+        hash_map::Entry::Occupied(mut e) => {
+            *e.get_mut() = (Instant::now(), e.get().1 + 1);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Requests device keys from a remote server, unless the server is in backoff.
+///
+/// Updates backoff state depending on the result of the request.
+async fn request_keys_from(
+    server: &ServerName,
+    keys: Vec<(&UserId, &Vec<OwnedDeviceId>)>,
+) -> Result<federation::keys::get_keys::v1::Response> {
+    let result = request_keys_from_inner(server, keys).await;
+    if let Err(error) = &result {
+        debug!(%server, %error, "remote device key query failed");
+        back_off_key_requests(server.to_owned()).await;
+    }
+    result
+}
+
+async fn request_keys_from_inner(
+    server: &ServerName,
+    keys: Vec<(&UserId, &Vec<OwnedDeviceId>)>,
+) -> Result<federation::keys::get_keys::v1::Response> {
+    check_key_requests_back_off(server).await?;
+
+    let mut device_keys_input_fed = BTreeMap::new();
+    for (user_id, keys) in keys {
+        device_keys_input_fed.insert(user_id.to_owned(), keys.clone());
+    }
+    // TODO: switch .and_then(|result| result) to .flatten() when stable
+    // <https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/70142>
+    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,
+            },
+        ),
+    )
+    .await
+    .map_err(|_e| Error::BadServerResponse("Query took too long"))
+    .and_then(|result| result)
+}
+
 fn add_unsigned_device_display_name(
     keys: &mut Raw<ruma::encryption::DeviceKeys>,
     metadata: ruma::api::client::device::Device,