diff --git a/src/api/client_server/keys.rs b/src/api/client_server/keys.rs
index c4422079..c8523117 100644
--- a/src/api/client_server/keys.rs
+++ b/src/api/client_server/keys.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use std::{
-    collections::{hash_map, BTreeMap, HashMap, HashSet},
-    time::{Duration, Instant},
+    collections::{BTreeMap, HashMap, HashSet},
+    time::Duration,
 };
 
 use futures_util::{stream::FuturesUnordered, StreamExt};
@@ -385,47 +385,9 @@ 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());
@@ -454,7 +416,6 @@ pub(crate) async fn get_keys_helper<F: Fn(&UserId) -> bool>(
         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;
diff --git a/src/service/globals.rs b/src/service/globals.rs
index 0881ce13..c7aa7078 100644
--- a/src/service/globals.rs
+++ b/src/service/globals.rs
@@ -84,8 +84,6 @@ pub(crate) struct Service {
         Arc<RwLock<HashMap<OwnedEventId, RateLimitState>>>,
     pub(crate) bad_signature_ratelimiter:
         Arc<RwLock<HashMap<Vec<String>, RateLimitState>>>,
-    pub(crate) bad_query_ratelimiter:
-        Arc<RwLock<HashMap<OwnedServerName, RateLimitState>>>,
     pub(crate) servername_ratelimiter:
         OnDemandHashMap<OwnedServerName, Semaphore>,
     pub(crate) roomid_mutex_insert: TokenSet<OwnedRoomId, marker::Insert>,
@@ -278,7 +276,6 @@ impl Service {
             admin_bot_room_alias_id,
             bad_event_ratelimiter: Arc::new(RwLock::new(HashMap::new())),
             bad_signature_ratelimiter: Arc::new(RwLock::new(HashMap::new())),
-            bad_query_ratelimiter: Arc::new(RwLock::new(HashMap::new())),
             servername_ratelimiter: OnDemandHashMap::new(
                 "servername_ratelimiter".to_owned(),
             ),