diff --git a/synapse/handlers/message.py b/synapse/handlers/message.py
index 71cc93cbed2c..5c0e571d77a8 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/message.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/message.py
@@ -175,13 +175,13 @@ async def get_state_events(
         state_filter = state_filter or StateFilter.all()
 
         if at_token:
-            last_events, _ = await self.store.get_recent_events_for_room(
-                room_id, end_token=at_token.room_key, limit=1
+            last_event = await self.store.get_last_event_in_room_before_stream_ordering(
+                room_id,
+                end_token=at_token.room_key,
             )
 
-            if not last_events:
+            if not last_event:
                 raise NotFoundError("Can't find event for token %s" % (at_token,))
-            last_event = last_events[0]
 
             # check whether the user is in the room at that time to determine
             # whether they should be treated as peeking.
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ async def get_state_events(
             visible_events = await filter_events_for_client(
                 self.storage,
                 user_id,
-                last_events,
+                [last_event],
                 filter_send_to_client=False,
                 is_peeking=is_peeking,
             )
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/sync.py b/synapse/handlers/sync.py
index 69f0e2bd2e2d..f4048149d278 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/sync.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/sync.py
@@ -661,12 +661,12 @@ async def get_state_at(
             stream_position: point at which to get state
             state_filter: The state filter used to fetch state from the database.
         """
-        last_events, _ = await self.store.get_recent_events_for_room(
-            room_id, end_token=stream_position.room_key, limit=1
+        last_event = await self.store.get_last_event_in_room_before_stream_ordering(
+            room_id,
+            end_token=stream_position.room_key,
         )
 
-        if last_events:
-            last_event = last_events[-1]
+        if last_event:
             state = await self.get_state_after_event(
                 last_event, state_filter=state_filter or StateFilter.all()
             )
diff --git a/synapse/storage/databases/main/stream.py b/synapse/storage/databases/main/stream.py
index 51316af3a502..2a3ea49c8c40 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/databases/main/stream.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/databases/main/stream.py
@@ -748,6 +748,32 @@ def _f(txn):
             "get_room_event_before_stream_ordering", _f
         )
 
+    async def get_last_event_in_room_before_stream_ordering(
+        self,
+        room_id: str,
+        end_token: RoomStreamToken,
+    ) -> Optional[EventBase]:
+        """Returns the last event in a room at or before a stream ordering
+
+        Args:
+            room_id
+            end_token: The token used to stream from
+
+        Returns:
+            The most recent event.
+        """
+
+        last_row = await self.get_room_event_before_stream_ordering(
+            room_id=room_id,
+            stream_ordering=end_token.stream,
+        )
+        if last_row:
+            _, _, event_id = last_row
+            event = await self.get_event(event_id, get_prev_content=True)
+            return event
+
+        return None
+
     async def get_current_room_stream_token_for_room_id(
         self, room_id: Optional[str] = None
     ) -> RoomStreamToken: