diff --git a/service/domain/relays/relay_connection.go b/service/domain/relays/relay_connection.go
index fc053eb..e0a1623 100644
--- a/service/domain/relays/relay_connection.go
+++ b/service/domain/relays/relay_connection.go
@@ -70,7 +70,6 @@ type RelayConnection struct {
 	eventsToSendMutex             sync.Mutex
 	newEventsCh                   chan domain.Event
 	rateLimitNoticeBackoffManager *RateLimitNoticeBackoffManager
-	cancelRun                     context.CancelFunc
 	cancelBackPressure            context.CancelFunc
 }
 
@@ -91,7 +90,6 @@ func NewRelayConnection(
 		eventsToSend:                  make(map[domain.EventId]*eventToSend),
 		newEventsCh:                   make(chan domain.Event),
 		rateLimitNoticeBackoffManager: rateLimitNoticeBackoffManager,
-		cancelRun:                     nil,
 		cancelBackPressure:            nil,
 	}
 }
@@ -311,8 +309,6 @@ func (r *RelayConnection) triggerSubscriptionUpdate() {
 
 func (r *RelayConnection) run(ctx context.Context) error {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
-	backPressureCtx, cancelFromBackPressure := context.WithCancel(ctx)
-	r.cancelRun = cancelFromBackPressure
 	defer cancel()
 
 	defer r.setState(RelayConnectionStateDisconnected)
@@ -359,17 +355,9 @@ func (r *RelayConnection) run(ctx context.Context) error {
 			return NewReadMessageError(err)
 		}
 
-		select {
-		case <-backPressureCtx.Done():
-			// The backpressure handling code is to avoid overwhelming the queue
-			// that writes to relay.nos.social so we skip that signal for it or
-			// the queue will never shrink
-			if r.Address().HostWithoutPort() == "relay.nos.social" {
-				continue
-			}
-
-			return BackPressureError
-		default:
+		if r.state == RelayConnectionStateBackPressured {
+			// Load shedding under backpressure
+			continue
 		}
 
 		if err := r.handleMessage(messageBytes); err != nil {
@@ -378,7 +366,6 @@ func (r *RelayConnection) run(ctx context.Context) error {
 				WithError(err).
 				WithField("message", string(messageBytes)).
 				Message("error handling an incoming message")
-			continue
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/service/domain/relays/relay_connections.go b/service/domain/relays/relay_connections.go
index 13dea88..84423ad 100644
--- a/service/domain/relays/relay_connections.go
+++ b/service/domain/relays/relay_connections.go
@@ -76,9 +76,8 @@ func (d *RelayConnections) SendEvent(ctx context.Context, relayAddress domain.Re
 
 func (d *RelayConnections) NotifyBackPressure() {
 	for _, connection := range d.connections {
-		if connection.cancelRun != nil && connection.Address().HostWithoutPort() != "relay.nos.social" {
-			connection.cancelRun()
-			connection.cancelRun = nil
+		if connection.Address().HostWithoutPort() != "relay.nos.social" {
+			connection.setState(RelayConnectionStateBackPressured)
 		}
 	}
 }