diff --git a/changelog.d/8694.misc b/changelog.d/8694.misc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c90a6375adaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/8694.misc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Improve start time by adding an index to `e2e_cross_signing_keys.stream_id`.
diff --git a/scripts/synapse_port_db b/scripts/synapse_port_db
index 6c7664ad4a42..13c0120bb400 100755
--- a/scripts/synapse_port_db
+++ b/scripts/synapse_port_db
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ from synapse.storage.database import DatabasePool, make_conn
 from synapse.storage.databases.main.client_ips import ClientIpBackgroundUpdateStore
 from synapse.storage.databases.main.deviceinbox import DeviceInboxBackgroundUpdateStore
 from synapse.storage.databases.main.devices import DeviceBackgroundUpdateStore
+from synapse.storage.databases.main.end_to_end_keys import EndToEndKeyBackgroundStore
 from synapse.storage.databases.main.events_bg_updates import (
     EventsBackgroundUpdatesStore,
 )
@@ -174,6 +175,7 @@ class Store(
     StateBackgroundUpdateStore,
     MainStateBackgroundUpdateStore,
     UserDirectoryBackgroundUpdateStore,
+    EndToEndKeyBackgroundStore,
     StatsStore,
 ):
     def execute(self, f, *args, **kwargs):
diff --git a/synapse/storage/databases/main/end_to_end_keys.py b/synapse/storage/databases/main/end_to_end_keys.py
index 44159094147e..4d1b92d1aabe 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/databases/main/end_to_end_keys.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/databases/main/end_to_end_keys.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 from synapse.logging.opentracing import log_kv, set_tag, trace
 from synapse.storage._base import SQLBaseStore, db_to_json
-from synapse.storage.database import make_in_list_sql_clause
+from synapse.storage.database import DatabasePool, make_in_list_sql_clause
 from synapse.storage.types import Cursor
 from synapse.types import JsonDict
 from synapse.util import json_encoder
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from synapse.handlers.e2e_keys import SignatureListItem
+    from synapse.server import HomeServer
 
 
 @attr.s(slots=True)
@@ -47,7 +48,20 @@ class DeviceKeyLookupResult:
     keys = attr.ib(type=Optional[JsonDict])
 
 
-class EndToEndKeyWorkerStore(SQLBaseStore):
+class EndToEndKeyBackgroundStore(SQLBaseStore):
+    def __init__(self, database: DatabasePool, db_conn: Connection, hs: "HomeServer"):
+        super().__init__(database, db_conn, hs)
+
+        self.db_pool.updates.register_background_index_update(
+            "e2e_cross_signing_keys_idx",
+            index_name="e2e_cross_signing_keys_stream_idx",
+            table="e2e_cross_signing_keys",
+            columns=["stream_id"],
+            unique=True,
+        )
+
+
+class EndToEndKeyWorkerStore(EndToEndKeyBackgroundStore):
     async def get_e2e_device_keys_for_federation_query(
         self, user_id: str
     ) -> Tuple[int, List[JsonDict]]:
diff --git a/synapse/storage/databases/main/schema/delta/58/23e2e_cross_signing_keys_idx.sql b/synapse/storage/databases/main/schema/delta/58/23e2e_cross_signing_keys_idx.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..61c558db7703
--- /dev/null
+++ b/synapse/storage/databases/main/schema/delta/58/23e2e_cross_signing_keys_idx.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/* Copyright 2020 The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+INSERT INTO background_updates (update_name, progress_json) VALUES
+  ('e2e_cross_signing_keys_idx', '{}');