diff --git a/synapse/handlers/appservice.py b/synapse/handlers/appservice.py
index e24d5c5cd369..aee6bc8d3762 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/appservice.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/appservice.py
@@ -262,29 +262,31 @@ async def _notify_interested_services_ephemeral(
                     )
                 ):
                     if stream_key == "receipt_key":
-                        events = await self._handle_receipts(service, new_token)
-                        if events:
-                            self.scheduler.submit_ephemeral_events_for_as(
-                                service, events
-                            )
-
-                        # Persist the latest handled stream token for this appservice
-                        await self.store.set_type_stream_id_for_appservice(
-                            service, "read_receipt", new_token
-                        )
-
+                        stream_id = "read_recipt"
+                        handler = self._handle_receipts
                     elif stream_key == "presence_key":
-                        events = await self._handle_presence(service, users, new_token)
-                        if events:
-                            self.scheduler.submit_ephemeral_events_for_as(
-                                service, events
-                            )
-
-                        # Persist the latest handled stream token for this appservice
-                        await self.store.set_type_stream_id_for_appservice(
-                            service, "presence", new_token
+                        stream_id = "presence"
+                        handler = self._handle_presence
+                    else:
+                        continue
+
+                    from_key = await self.store.get_type_stream_id_for_appservice(
+                        service, stream_id
+                    )
+                    if new_token is not None and new_token <= from_key:
+                        raise Exception(
+                            "Rejecting token lower than stored: %s" % (new_token,)
                         )
 
+                    events = await handler(service, users, from_key)
+                    if events:
+                        self.scheduler.submit_ephemeral_events_for_as(service, events)
+
+                    # Persist the latest handled stream token for this appservice
+                    await self.store.set_type_stream_id_for_appservice(
+                        service, stream_id, new_token
+                    )
+
     async def _handle_typing(
         self, service: ApplicationService, new_token: int
     ) -> List[JsonDict]:
@@ -321,7 +323,10 @@ async def _handle_typing(
         return typing
 
     async def _handle_receipts(
-        self, service: ApplicationService, new_token: Optional[int]
+        self,
+        service: ApplicationService,
+        users: Collection[Union[str, UserID]],
+        from_key: int,
     ) -> List[JsonDict]:
         """
         Return the latest read receipts that the given application service should receive.
@@ -338,12 +343,6 @@ async def _handle_receipts(
             A list of JSON dictionaries containing data derived from the read receipts that
             should be sent to the given application service.
         """
-        from_key = await self.store.get_type_stream_id_for_appservice(
-            service, "read_receipt"
-        )
-        if new_token is not None and new_token <= from_key:
-            raise Exception("Rejecting token lower than stored: %s" % (new_token,))
-
         receipts_source = self.event_sources.sources.receipt
         receipts, _ = await receipts_source.get_new_events_as(
             service=service, from_key=from_key
@@ -354,7 +353,7 @@ async def _handle_presence(
         self,
         service: ApplicationService,
         users: Collection[Union[str, UserID]],
-        new_token: Optional[int],
+        from_key: int,
     ) -> List[JsonDict]:
         """
         Return the latest presence updates that the given application service should receive.
@@ -374,11 +373,6 @@ async def _handle_presence(
         """
         events: List[JsonDict] = []
         presence_source = self.event_sources.sources.presence
-        from_key = await self.store.get_type_stream_id_for_appservice(
-            service, "presence"
-        )
-        if new_token is not None and new_token <= from_key:
-            raise Exception("Rejecting token lower than stored: %s" % (new_token,))
 
         for user in users:
             if isinstance(user, str):