diff --git a/synapse/storage/persist_events.py b/synapse/storage/persist_events.py
index 101b469bb4..18b991d607 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/persist_events.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/persist_events.py
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ from typing import (
 )
 
 import attr
+from mypy_extensions import DefaultNamedArg
 from prometheus_client import Counter, Histogram
 
 from twisted.internet import defer
@@ -112,7 +113,10 @@ times_pruned_extremities = Counter(
 @attr.s(auto_attribs=True, slots=True)
 class _EventPersistQueueItem:
     events_and_contexts: List[Tuple[EventBase, EventContext]]
-    backfilled: bool
+    should_calculate_state_and_forward_extrems: bool
+    use_negative_stream_ordering: bool
+    inhibit_local_membership_updates: bool
+    update_room_forward_stream_ordering: bool
     deferred: ObservableDeferred
 
     parent_opentracing_span_contexts: List = attr.ib(factory=list)
@@ -133,7 +137,17 @@ class _EventPeristenceQueue(Generic[_PersistResult]):
     def __init__(
         self,
         per_item_callback: Callable[
-            [List[Tuple[EventBase, EventContext]], bool],
+            [
+                List[Tuple[EventBase, EventContext]],
+                DefaultNamedArg(
+                    bool, "should_calculate_state_and_forward_extrems"  # noqa: F821
+                ),
+                DefaultNamedArg(bool, "use_negative_stream_ordering"),  # noqa: F821
+                DefaultNamedArg(bool, "inhibit_local_membership_updates"),  # noqa: F821
+                DefaultNamedArg(
+                    bool, "update_room_forward_stream_ordering"  # noqa: F821
+                ),
+            ],
             Awaitable[_PersistResult],
         ],
     ):
@@ -150,7 +164,11 @@ class _EventPeristenceQueue(Generic[_PersistResult]):
         self,
         room_id: str,
         events_and_contexts: Iterable[Tuple[EventBase, EventContext]],
-        backfilled: bool,
+        *,
+        should_calculate_state_and_forward_extrems: bool = True,
+        use_negative_stream_ordering: bool = False,
+        inhibit_local_membership_updates: bool = False,
+        update_room_forward_stream_ordering: bool = True,
     ) -> _PersistResult:
         """Add events to the queue, with the given persist_event options.
 
@@ -160,7 +178,19 @@ class _EventPeristenceQueue(Generic[_PersistResult]):
         Args:
             room_id (str):
             events_and_contexts (list[(EventBase, EventContext)]):
-            backfilled (bool):
+            should_calculate_state_and_forward_extrems: Determines whether we
+                need to calculate the state and new forward extremities for the
+                room. This should be set to false for backfilled events.
+            use_negative_stream_ordering: Whether to start stream_ordering on
+                the negative side and decrement. Usually this is done for any
+                backfilled event.
+            inhibit_local_membership_updates: Stop the local_current_membership
+                from being updated by these events. Usually this is done for
+                backfilled events.
+            update_room_forward_stream_ordering: Whether to update the
+                stream_ordering position to mark the latest event as the front
+                of the room. This should only be set as false for backfilled
+                events.
 
         Returns:
             the result returned by the `_per_item_callback` passed to
@@ -170,7 +200,10 @@ class _EventPeristenceQueue(Generic[_PersistResult]):
 
         # if the last item in the queue has the same `backfilled` setting,
         # we can just add these new events to that item.
-        if queue and queue[-1].backfilled == backfilled:
+        if (
+            queue
+            and queue[-1].use_negative_stream_ordering == use_negative_stream_ordering
+        ):
             end_item = queue[-1]
         else:
             # need to make a new queue item
@@ -180,7 +213,10 @@ class _EventPeristenceQueue(Generic[_PersistResult]):
 
             end_item = _EventPersistQueueItem(
                 events_and_contexts=[],
-                backfilled=backfilled,
+                should_calculate_state_and_forward_extrems=should_calculate_state_and_forward_extrems,
+                use_negative_stream_ordering=use_negative_stream_ordering,
+                inhibit_local_membership_updates=inhibit_local_membership_updates,
+                update_room_forward_stream_ordering=update_room_forward_stream_ordering,
                 deferred=deferred,
             )
             queue.append(end_item)
@@ -241,7 +277,11 @@ class _EventPeristenceQueue(Generic[_PersistResult]):
                                 item.opentracing_span_context = scope.span.context
 
                             ret = await self._per_item_callback(
-                                item.events_and_contexts, item.backfilled
+                                item.events_and_contexts,
+                                should_calculate_state_and_forward_extrems=item.should_calculate_state_and_forward_extrems,
+                                use_negative_stream_ordering=item.use_negative_stream_ordering,
+                                inhibit_local_membership_updates=item.inhibit_local_membership_updates,
+                                update_room_forward_stream_ordering=item.update_room_forward_stream_ordering,
                             )
                     except Exception:
                         with PreserveLoggingContext():