diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index d297102c..df37fd58 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -293,6 +293,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "opentelemetry",
  "opentelemetry-jaeger",
  "parking_lot",
+ "persy",
  "rand 0.8.4",
  "regex",
  "reqwest",
@@ -374,6 +375,21 @@ dependencies = [
  "libc",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "crc"
+version = "2.1.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "49fc9a695bca7f35f5f4c15cddc84415f66a74ea78eef08e90c5024f2b540e23"
+dependencies = [
+ "crc-catalog",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "crc-catalog"
+version = "1.1.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "ccaeedb56da03b09f598226e25e80088cb4cd25f316e6e4df7d695f0feeb1403"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "crc32fast"
 version = "1.3.0"
@@ -1651,6 +1667,21 @@ version = "2.1.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "d4fd5641d01c8f18a23da7b6fe29298ff4b55afcccdf78973b24cf3175fee32e"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "persy"
+version = "1.2.0"
+source = "git+https://gitlab.com/tglman/persy.git?branch=master#ff102d6edeaf14d30a846c2e2376a814685d09e7"
+dependencies = [
+ "crc",
+ "data-encoding",
+ "fs2",
+ "linked-hash-map",
+ "rand 0.8.4",
+ "thiserror",
+ "unsigned-varint",
+ "zigzag",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "pin-project"
 version = "1.0.10"
@@ -3290,6 +3321,12 @@ version = "0.1.7"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "f14ee04d9415b52b3aeab06258a3f07093182b88ba0f9b8d203f211a7a7d41c7"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "unsigned-varint"
+version = "0.7.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "d86a8dc7f45e4c1b0d30e43038c38f274e77af056aa5f74b93c2cf9eb3c1c836"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "untrusted"
 version = "0.7.1"
@@ -3532,6 +3569,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "synstructure",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "zigzag"
+version = "0.1.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "70b40401a28d86ce16a330b863b86fd7dbee4d7c940587ab09ab8c019f9e3fdf"
+dependencies = [
+ "num-traits",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "zstd"
 version = "0.9.2+zstd.1.5.1"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 2dbd3fd3..7c94a693 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -29,9 +29,6 @@ tokio = "1.11.0"
 sled = { version = "0.34.6", features = ["compression", "no_metrics"], optional = true }
 #sled = { git = "https://github.com/spacejam/sled.git", rev = "e4640e0773595229f398438886f19bca6f7326a2", features = ["compression"] }
 persy = { git = "https://gitlab.com/tglman/persy.git", branch="master" , optional = true, features=["background_ops"] }
-# Used by the persy write cache for background flush
-timer = "0.2"
-chrono = "0.4"
 
 # Used for the http request / response body type for Ruma endpoints used with reqwest
 bytes = "1.1.0"
@@ -91,7 +88,7 @@ sha-1 = "0.9.8"
 [features]
 default = ["conduit_bin", "backend_sqlite", "backend_rocksdb"]
 backend_sled = ["sled"]
-backend_persy = ["persy"]
+backend_persy = ["persy", "parking_lot"]
 backend_sqlite = ["sqlite"]
 backend_heed = ["heed", "crossbeam"]
 backend_rocksdb = ["rocksdb"]
diff --git a/src/database/abstraction/persy.rs b/src/database/abstraction/persy.rs
index 5d633ab4..71efed3b 100644
--- a/src/database/abstraction/persy.rs
+++ b/src/database/abstraction/persy.rs
@@ -1,20 +1,14 @@
 use crate::{
     database::{
-        abstraction::{DatabaseEngine, Tree},
+        abstraction::{watchers::Watchers, DatabaseEngine, Tree},
         Config,
     },
     Result,
 };
 use persy::{ByteVec, OpenOptions, Persy, Transaction, TransactionConfig, ValueMode};
 
-use std::{
-    collections::HashMap,
-    future::Future,
-    pin::Pin,
-    sync::{Arc, RwLock},
-};
+use std::{future::Future, pin::Pin, sync::Arc};
 
-use tokio::sync::oneshot::Sender;
 use tracing::warn;
 
 pub struct PersyEngine {
@@ -44,7 +38,7 @@ impl DatabaseEngine for PersyEngine {
         Ok(Arc::new(PersyTree {
             persy: self.persy.clone(),
             name: name.to_owned(),
-            watchers: RwLock::new(HashMap::new()),
+            watchers: Watchers::default(),
         }))
     }
 
@@ -56,7 +50,7 @@ impl DatabaseEngine for PersyEngine {
 pub struct PersyTree {
     persy: Persy,
     name: String,
-    watchers: RwLock<HashMap<Vec<u8>, Vec<Sender<()>>>>,
+    watchers: Watchers,
 }
 
 impl PersyTree {
@@ -81,27 +75,7 @@ impl Tree for PersyTree {
     #[tracing::instrument(skip(self, key, value))]
     fn insert(&self, key: &[u8], value: &[u8]) -> Result<()> {
         self.insert_batch(&mut Some((key.to_owned(), value.to_owned())).into_iter())?;
-        let watchers = self.watchers.read().unwrap();
-        let mut triggered = Vec::new();
-
-        for length in 0..=key.len() {
-            if watchers.contains_key(&key[..length]) {
-                triggered.push(&key[..length]);
-            }
-        }
-
-        drop(watchers);
-
-        if !triggered.is_empty() {
-            let mut watchers = self.watchers.write().unwrap();
-            for prefix in triggered {
-                if let Some(txs) = watchers.remove(prefix) {
-                    for tx in txs {
-                        let _ = tx.send(());
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-        }
+        self.watchers.wake(key);
         Ok(())
     }
 
@@ -228,18 +202,6 @@ impl Tree for PersyTree {
 
     #[tracing::instrument(skip(self, prefix))]
     fn watch_prefix<'a>(&'a self, prefix: &[u8]) -> Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = ()> + Send + 'a>> {
-        let (tx, rx) = tokio::sync::oneshot::channel();
-
-        self.watchers
-            .write()
-            .unwrap()
-            .entry(prefix.to_vec())
-            .or_default()
-            .push(tx);
-
-        Box::pin(async move {
-            // Tx is never destroyed
-            rx.await.unwrap();
-        })
+        self.watchers.watch(prefix)
     }
 }