diff --git a/synapse/federation/federation_base.py b/synapse/federation/federation_base.py
index 21a763214..5217d91aa 100644
--- a/synapse/federation/federation_base.py
+++ b/synapse/federation/federation_base.py
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ from synapse.crypto.event_signing import check_event_content_hash
 
 from synapse.api.errors import SynapseError
 
+from synapse.util import unwrapFirstError
+
 import logging
 
 
@@ -94,7 +96,7 @@ class FederationBase(object):
         yield defer.gatherResults(
             [do(pdu) for pdu in pdus],
             consumeErrors=True
-        )
+        ).addErrback(unwrapFirstError)
 
         defer.returnValue(signed_pdus)
 
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/federation.py b/synapse/handlers/federation.py
index 77c315c47..cd8500157 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/federation.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/federation.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ from synapse.api.errors import (
     AuthError, FederationError, StoreError,
 )
 from synapse.api.constants import EventTypes, Membership, RejectedReason
+from synapse.util import unwrapFirstError
 from synapse.util.logcontext import PreserveLoggingContext
 from synapse.util.logutils import log_function
 from synapse.util.async import run_on_reactor
@@ -926,7 +927,7 @@ class FederationHandler(BaseHandler):
                     if d in have_events and not have_events[d]
                 ],
                 consumeErrors=True
-            )
+            ).addErrback(unwrapFirstError)
 
             if different_events:
                 local_view = dict(auth_events)
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/message.py b/synapse/handlers/message.py
index 22e19af17..b7d52647d 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/message.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/message.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ from synapse.api.errors import RoomError, SynapseError
 from synapse.streams.config import PaginationConfig
 from synapse.events.utils import serialize_event
 from synapse.events.validator import EventValidator
+from synapse.util import unwrapFirstError
 from synapse.util.logcontext import PreserveLoggingContext
 from synapse.types import UserID
 
@@ -303,7 +304,7 @@ class MessageHandler(BaseHandler):
                             event.room_id
                         ),
                     ]
-                )
+                ).addErrback(unwrapFirstError)
 
                 start_token = now_token.copy_and_replace("room_key", token[0])
                 end_token = now_token.copy_and_replace("room_key", token[1])
@@ -328,7 +329,7 @@ class MessageHandler(BaseHandler):
         yield defer.gatherResults(
             [handle_room(e) for e in room_list],
             consumeErrors=True
-        )
+        ).addErrback(unwrapFirstError)
 
         ret = {
             "rooms": rooms_ret,
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/profile.py b/synapse/handlers/profile.py
index ffb449d45..71ff78ab2 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/profile.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/profile.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from twisted.internet import defer
 from synapse.api.errors import SynapseError, AuthError, CodeMessageException
 from synapse.api.constants import EventTypes, Membership
 from synapse.types import UserID
+from synapse.util import unwrapFirstError
 
 from ._base import BaseHandler
 
@@ -159,7 +160,7 @@ class ProfileHandler(BaseHandler):
                 self.store.get_profile_avatar_url(user.localpart),
             ],
             consumeErrors=True
-        )
+        ).addErrback(unwrapFirstError)
 
         state["displayname"] = displayname
         state["avatar_url"] = avatar_url
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/room.py b/synapse/handlers/room.py
index cfa2e38ed..ea5abba6a 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/room.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/room.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ from ._base import BaseHandler
 from synapse.types import UserID, RoomAlias, RoomID
 from synapse.api.constants import EventTypes, Membership, JoinRules
 from synapse.api.errors import StoreError, SynapseError
-from synapse.util import stringutils
+from synapse.util import stringutils, unwrapFirstError
 from synapse.util.async import run_on_reactor
 from synapse.events.utils import serialize_event
 
@@ -537,7 +537,7 @@ class RoomListHandler(BaseHandler):
                 for room in chunk
             ],
             consumeErrors=True,
-        )
+        ).addErrback(unwrapFirstError)
 
         for i, room in enumerate(chunk):
             room["num_joined_members"] = len(results[i])
diff --git a/synapse/util/__init__.py b/synapse/util/__init__.py
index fd3eb1f57..c1a16b639 100644
--- a/synapse/util/__init__.py
+++ b/synapse/util/__init__.py
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@ import logging
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
+def unwrapFirstError(failure):
+    # defer.gatherResults and DeferredLists wrap failures.
+    failure.trap(defer.FirstError)
+    return failure.value.subFailure
+
+
 class Clock(object):
     """A small utility that obtains current time-of-day so that time may be
     mocked during unit-tests.