diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index ddf57f149..ce3d657c9 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+Synapse 1.51.0rc2 (2022-01-24)
+==============================
+
+Bugfixes
+--------
+
+- Fix a bug introduced in Synapse 1.40.0 that caused Synapse to fail to process incoming federation traffic after handling a large amount of events in a v1 room. ([\#11806](https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/issues/11806))
+
+
 Synapse 1.51.0rc1 (2022-01-21)
 ==============================
 
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index a013580e4..a07bf4f2e 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+matrix-synapse-py3 (1.51.0~rc2) stable; urgency=medium
+
+  * New synapse release 1.51.0~rc2.
+
+ -- Synapse Packaging team <packages@matrix.org>  Mon, 24 Jan 2022 12:25:00 +0000
+
 matrix-synapse-py3 (1.51.0~rc1) stable; urgency=medium
 
   * New synapse release 1.51.0~rc1.
diff --git a/synapse/__init__.py b/synapse/__init__.py
index 4ef872801..f2fd3b907 100644
--- a/synapse/__init__.py
+++ b/synapse/__init__.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ try:
 except ImportError:
     pass
 
-__version__ = "1.51.0rc1"
+__version__ = "1.51.0rc2"
 
 if bool(os.environ.get("SYNAPSE_TEST_PATCH_LOG_CONTEXTS", False)):
     # We import here so that we don't have to install a bunch of deps when
diff --git a/synapse/storage/databases/main/event_federation.py b/synapse/storage/databases/main/event_federation.py
index 0856a9332..ca71f073f 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/databases/main/event_federation.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/databases/main/event_federation.py
@@ -1432,7 +1432,10 @@ class EventFederationWorkerStore(SignatureWorkerStore, EventsWorkerStore, SQLBas
 
             if room_version.event_format == EventFormatVersions.V1:
                 for prev_event_tuple in prev_events:
-                    if not isinstance(prev_event_tuple, list) or len(prev_events) != 2:
+                    if (
+                        not isinstance(prev_event_tuple, list)
+                        or len(prev_event_tuple) != 2
+                    ):
                         logger.info("Invalid prev_events for %s", event_id)
                         break
 
diff --git a/tests/storage/test_event_federation.py b/tests/storage/test_event_federation.py
index 632bbc9de..2bc89512f 100644
--- a/tests/storage/test_event_federation.py
+++ b/tests/storage/test_event_federation.py
@@ -12,10 +12,16 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+from typing import Tuple, Union
+
 import attr
 from parameterized import parameterized
 
-from synapse.api.room_versions import RoomVersions
+from synapse.api.room_versions import (
+    KNOWN_ROOM_VERSIONS,
+    EventFormatVersions,
+    RoomVersion,
+)
 from synapse.events import _EventInternalMetadata
 from synapse.util import json_encoder
 
@@ -506,11 +512,21 @@ class EventFederationWorkerStoreTestCase(tests.unittest.HomeserverTestCase):
         )
         self.assertSetEqual(difference, set())
 
-    def test_prune_inbound_federation_queue(self):
-        "Test that pruning of inbound federation queues work"
+    @parameterized.expand(
+        [(room_version,) for room_version in KNOWN_ROOM_VERSIONS.values()]
+    )
+    def test_prune_inbound_federation_queue(self, room_version: RoomVersion):
+        """Test that pruning of inbound federation queues work"""
 
         room_id = "some_room_id"
 
+        def prev_event_format(prev_event_id: str) -> Union[Tuple[str, dict], str]:
+            """Account for differences in prev_events format across room versions"""
+            if room_version.event_format == EventFormatVersions.V1:
+                return prev_event_id, {}
+
+            return prev_event_id
+
         # Insert a bunch of events that all reference the previous one.
         self.get_success(
             self.store.db_pool.simple_insert_many(
@@ -529,7 +545,9 @@ class EventFederationWorkerStoreTestCase(tests.unittest.HomeserverTestCase):
                         room_id,
                         0,
                         f"$fake_event_id_{i + 1}",
-                        json_encoder.encode({"prev_events": [f"$fake_event_id_{i}"]}),
+                        json_encoder.encode(
+                            {"prev_events": [prev_event_format(f"$fake_event_id_{i}")]}
+                        ),
                         "{}",
                     )
                     for i in range(500)
@@ -541,12 +559,12 @@ class EventFederationWorkerStoreTestCase(tests.unittest.HomeserverTestCase):
         # Calling prune once should return True, i.e. a prune happen. The second
         # time it shouldn't.
         pruned = self.get_success(
-            self.store.prune_staged_events_in_room(room_id, RoomVersions.V6)
+            self.store.prune_staged_events_in_room(room_id, room_version)
         )
         self.assertTrue(pruned)
 
         pruned = self.get_success(
-            self.store.prune_staged_events_in_room(room_id, RoomVersions.V6)
+            self.store.prune_staged_events_in_room(room_id, room_version)
         )
         self.assertFalse(pruned)