diff --git a/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/storage/MessagePersister.java b/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/storage/MessagePersister.java
index e501be180..3dc8db775 100644
--- a/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/storage/MessagePersister.java
+++ b/service/src/main/java/org/whispersystems/textsecuregcm/storage/MessagePersister.java
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ public class MessagePersister implements Managed {
 
     private final Duration        persistDelay;
 
-    private final    Thread  workerThread;
-    private volatile boolean running;
+    private final    Thread[]     workerThreads = new Thread[WORKER_THREAD_COUNT];
+    private volatile boolean      running;
 
     private final MetricRegistry metricRegistry             = SharedMetricRegistries.getOrCreate(Constants.METRICS_NAME);
     private final Timer          getQueuesTimer             = metricRegistry.timer(name(MessagePersister.class, "getQueues"));
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ public class MessagePersister implements Managed {
     static final int QUEUE_BATCH_LIMIT   = 100;
     static final int MESSAGE_BATCH_LIMIT = 100;
 
+    private static final int WORKER_THREAD_COUNT = 4;
+
     private static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(MessagePersister.class);
 
     public MessagePersister(final MessagesCache messagesCache, final MessagesManager messagesManager, final AccountsManager accountsManager, final Duration persistDelay) {
@@ -56,22 +58,22 @@ public class MessagePersister implements Managed {
         this.accountsManager          = accountsManager;
         this.persistDelay             = persistDelay;
 
-        this.workerThread = new Thread(() -> {
-            while (running) {
-                try {
-                    final int queuesPersisted = persistNextQueues(Instant.now());
-                    queueCountHistogram.update(queuesPersisted);
+        for (int i = 0; i < workerThreads.length; i++) {
+            workerThreads[i] = new Thread(() -> {
+                while (running) {
+                    try {
+                        final int queuesPersisted = persistNextQueues(Instant.now());
+                        queueCountHistogram.update(queuesPersisted);
 
-                    if (queuesPersisted == 0) {
-                        Util.sleep(100);
+                        if (queuesPersisted == 0) {
+                            Util.sleep(100);
+                        }
+                    } catch (final Throwable t) {
+                        logger.warn("Failed to persist queues", t);
                     }
-                } catch (final Throwable t) {
-                    logger.warn("Failed to persist queues", t);
                 }
-            }
-        }, "MessagePersisterWorker");
-
-        metricRegistry.gauge(name(getClass(), "workerThreadRunning"), () -> () -> workerThread.isAlive() ? 1 : 0);
+            }, "MessagePersisterWorker-" + i);
+        }
     }
 
     @VisibleForTesting
@@ -82,17 +84,22 @@ public class MessagePersister implements Managed {
     @Override
     public void start() {
         running = true;
-        workerThread.start();
+
+        for (final Thread workerThread : workerThreads) {
+            workerThread.start();
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
     public void stop() {
         running = false;
 
-        try {
-            workerThread.join();
-        } catch (final InterruptedException e) {
-            logger.warn("Interrupted while waiting for worker thread to complete current operation");
+        for (final Thread workerThread : workerThreads) {
+            try {
+                workerThread.join();
+            } catch (final InterruptedException e) {
+                logger.warn("Interrupted while waiting for worker thread to complete current operation");
+            }
         }
     }