diff --git a/src/event.rs b/src/event.rs
index 1946350a3..fcb2d7876 100644
--- a/src/event.rs
+++ b/src/event.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ use lightning::util::config::{
 	ChannelConfigOverrides, ChannelConfigUpdate, ChannelHandshakeConfigUpdate,
 };
 use lightning::util::errors::APIError;
-use lightning::util::persist::KVStoreSync;
+use lightning::util::persist::KVStore;
 use lightning::util::ser::{Readable, ReadableArgs, Writeable, Writer};
 use lightning_liquidity::lsps2::utils::compute_opening_fee;
 use lightning_types::payment::{PaymentHash, PaymentPreimage};
@@ -301,12 +301,14 @@ where
 		Self { queue, waker, kv_store, logger }
 	}
 
-	pub(crate) fn add_event(&self, event: Event) -> Result<(), Error> {
-		{
+	pub(crate) async fn add_event(&self, event: Event) -> Result<(), Error> {
+		let data = {
 			let mut locked_queue = self.queue.lock().unwrap();
 			locked_queue.push_back(event);
-			self.persist_queue(&locked_queue)?;
-		}
+			EventQueueSerWrapper(&locked_queue).encode()
+		};
+
+		self.persist_queue(data).await?;
 
 		if let Some(waker) = self.waker.lock().unwrap().take() {
 			waker.wake();
@@ -323,12 +325,14 @@ where
 		EventFuture { event_queue: Arc::clone(&self.queue), waker: Arc::clone(&self.waker) }.await
 	}
 
-	pub(crate) fn event_handled(&self) -> Result<(), Error> {
-		{
+	pub(crate) async fn event_handled(&self) -> Result<(), Error> {
+		let data = {
 			let mut locked_queue = self.queue.lock().unwrap();
 			locked_queue.pop_front();
-			self.persist_queue(&locked_queue)?;
-		}
+			EventQueueSerWrapper(&locked_queue).encode()
+		};
+
+		self.persist_queue(data).await?;
 
 		if let Some(waker) = self.waker.lock().unwrap().take() {
 			waker.wake();
@@ -336,15 +340,15 @@ where
 		Ok(())
 	}
 
-	fn persist_queue(&self, locked_queue: &VecDeque<Event>) -> Result<(), Error> {
-		let data = EventQueueSerWrapper(locked_queue).encode();
-		KVStoreSync::write(
+	async fn persist_queue(&self, encoded_queue: Vec<u8>) -> Result<(), Error> {
+		KVStore::write(
 			&*self.kv_store,
 			EVENT_QUEUE_PERSISTENCE_PRIMARY_NAMESPACE,
 			EVENT_QUEUE_PERSISTENCE_SECONDARY_NAMESPACE,
 			EVENT_QUEUE_PERSISTENCE_KEY,
-			data,
+			encoded_queue,
 		)
+		.await
 		.map_err(|e| {
 			log_error!(
 				self.logger,
@@ -694,7 +698,7 @@ where
 									claim_deadline,
 									custom_records,
 								};
-								match self.event_queue.add_event(event) {
+								match self.event_queue.add_event(event).await {
 									Ok(_) => return Ok(()),
 									Err(e) => {
 										log_error!(
@@ -928,7 +932,7 @@ where
 						.map(|cf| cf.custom_tlvs().into_iter().map(|tlv| tlv.into()).collect())
 						.unwrap_or_default(),
 				};
-				match self.event_queue.add_event(event) {
+				match self.event_queue.add_event(event).await {
 					Ok(_) => return Ok(()),
 					Err(e) => {
 						log_error!(self.logger, "Failed to push to event queue: {}", e);
@@ -988,7 +992,7 @@ where
 					fee_paid_msat,
 				};
 
-				match self.event_queue.add_event(event) {
+				match self.event_queue.add_event(event).await {
 					Ok(_) => return Ok(()),
 					Err(e) => {
 						log_error!(self.logger, "Failed to push to event queue: {}", e);
@@ -1019,7 +1023,7 @@ where
 
 				let event =
 					Event::PaymentFailed { payment_id: Some(payment_id), payment_hash, reason };
-				match self.event_queue.add_event(event) {
+				match self.event_queue.add_event(event).await {
 					Ok(_) => return Ok(()),
 					Err(e) => {
 						log_error!(self.logger, "Failed to push to event queue: {}", e);
@@ -1295,7 +1299,7 @@ where
 					claim_from_onchain_tx,
 					outbound_amount_forwarded_msat,
 				};
-				self.event_queue.add_event(event).map_err(|e| {
+				self.event_queue.add_event(event).await.map_err(|e| {
 					log_error!(self.logger, "Failed to push to event queue: {}", e);
 					ReplayEvent()
 				})?;
@@ -1322,7 +1326,7 @@ where
 					counterparty_node_id,
 					funding_txo,
 				};
-				match self.event_queue.add_event(event) {
+				match self.event_queue.add_event(event).await {
 					Ok(_) => {},
 					Err(e) => {
 						log_error!(self.logger, "Failed to push to event queue: {}", e);
@@ -1383,7 +1387,7 @@ where
 					user_channel_id: UserChannelId(user_channel_id),
 					counterparty_node_id: Some(counterparty_node_id),
 				};
-				match self.event_queue.add_event(event) {
+				match self.event_queue.add_event(event).await {
 					Ok(_) => {},
 					Err(e) => {
 						log_error!(self.logger, "Failed to push to event queue: {}", e);
@@ -1407,7 +1411,7 @@ where
 					reason: Some(reason),
 				};
 
-				match self.event_queue.add_event(event) {
+				match self.event_queue.add_event(event).await {
 					Ok(_) => {},
 					Err(e) => {
 						log_error!(self.logger, "Failed to push to event queue: {}", e);
@@ -1621,7 +1625,7 @@ mod tests {
 			user_channel_id: UserChannelId(2323),
 			counterparty_node_id: None,
 		};
-		event_queue.add_event(expected_event.clone()).unwrap();
+		event_queue.add_event(expected_event.clone()).await.unwrap();
 
 		// Check we get the expected event and that it is returned until we mark it handled.
 		for _ in 0..5 {
@@ -1630,18 +1634,19 @@ mod tests {
 		}
 
 		// Check we can read back what we persisted.
-		let persisted_bytes = KVStoreSync::read(
+		let persisted_bytes = KVStore::read(
 			&*store,
 			EVENT_QUEUE_PERSISTENCE_PRIMARY_NAMESPACE,
 			EVENT_QUEUE_PERSISTENCE_SECONDARY_NAMESPACE,
 			EVENT_QUEUE_PERSISTENCE_KEY,
 		)
+		.await
 		.unwrap();
 		let deser_event_queue =
 			EventQueue::read(&mut &persisted_bytes[..], (Arc::clone(&store), logger)).unwrap();
 		assert_eq!(deser_event_queue.next_event_async().await, expected_event);
 
-		event_queue.event_handled().unwrap();
+		event_queue.event_handled().await.unwrap();
 		assert_eq!(event_queue.next_event(), None);
 	}
 
@@ -1675,28 +1680,28 @@ mod tests {
 		let mut delayed_enqueue = false;
 
 		for _ in 0..25 {
-			event_queue.add_event(expected_event.clone()).unwrap();
+			event_queue.add_event(expected_event.clone()).await.unwrap();
 			enqueued_events.fetch_add(1, Ordering::SeqCst);
 		}
 
 		loop {
 			tokio::select! {
 				_ = tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(10)), if !delayed_enqueue => {
-					event_queue.add_event(expected_event.clone()).unwrap();
+					event_queue.add_event(expected_event.clone()).await.unwrap();
 					enqueued_events.fetch_add(1, Ordering::SeqCst);
 					delayed_enqueue = true;
 				}
 				e = event_queue.next_event_async() => {
 					assert_eq!(e, expected_event);
-					event_queue.event_handled().unwrap();
+					event_queue.event_handled().await.unwrap();
 					received_events.fetch_add(1, Ordering::SeqCst);
 
-					event_queue.add_event(expected_event.clone()).unwrap();
+					event_queue.add_event(expected_event.clone()).await.unwrap();
 					enqueued_events.fetch_add(1, Ordering::SeqCst);
 				}
 				e = event_queue.next_event_async() => {
 					assert_eq!(e, expected_event);
-					event_queue.event_handled().unwrap();
+					event_queue.event_handled().await.unwrap();
 					received_events.fetch_add(1, Ordering::SeqCst);
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 701a14dde..982673f4a 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -777,7 +777,10 @@ impl Node {
 	///
 	/// **Note:** This **MUST** be called after each event has been handled.
 	pub fn event_handled(&self) -> Result<(), Error> {
-		self.event_queue.event_handled().map_err(|e| {
+		// We use our runtime for the sync variant to ensure `tokio::task::block_in_place` is
+		// always called if we'd ever hit this in an outer runtime context.
+		let fut = self.event_queue.event_handled();
+		self.runtime.block_on(fut).map_err(|e| {
 			log_error!(
 				self.logger,
 				"Couldn't mark event handled due to persistence failure: {}",