diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b0e8202..1437c02 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### [1.81.0.0] - 2023-11-18
+
+### Updated
+
+- Synapse to 1.81.0
+
 ### [1.80.0.0] - 2023-04-03
 
 ### Updated
@@ -131,7 +137,8 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.
 - Location of github action workflow file `build.yml`
 - Fix robustness for matrix-synapse name and packages changes and rebuilding in the same path (updater script)
 
-[unreleased]: https://github.com/conhealth/LifeTime-Desktop/compare/v1.80.0.0...HEAD
+[unreleased]: https://github.com/conhealth/LifeTime-Desktop/compare/v1.81.0.0...HEAD
+[1.80.0.0]: https://github.com/conhealth/LifeTime-Desktop/compare/v1.80.0.0...v1.81.0.0
 [1.79.0.0]: https://github.com/conhealth/LifeTime-Desktop/compare/v1.79.0.0...v1.80.0.0
 [1.79.0.0]: https://github.com/conhealth/LifeTime-Desktop/compare/v1.78.0.0...v1.79.0.0
 [1.78.0.0]: https://github.com/conhealth/LifeTime-Desktop/compare/v1.77.0.0...v1.78.0.0
diff --git a/matrix_synapse_testutils/server.py b/matrix_synapse_testutils/server.py
index a6aa251..c43903a 100644
--- a/matrix_synapse_testutils/server.py
+++ b/matrix_synapse_testutils/server.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 import logging
 import os
 import os.path
+import sqlite3
 import time
 import uuid
 import warnings
@@ -79,7 +80,9 @@
 from synapse.logging.context import ContextResourceUsage
 from synapse.server import HomeServer
 from synapse.storage import DataStore
+from synapse.storage.database import LoggingDatabaseConnection
 from synapse.storage.engines import PostgresEngine, create_engine
+from synapse.storage.prepare_database import prepare_database
 from synapse.types import ISynapseReactor, JsonDict
 from synapse.util import Clock
 
@@ -104,6 +107,10 @@
 # the type of thing that can be passed into `make_request` in the headers list
 CustomHeaderType = Tuple[Union[str, bytes], Union[str, bytes]]
 
+# A pre-prepared SQLite DB that is used as a template when creating new SQLite
+# DB each test run. This dramatically speeds up test set up when using SQLite.
+PREPPED_SQLITE_DB_CONN: Optional[LoggingDatabaseConnection] = None
+
 
 class TimedOutException(Exception):
     """
@@ -899,6 +906,22 @@ def setup_test_homeserver(
             "args": {"database": test_db_location, "cp_min": 1, "cp_max": 1},
         }
 
+        # Check if we have set up a DB that we can use as a template.
+        global PREPPED_SQLITE_DB_CONN
+        if PREPPED_SQLITE_DB_CONN is None:
+            temp_engine = create_engine(database_config)
+            PREPPED_SQLITE_DB_CONN = LoggingDatabaseConnection(
+                sqlite3.connect(":memory:"), temp_engine, "PREPPED_CONN"
+            )
+
+            database = DatabaseConnectionConfig("master", database_config)
+            config.database.databases = [database]
+            prepare_database(
+                PREPPED_SQLITE_DB_CONN, create_engine(database_config), config
+            )
+
+        database_config["_TEST_PREPPED_CONN"] = PREPPED_SQLITE_DB_CONN
+
     if "db_txn_limit" in kwargs:
         database_config["txn_limit"] = kwargs["db_txn_limit"]
 
@@ -983,7 +1006,9 @@ def cleanup() -> None:
                     dropped = True
                 except psycopg2.OperationalError as e:
                     warnings.warn(
-                        "Couldn't drop old db: " + str(e), category=UserWarning
+                        "Couldn't drop old db: " + str(e),
+                        category=UserWarning,
+                        stacklevel=2,
                     )
                     time.sleep(0.5)
 
@@ -991,7 +1016,11 @@ def cleanup() -> None:
             db_conn.close()
 
             if not dropped:
-                warnings.warn("Failed to drop old DB.", category=UserWarning)
+                warnings.warn(
+                    "Failed to drop old DB.",
+                    category=UserWarning,
+                    stacklevel=2,
+                )
 
         if not LEAVE_DB:
             # Register the cleanup hook
diff --git a/matrix_synapse_testutils/unittest.py b/matrix_synapse_testutils/unittest.py
index 421d7a8..baf5ce0 100644
--- a/matrix_synapse_testutils/unittest.py
+++ b/matrix_synapse_testutils/unittest.py
@@ -146,6 +146,9 @@ def setUp(orig: Callable[[], R]) -> R:
                     % (current_context(),)
                 )
 
+            # Disable GC for duration of test. See below for why.
+            gc.disable()
+
             old_level = logging.getLogger().level
             if level is not None and old_level != level:
 
@@ -163,12 +166,19 @@ def tearDown(orig: Callable[[], R]) -> R:
 
             return orig()
 
+        # We want to force a GC to workaround problems with deferreds leaking
+        # logcontexts when they are GCed (see the logcontext docs).
+        #
+        # The easiest way to do this would be to do a full GC after each test
+        # run, but that is very expensive. Instead, we disable GC (above) for
+        # the duration of the test so that we only need to run a gen-0 GC, which
+        # is a lot quicker.
+
         @around(self)
         def tearDown(orig: Callable[[], R]) -> R:
             ret = orig()
-            # force a GC to workaround problems with deferreds leaking logcontexts when
-            # they are GCed (see the logcontext docs)
-            gc.collect()
+            gc.collect(0)
+            gc.enable()
             set_current_context(SENTINEL_CONTEXT)
 
             return ret
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 215dccc..f8f7707 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ classifiers = [
     "Topic :: Software Development"
 ]
 dependencies = [
-    "matrix-synapse[test]==1.80.0"
+    "matrix-synapse[test]==1.81.0"
 ]
 
 [project.urls]