diff --git a/synapse/storage/__init__.py b/synapse/storage/__init__.py
index a249ecd219..a58187a76f 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/__init__.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/__init__.py
@@ -27,7 +27,24 @@ data stores associated with them (e.g. the schema version tables), which are
 stored in `synapse.storage.schema`.
 """
 
-from synapse.storage.data_stores.main import DataStore  # noqa: F401
+from synapse.storage.data_stores import DataStores
+from synapse.storage.data_stores.main import DataStore
+from synapse.storage.persist_events import EventsPersistenceStore
+
+__all__ = ["DataStores", "DataStore"]
+
+
+class Storage(object):
+    """The high level interfaces for talking to various storage layers.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, hs, stores: DataStores):
+        # We include the main data store here mainly so that we don't have to
+        # rewrite all the existing code to split it into high vs low level
+        # interfaces.
+        self.main = stores.main
+
+        self.persistence = EventsPersistenceStore(hs, stores)
 
 
 def are_all_users_on_domain(txn, database_engine, domain):
diff --git a/synapse/storage/data_stores/__init__.py b/synapse/storage/data_stores/__init__.py
index 56094078ed..cb184a98cc 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/data_stores/__init__.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/data_stores/__init__.py
@@ -12,3 +12,15 @@
 # WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
+
+
+class DataStores(object):
+    """The various data stores.
+
+    These are low level interfaces to physical databases.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, main_store, db_conn, hs):
+        # Note we pass in the main store here as workers use a different main
+        # store.
+        self.main = main_store
diff --git a/synapse/storage/persist_events.py b/synapse/storage/persist_events.py
index cd445be670..9a63953d4d 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/persist_events.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/persist_events.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ from synapse.api.constants import EventTypes
 from synapse.logging.context import PreserveLoggingContext, make_deferred_yieldable
 from synapse.metrics.background_process_metrics import run_as_background_process
 from synapse.state import StateResolutionStore
+from synapse.storage.data_stores import DataStores
 from synapse.util.async_helpers import ObservableDeferred
 from synapse.util.metrics import Measure
 
@@ -171,12 +172,12 @@ class _EventPeristenceQueue(object):
 
 
 class EventsPersistenceStore(object):
-    def __init__(self, hs):
+    def __init__(self, hs, stores: DataStores):
         # We ultimately want to split out the state store from the main store,
         # so we use separate variables here even though they point to the same
         # store for now.
-        self.main_store = hs.get_datastore()
-        self.state_store = hs.get_datastore()
+        self.main_store = stores.main
+        self.state_store = stores.main
 
         self._clock = hs.get_clock()
         self.is_mine_id = hs.is_mine_id