diff --git a/synapse/handlers/federation.py b/synapse/handlers/federation.py
index 0425380e55..32d7ba6cf5 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/federation.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/federation.py
@@ -881,7 +881,7 @@ class FederationHandler(BaseHandler):
         #   join of the server where we are allowed to see the join event but
         #   not anything before it.
 
-        forward_events = yield self.store.get_forward_events(
+        forward_events = yield self.store.get_successor_events(
             list(extremities),
         )
 
diff --git a/synapse/storage/event_federation.py b/synapse/storage/event_federation.py
index 830b171caa..a8d90456e3 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/event_federation.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/event_federation.py
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ class EventFederationWorkerStore(EventsWorkerStore, SignatureWorkerStore,
         return event_results
 
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
-    def get_forward_events(self, event_ids):
+    def get_successor_events(self, event_ids):
         """Fetch all events that have the given events as a prev event
 
         Args:
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ class EventFederationWorkerStore(EventsWorkerStore, SignatureWorkerStore,
             column="prev_event_id",
             iterable=event_ids,
             retcols=("event_id",),
-            desc="get_forward_events"
+            desc="get_successor_events"
         )
 
         defer.returnValue([