diff --git a/lib/src/client.dart b/lib/src/client.dart
index 8910a6ed7..e8bc59e17 100644
--- a/lib/src/client.dart
+++ b/lib/src/client.dart
@@ -1741,6 +1741,8 @@ class Client extends MatrixApi {
         await processToDeviceQueue();
       } catch (_) {} // we want to dispose any errors this throws
 
+      await singleShotStaleCallChecker();
+
       _retryDelay = Future.value();
       onSyncStatus.add(SyncStatusUpdate(SyncStatus.finished));
     } on MatrixException catch (e, s) {
@@ -2148,6 +2150,9 @@ class Client extends MatrixApi {
     }
   }
 
+  /// stores when we last checked for stale calls
+  DateTime lastStaleCallRun = DateTime(0);
+
   Future<Room> _updateRoomsByRoomUpdate(
       String roomId, SyncRoomUpdate chatUpdate) async {
     // Update the chat list item.
@@ -2188,9 +2193,6 @@ class Client extends MatrixApi {
     }
     // If the membership is "leave" then remove the item and stop here
     else if (found && membership == Membership.leave) {
-      // stop stale group call checker for left room.
-      room.stopStaleCallsChecker(room.id);
-
       rooms.removeAt(roomIndex);
 
       // in order to keep the archive in sync, add left room to archive
diff --git a/lib/src/room.dart b/lib/src/room.dart
index d65d26901..3c3b24436 100644
--- a/lib/src/room.dart
+++ b/lib/src/room.dart
@@ -90,9 +90,6 @@ class Room {
   /// Key-Value store for private account data only visible for this user.
   Map<String, BasicRoomEvent> roomAccountData = {};
 
-  /// stores stale group call checking timers for rooms.
-  Map<String, Timer> staleGroupCallsTimer = {};
-
   final _sendingQueue = <Completer>[];
 
   Map<String, dynamic> toJson() => {
@@ -137,9 +134,6 @@ class Room {
         setState(state);
       }
     }
-    if (!isArchived) {
-      startStaleCallsChecker(id);
-    }
     partial = false;
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/src/voip/voip_room_extension.dart b/lib/src/voip/voip_room_extension.dart
index 707d84e07..c707222da 100644
--- a/lib/src/voip/voip_room_extension.dart
+++ b/lib/src/voip/voip_room_extension.dart
@@ -43,17 +43,6 @@ extension GroupCallUtils on Room {
     return [];
   }
 
-  /// stops the stale call checker timer
-  void stopStaleCallsChecker(String roomId) {
-    if (staleGroupCallsTimer.tryGet(roomId) != null) {
-      staleGroupCallsTimer[roomId]!.cancel();
-      staleGroupCallsTimer.remove(roomId);
-      Logs().d('[VOIP] stopped stale group calls checker for room $id');
-    } else {
-      Logs().d('[VOIP] no stale call checker for room found');
-    }
-  }
-
   static const staleCallCheckerDuration = Duration(seconds: 30);
 
   bool callMemberStateIsExpired(
@@ -89,23 +78,16 @@ extension GroupCallUtils on Room {
   }
 
   /// checks for stale calls in a room and sends `m.terminated` if all the
-  /// expires_ts are expired. Call when opening a room
-  void startStaleCallsChecker(String roomId) async {
-    stopStaleCallsChecker(roomId);
-    await singleShotStaleCallCheckerOnRoom();
-    staleGroupCallsTimer[roomId] = Timer.periodic(
-      staleCallCheckerDuration,
-      (timer) async => await singleShotStaleCallCheckerOnRoom(),
-    );
-  }
-
+  /// expires_ts are expired. Called regularly on sync.
   Future<void> singleShotStaleCallCheckerOnRoom() async {
-    Logs().d('[VOIP] checking for stale group calls in room $id');
-    // make sure we have all the to-device messages we are supposed to have
-    await client.oneShotSync();
+    if (partial) return;
+
     final copyGroupCallIds =
         states.tryGetMap<String, Event>(EventTypes.GroupCallPrefix);
     if (copyGroupCallIds == null) return;
+
+    Logs().d('[VOIP] checking for stale group calls in room $id');
+
     for (final groupCall in copyGroupCallIds.entries) {
       final groupCallId = groupCall.key;
       final groupCallEvent = groupCall.value;
@@ -165,3 +147,16 @@ extension GroupCallUtils on Room {
     }
   }
 }
+
+extension GroupCallClientUtils on Client {
+  // call after sync
+  Future<void> singleShotStaleCallChecker() async {
+    if (lastStaleCallRun
+        .add(GroupCallUtils.staleCallCheckerDuration)
+        .isBefore(DateTime.now())) {
+      await Future.wait(rooms
+          .where((r) => r.membership == Membership.join)
+          .map((r) => r.singleShotStaleCallCheckerOnRoom()));
+    }
+  }
+}