diff --git a/synapse/app/synchrotron.py b/synapse/app/synchrotron.py
index 82f06ea185ed2ac44314fd2769ed0c2d1ac69561..3cade3c68ebe9a5cbf75ed4c137fa41d074a632e 100644
--- a/synapse/app/synchrotron.py
+++ b/synapse/app/synchrotron.py
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ class SynchrotronPresence(object):
         logger.info("Presence process_id is %r", self.process_id)
 
     def send_user_sync(self, user_id, is_syncing, last_sync_ms):
+        return
         self.hs.get_tcp_replication().send_user_sync(user_id, is_syncing, last_sync_ms)
 
     def mark_as_coming_online(self, user_id):
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/initial_sync.py b/synapse/handlers/initial_sync.py
index 71af86fe2131eda9da3d2dfb5cf5a9764696a594..5242309c1eab1624dd8901cd7497b734a7379e1d 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/initial_sync.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/initial_sync.py
@@ -373,6 +373,7 @@ class InitialSyncHandler(BaseHandler):
 
         @defer.inlineCallbacks
         def get_presence():
+            defer.returnValue([])
             states = yield presence_handler.get_states(
                 [m.user_id for m in room_members],
                 as_event=True,
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/presence.py b/synapse/handlers/presence.py
index 7fe568132fb854773476657cd4b2b5427e617937..c7336020a2531c81a8a0a6374742da445ee8763f 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/presence.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/presence.py
@@ -391,6 +391,7 @@ class PresenceHandler(object):
         """We've seen the user do something that indicates they're interacting
         with the app.
         """
+        return
         user_id = user.to_string()
 
         bump_active_time_counter.inc()
@@ -420,6 +421,7 @@ class PresenceHandler(object):
                 Useful for streams that are not associated with an actual
                 client that is being used by a user.
         """
+        affect_presence = False
         if affect_presence:
             curr_sync = self.user_to_num_current_syncs.get(user_id, 0)
             self.user_to_num_current_syncs[user_id] = curr_sync + 1
@@ -465,6 +467,7 @@ class PresenceHandler(object):
         Returns:
             set(str): A set of user_id strings.
         """
+        return set()
         syncing_user_ids = {
             user_id for user_id, count in self.user_to_num_current_syncs.items()
             if count
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/sync.py b/synapse/handlers/sync.py
index 51ec727df065f2f8ca54d2c196182da29ffed396..1e8a50514b45c8dc11a7c650812e0b3d443cca34 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/sync.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/sync.py
@@ -620,7 +620,7 @@ class SyncHandler(object):
             since_token is None and
             sync_config.filter_collection.blocks_all_presence()
         )
-        if not block_all_presence_data:
+        if False and not block_all_presence_data:
             yield self._generate_sync_entry_for_presence(
                 sync_result_builder, newly_joined_rooms, newly_joined_users
             )
diff --git a/synapse/rest/client/v1/presence.py b/synapse/rest/client/v1/presence.py
index 647994bd53da9770e96ef3b95c4c678f80be1b21..a975666d128598b1ffa42c21a5b1de7cf998292c 100644
--- a/synapse/rest/client/v1/presence.py
+++ b/synapse/rest/client/v1/presence.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ class PresenceStatusRestServlet(ClientV1RestServlet):
         except Exception:
             raise SynapseError(400, "Unable to parse state")
 
-        yield self.presence_handler.set_state(user, state)
+        # yield self.presence_handler.set_state(user, state)
 
         defer.returnValue((200, {}))
 
diff --git a/tests/rest/client/v1/test_rooms.py b/tests/rest/client/v1/test_rooms.py
index 61d737725be7b7758e593af5d496e83616ce19f5..5bc0ba19347c404a1f7b8c7106409c0ccee0b901 100644
--- a/tests/rest/client/v1/test_rooms.py
+++ b/tests/rest/client/v1/test_rooms.py
@@ -984,11 +984,13 @@ class RoomInitialSyncTestCase(RestTestCase):
 
         self.assertTrue("presence" in response)
 
-        presence_by_user = {
-            e["content"]["user_id"]: e for e in response["presence"]
-        }
-        self.assertTrue(self.user_id in presence_by_user)
-        self.assertEquals("m.presence", presence_by_user[self.user_id]["type"])
+        # presence is turned off on hotfixes
+
+        # presence_by_user = {
+        #     e["content"]["user_id"]: e for e in response["presence"]
+        # }
+        # self.assertTrue(self.user_id in presence_by_user)
+        # self.assertEquals("m.presence", presence_by_user[self.user_id]["type"])
 
 
 class RoomMessageListTestCase(RestTestCase):