diff --git a/.github/workflows/beeper-ci.yml b/.github/workflows/beeper-ci.yml
index 546219183361..abc88f914777 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/beeper-ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/beeper-ci.yml
@@ -82,9 +82,11 @@ jobs:
           sudo apt-get install -qqy libolm3 libolm-dev
           go install -v github.com/gotesttools/gotestfmt/v2/cmd/gotestfmt@latest
       - name: Run Complement
-        run: ./scripts-dev/complement.sh
+        run: ./scripts-dev/complement.sh -timeout 2h
         env:
           COMPLEMENT_DIR: complement
+          WORKERS: 1
+          POSTGRES: 1
 
   # Builds
 
diff --git a/docker/complement/conf/start_for_complement.sh b/docker/complement/conf/start_for_complement.sh
index 5560ab8b95a8..8c8f12ac92e6 100755
--- a/docker/complement/conf/start_for_complement.sh
+++ b/docker/complement/conf/start_for_complement.sh
@@ -69,7 +69,8 @@ if [[ -n "$SYNAPSE_COMPLEMENT_USE_WORKERS" ]]; then
   fi
   log "Workers requested: $SYNAPSE_WORKER_TYPES"
   # Improve startup times by using a launcher based on fork()
-  export SYNAPSE_USE_EXPERIMENTAL_FORKING_LAUNCHER=1
+  # NOTE: does not work with Beeper changes (external_sharded_cache)
+  # export SYNAPSE_USE_EXPERIMENTAL_FORKING_LAUNCHER=1
 else
   # Empty string here means 'main process only'
   export SYNAPSE_WORKER_TYPES=""
diff --git a/synapse/push/httppusher.py b/synapse/push/httppusher.py
index 25914340515f..8c8c221a66c5 100644
--- a/synapse/push/httppusher.py
+++ b/synapse/push/httppusher.py
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ async def dispatch_push_event(
             rejected push keys otherwise. If this array is empty, the push fully
             succeeded.
         """
-        priority = "low"
+        priority = "high"  # Beeper: always use high priority notifications
         if (
             event.type == EventTypes.Encrypted
             or tweaks.get("highlight")
diff --git a/synapse/replication/tcp/external_sharded_cache.py b/synapse/replication/tcp/external_sharded_cache.py
index 87f01e3d0fe2..15eba348378e 100644
--- a/synapse/replication/tcp/external_sharded_cache.py
+++ b/synapse/replication/tcp/external_sharded_cache.py
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 
 from synapse.logging import opentracing
 from synapse.logging.context import make_deferred_yieldable, run_in_background
-from synapse.replication.tcp.redis import lazyConnection
 from synapse.util import unwrapFirstError
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
@@ -82,6 +81,9 @@ def __init__(self, hs: "HomeServer"):
         self._reactor = hs.get_reactor()
 
         if hs.config.redis.redis_enabled and hs.config.redis.cache_shard_hosts:
+            # Only import this if we're going to use it, as it can raise an AttributeError when using the forking launcher
+            from synapse.replication.tcp.redis import lazyConnection
+
             for shard in hs.config.redis.cache_shard_hosts:
                 logger.info(
                     "Connecting to redis (host=%r port=%r) for external cache",