2 files changed, 25 insertions, 3 deletions
diff --git a/synapse/config/registration.py b/synapse/config/registration.py
index 693288f938..aad3400819 100644
--- a/synapse/config/registration.py
+++ b/synapse/config/registration.py
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ class AccountValidityConfig(Config):
             else:
                 self.renew_email_subject = "Renew your %(app)s account"
 
+            self.startup_job_max_delta = self.period * 10. / 100.
+
         if self.renew_by_email_enabled and "public_baseurl" not in synapse_config:
             raise ConfigError("Can't send renewal emails without 'public_baseurl'")
 
@@ -129,7 +131,9 @@ class RegistrationConfig(Config):
         # This means that, if a validity period is set, and Synapse is restarted (it will
         # then derive an expiration date from the current validity period), and some time
         # after that the validity period changes and Synapse is restarted, the users'
-        # expiration dates won't be updated unless their account is manually renewed.
+        # expiration dates won't be updated unless their account is manually renewed. This
+        # date will be randomly selected within a range [now + period - d ; now + period],
+        # where d is equal to 10%% of the validity period.
         #
         #account_validity:
         #  enabled: True
diff --git a/synapse/storage/_base.py b/synapse/storage/_base.py
index 3fe827cd43..52891bb9eb 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/_base.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/_base.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 import itertools
 import logging
+import random
 import sys
 import threading
 import time
@@ -247,6 +248,8 @@ class SQLBaseStore(object):
                 self._check_safe_to_upsert,
             )
 
+        self.rand = random.SystemRandom()
+
         if self._account_validity.enabled:
             self._clock.call_later(
                 0.0,
@@ -308,21 +311,36 @@ class SQLBaseStore(object):
             res = self.cursor_to_dict(txn)
             if res:
                 for user in res:
-                    self.set_expiration_date_for_user_txn(txn, user["name"])
+                    self.set_expiration_date_for_user_txn(
+                        txn,
+                        user["name"],
+                        use_delta=True,
+                    )
 
         yield self.runInteraction(
             "get_users_with_no_expiration_date",
             select_users_with_no_expiration_date_txn,
         )
 
-    def set_expiration_date_for_user_txn(self, txn, user_id):
+    def set_expiration_date_for_user_txn(self, txn, user_id, use_delta=False):
         """Sets an expiration date to the account with the given user ID.
 
         Args:
              user_id (str): User ID to set an expiration date for.
+             use_delta (bool): If set to False, the expiration date for the user will be
+                now + validity period. If set to True, this expiration date will be a
+                random value in the [now + period - d ; now + period] range, d being a
+                delta equal to 10% of the validity period.
         """
         now_ms = self._clock.time_msec()
         expiration_ts = now_ms + self._account_validity.period
+
+        if use_delta:
+            expiration_ts = self.rand.randrange(
+                expiration_ts - self._account_validity.startup_job_max_delta,
+                expiration_ts,
+            )
+
         self._simple_insert_txn(
             txn,
             "account_validity",