diff --git a/metrics/timescaledb/writer.py b/metrics/timescaledb/writer.py
index 2b38e08d..085459b2 100644
--- a/metrics/timescaledb/writer.py
+++ b/metrics/timescaledb/writer.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 from sqlalchemy import create_engine, inspect, schema, text
 from sqlalchemy.dialects.postgresql import insert
 
+from ..tools.iter import batched
+
 
 log = structlog.get_logger()
 
@@ -31,14 +33,13 @@ def ensure_table(engine, table):
 
 
 class TimescaleDBWriter:
-    inserts = []
-
     def __init__(self, table, engine=None):
         if engine is None:
             engine = create_engine(TIMESCALEDB_URL)
 
         self.engine = engine
         self.table = table
+        self.values = []
 
     def __enter__(self):
         ensure_table(self.engine, self.table)
@@ -46,30 +47,30 @@ def __enter__(self):
         return self
 
     def __exit__(self, *args):
+        # get the primary key name from the given table
+        constraint = inspect(self.engine).get_pk_constraint(self.table.name)["name"]
+
         with self.engine.begin() as connection:
-            for stmt in self.inserts:
-                connection.execute(stmt)
+            # batch our values (which are currently 5 item dicts) so we don't
+            # hit the 65535 params limit
+            for values in batched(self.values, 10_000):
+                stmt = insert(self.table).values(values)
+
+                # use the constraint for this table to drive upserting where the
+                # new value (excluded.value) is used to update the row
+                do_update_stmt = stmt.on_conflict_do_update(
+                    constraint=constraint,
+                    set_={"value": stmt.excluded.value},
+                )
+
+                connection.execute(do_update_stmt)
+                log.info("Inserted %s rows", len(values), table=self.table.name)
 
     def write(self, date, value, **kwargs):
         # convert date to a timestamp
         # TODO: do we need to do any checking to make sure this is tz-aware and in
         # UTC?
         dt = datetime.combine(date, time())
+        value = {"time": dt, "value": value, **kwargs}
 
-        # get the primary key name from the given table
-        constraint = inspect(self.engine).get_pk_constraint(self.table.name)["name"]
-
-        # TODO: could we put do all the rows at once in the values() call and
-        # then use EXCLUDED to reference the value in the set_?
-        insert_stmt = (
-            insert(self.table)
-            .values(time=dt, value=value, **kwargs)
-            .on_conflict_do_update(
-                constraint=constraint,
-                set_={"value": value},
-            )
-        )
-
-        self.inserts.append(insert_stmt)
-
-        log.debug(insert_stmt)
+        self.values.append(value)
diff --git a/metrics/tools/iter.py b/metrics/tools/iter.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bafd23b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metrics/tools/iter.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import itertools
+
+
+def batched(iterable, n):
+    """
+    Backport of 3.12's itertools.batched
+
+    https://docs.python.org/3/library/itertools.html#itertools.batched
+
+    batched('ABCDEFG', 3) --> ABC DEF G
+    """
+    it = iter(iterable)
+    while batch := tuple(itertools.islice(it, n)):
+        yield batch
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 547d08d7..c0c5896f 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import pytest
-from sqlalchemy import create_engine
+from sqlalchemy import create_engine, inspect
 from sqlalchemy.engine import make_url
 from sqlalchemy_utils import create_database, database_exists, drop_database
 
@@ -23,3 +23,11 @@ def engine():
 
     # drop the database on test suite exit
     drop_database(url)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def has_table(engine):
+    def checker(table_name):
+        return inspect(engine).has_table(table_name)
+
+    return checker
diff --git a/tests/metrics/timescaledb/test_writer.py b/tests/metrics/timescaledb/test_writer.py
index 6a4e5903..e344c5ba 100644
--- a/tests/metrics/timescaledb/test_writer.py
+++ b/tests/metrics/timescaledb/test_writer.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from datetime import date
 
 import pytest
-from sqlalchemy import TIMESTAMP, Column, Integer, Table, inspect, select, text
+from sqlalchemy import TIMESTAMP, Column, Integer, Table, select, text
 from sqlalchemy.engine import make_url
 
 from metrics.timescaledb.tables import metadata
@@ -43,15 +43,15 @@ def table():
     )
 
 
-def test_timescaledbwriter(engine, table):
+def test_timescaledbwriter(engine, has_table, table):
     # check ensure_table is setting up the table
-    assert not inspect(engine).has_table(table.name)
+    assert not has_table(table.name)
 
     with TimescaleDBWriter(table, engine) as writer:
         for i in range(1, 4):
             writer.write(date(2023, 11, i), i)
 
-    assert inspect(engine).has_table(table.name)
+    assert has_table(table.name)
 
     # check there are timescaledb child tables
     # https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1461722/how-to-find-child-tables-that-inherit-from-another-table-in-psql