diff --git a/carstore/scylla.go b/carstore/scylla.go
index 8f872c02..17598419 100644
--- a/carstore/scylla.go
+++ b/carstore/scylla.go
@@ -154,6 +154,8 @@ func (sqs *ScyllaStore) writeNewShard(ctx context.Context, root cid.Cid, rev str
 
 	span.SetAttributes(attribute.Int("blocks", len(blks)))
 
+	batch := sqs.WriteSession.NewBatch(gocql.LoggedBatch)
+
 	for bcid, block := range blks {
 		// build shard for output firehose
 		nw, err := LdWrite(buf, bcid.Bytes(), block.RawData())
@@ -165,15 +167,17 @@ func (sqs *ScyllaStore) writeNewShard(ctx context.Context, root cid.Cid, rev str
 		// TODO: scylla BATCH doesn't apply if the batch crosses partition keys; BUT, we may be able to send many blocks concurrently?
 		dbcid := bcid.Bytes()
 		blockbytes := block.RawData()
-		// we're relying on cql auto-prepare, no 'PreparedStatement'
-		err = sqs.WriteSession.Query(
-			`INSERT INTO blocks (uid, cid, rev, root, block) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?)`,
-			user, dbcid, rev, dbroot, blockbytes,
-		).Idempotent(true).Exec()
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("(uid,cid) block store failed, %w", err)
-		}
-		sqs.log.Debug("put block", "uid", user, "cid", bcid, "size", len(blockbytes))
+
+		batch.Entries = append(batch.Entries, gocql.BatchEntry{
+			Stmt:       `INSERT INTO blocks (uid, cid, rev, root, block) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?)`,
+			Args:       []interface{}{user, dbcid, rev, dbroot, blockbytes},
+			Idempotent: true,
+		})
+	}
+
+	err = sqs.WriteSession.ExecuteBatch(batch)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to write batch uid=%d: %w", user, err)
 	}
 
 	shard := CarShard{