diff --git a/swh/storage/storage.py b/swh/storage/storage.py
--- a/swh/storage/storage.py
+++ b/swh/storage/storage.py
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 import json
 
 from collections import defaultdict
-from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 from typing import Any, Dict, Iterable, List, Optional, Union
 
@@ -185,43 +184,27 @@
 
     @timed
     @process_metrics
-    @db_transaction()
     def content_add(
-            self, content: Iterable[Content], db=None, cur=None) -> Dict:
+            self, content: Iterable[Content]) -> Dict:
         now = datetime.datetime.now(tz=datetime.timezone.utc)
         contents = [attr.evolve(c, ctime=now) for c in content]
 
-        missing = list(self.content_missing(
-            map(Content.to_dict, contents), key_hash='sha1_git',
-            db=db, cur=cur,
-        ))
-        contents = [c for c in contents if c.sha1_git in missing]
-
-        self.journal_writer.content_add(contents)
-
-        def add_to_objstorage():
-            """Add to objstorage the new missing_content
-
-            Returns:
-                Sum of all the content's data length pushed to the
-                objstorage. Content present twice is only sent once.
-
-            """
-            summary = self.objstorage.content_add(contents)
-            return summary['content:add:bytes']
-
-        with ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=1) as executor:
-            added_to_objstorage = executor.submit(add_to_objstorage)
+        objstorage_summary = self.objstorage.content_add(contents)
 
-            self._content_add_metadata(db, cur, contents)
+        with self.db() as db:
+            with db.transaction() as cur:
+                missing = list(self.content_missing(
+                    map(Content.to_dict, contents), key_hash='sha1_git',
+                    db=db, cur=cur,
+                ))
+                contents = [c for c in contents if c.sha1_git in missing]
 
-            # Wait for objstorage addition before returning from the
-            # transaction, bubbling up any exception
-            content_bytes_added = added_to_objstorage.result()
+                self.journal_writer.content_add(contents)
+                self._content_add_metadata(db, cur, contents)
 
         return {
             'content:add': len(contents),
-            'content:add:bytes': content_bytes_added,
+            'content:add:bytes': objstorage_summary['content:add:bytes'],
         }
 
     @timed