diff --git a/hc/api/tests/test_notify_rocketchat.py b/hc/api/tests/test_notify_rocketchat.py
index 70ee112d..91580775 100644
--- a/hc/api/tests/test_notify_rocketchat.py
+++ b/hc/api/tests/test_notify_rocketchat.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ from hc.api.models import Channel, Check, Flip, Notification, Ping
 from hc.test import BaseTestCase
 
 
+@patch("hc.api.transports.close_old_connections", Mock())
 class NotifyRocketChatTestCase(BaseTestCase):
     def setUp(self) -> None:
         super().setUp()
diff --git a/hc/api/transports.py b/hc/api/transports.py
index 47832226..014d72ac 100644
--- a/hc/api/transports.py
+++ b/hc/api/transports.py
@@ -808,6 +808,9 @@ class RocketChat(HttpTransport):
     def notify(self, flip: Flip, notification: Notification) -> None:
         if not settings.ROCKETCHAT_ENABLED:
             raise TransportError("Rocket.Chat notifications are not enabled.")
+
+        # Give up database connection before potentially long network IO:
+        close_old_connections()
         self.post(self.channel.value, json=self.payload(flip))