diff --git a/electrum/onion_message.py b/electrum/onion_message.py
index b01fd90d2..f043fca58 100644
--- a/electrum/onion_message.py
+++ b/electrum/onion_message.py
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import asyncio
 import copy
 import io
 import os
-import queue
 import threading
 import time
 from random import random
@@ -402,10 +401,8 @@ class OnionMessageManager(Logger):
 
         self.pending = {}
         self.pending_lock = threading.Lock()
-        self.requestreply_queue = queue.PriorityQueue()
-        self.requestreply_queue_notempty = asyncio.Event()
-        self.forwardqueue = queue.PriorityQueue()
-        self.forwardqueue_notempty = asyncio.Event()
+        self.requestreply_queue = asyncio.PriorityQueue()
+        self.forwardqueue = asyncio.PriorityQueue()
 
     def start_network(self, *, network: 'Network'):
         assert network
@@ -430,14 +427,7 @@ class OnionMessageManager(Logger):
 
     async def process_forward_queue(self):
         while True:
-            try:
-                scheduled, expires, onion_packet, blinding, node_id = self.forwardqueue.get_nowait()
-            except queue.Empty:
-                self.logger.info(f'forward queue empty')
-                self.forwardqueue_notempty.clear()
-                await self.forwardqueue_notempty.wait()
-                continue
-
+            scheduled, expires, onion_packet, blinding, node_id = await self.forwardqueue.get()
             if expires <= now():
                 self.logger.debug(f'forward expired {node_id=}')
                 continue
@@ -472,21 +462,10 @@ class OnionMessageManager(Logger):
         expires = now() + self.FORWARD_RETRY_TIMEOUT
         queueitem = (now(), expires, onion_packet, blinding, node_id)
         self.forwardqueue.put_nowait(queueitem)
-        self.forwardqueue_notempty.set()
 
     async def process_request_reply_queue(self):
         while True:
-            try:
-                scheduled, expires, key = self.requestreply_queue.get_nowait()
-            except queue.Empty:
-                self.logger.info(f'requestreply queue empty')
-                try:
-                    self.requestreply_queue_notempty.clear()
-                    await self.requestreply_queue_notempty.wait()  # NOTE: quirk, see note below
-                except Exception as e:
-                    self.logger.info(f'Exception e={e!r}')
-                continue
-
+            scheduled, expires, key = await self.requestreply_queue.get()
             requestreply = self.get_requestreply(key)
             if requestreply is None:
                 self.logger.debug(f'no data for key {key=}')
@@ -511,7 +490,6 @@ class OnionMessageManager(Logger):
                 self.logger.debug(f'error while sending {key=} {e!r}')
                 self._set_requestreply_result(key, copy.copy(e))
                 # NOTE: above, when passing the caught exception instance e directly it leads to GeneratorExit() in
-                # queue_notempty.wait() later (??). pass a copy instead.
                 if isinstance(e, NoRouteFound) and e.peer_address:
                     await self.lnwallet.add_peer(str(e.peer_address))
             else:
@@ -571,7 +549,6 @@ class OnionMessageManager(Logger):
         queueitem = (now(), expires, key)
         self.requestreply_queue.put_nowait(queueitem)
         task = asyncio.create_task(self._requestreply_task(key))
-        self.requestreply_queue_notempty.set()
         return task
 
     async def _requestreply_task(self, key):