diff --git a/htlcswitch/link.go b/htlcswitch/link.go
index d9ee8db3..974e3cc1 100644
--- a/htlcswitch/link.go
+++ b/htlcswitch/link.go
@@ -843,35 +843,51 @@ func (l *channelLink) fwdPkgGarbager() {
 	l.cfg.FwdPkgGCTicker.Resume()
 	defer l.cfg.FwdPkgGCTicker.Stop()
 
+	if err := l.loadAndRemove(); err != nil {
+		l.log.Warnf("unable to run initial fwd pkgs gc: %v", err)
+	}
+
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-l.cfg.FwdPkgGCTicker.Ticks():
-			fwdPkgs, err := l.channel.LoadFwdPkgs()
-			if err != nil {
-				l.log.Warnf("unable to load fwdpkgs for gc: %v",
+			if err := l.loadAndRemove(); err != nil {
+				l.log.Warnf("unable to remove fwd pkgs: %v",
 					err)
 				continue
 			}
-
-			// TODO(conner): batch removal of forward packages.
-			for _, fwdPkg := range fwdPkgs {
-				if fwdPkg.State != channeldb.FwdStateCompleted {
-					continue
-				}
-
-				err = l.channel.RemoveFwdPkgs(fwdPkg.Height)
-				if err != nil {
-					l.log.Warnf("unable to remove fwd pkg "+
-						"for height=%d: %v",
-						fwdPkg.Height, err)
-				}
-			}
 		case <-l.quit:
 			return
 		}
 	}
 }
 
+// loadAndRemove loads all the channels forwarding packages and determines if
+// they can be removed. It is called once before the FwdPkgGCTicker ticks so that
+// a longer tick interval can be used.
+func (l *channelLink) loadAndRemove() error {
+	fwdPkgs, err := l.channel.LoadFwdPkgs()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	var removeHeights []uint64
+	for _, fwdPkg := range fwdPkgs {
+		if fwdPkg.State != channeldb.FwdStateCompleted {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		removeHeights = append(removeHeights, fwdPkg.Height)
+	}
+
+	// If removeHeights is empty, return early so we don't use a db
+	// transaction.
+	if len(removeHeights) == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return l.channel.RemoveFwdPkgs(removeHeights...)
+}
+
 // htlcManager is the primary goroutine which drives a channel's commitment
 // update state-machine in response to messages received via several channels.
 // This goroutine reads messages from the upstream (remote) peer, and also from
diff --git a/peer/brontide.go b/peer/brontide.go
index e1ecaf88..cc637207 100644
--- a/peer/brontide.go
+++ b/peer/brontide.go
@@ -588,7 +588,7 @@ func (p *Brontide) addLink(chanPoint *wire.OutPoint,
 		OnChannelFailure:        onChannelFailure,
 		SyncStates:              syncStates,
 		BatchTicker:             ticker.New(50 * time.Millisecond),
-		FwdPkgGCTicker:          ticker.New(time.Minute),
+		FwdPkgGCTicker:          ticker.New(time.Hour),
 		PendingCommitTicker:     ticker.New(time.Minute),
 		BatchSize:               10,
 		UnsafeReplay:            p.cfg.UnsafeReplay,