diff --git a/backend/common/src/either_sink.rs b/backend/common/src/either_sink.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e911af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/common/src/either_sink.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+use futures::sink::Sink;
+use pin_project_lite::pin_project;
+
+pin_project! {
+    #[project = EitherSinkInner]
+    pub enum EitherSink<A, B> {
+        A { #[pin] inner: A },
+        B { #[pin] inner: B }
+    }
+}
+
+/// A simple enum that delegates implementation to one of
+/// the two possible sinks contained within.
+impl <A, B> EitherSink<A, B> {
+    pub fn a(val: A) -> Self {
+        EitherSink::A { inner: val }
+    }
+    pub fn b(val: B) -> Self {
+        EitherSink::B { inner: val }
+    }
+}
+
+impl <Item, Error, A, B> Sink<Item> for EitherSink<A, B>
+where
+    A: Sink<Item, Error = Error>,
+    B: Sink<Item, Error = Error>
+{
+    type Error = Error;
+
+    fn poll_ready(self: std::pin::Pin<&mut Self>, cx: &mut std::task::Context<'_>) -> std::task::Poll<Result<(), Self::Error>> {
+        match self.project() {
+            EitherSinkInner::A{ inner } => inner.poll_ready(cx),
+            EitherSinkInner::B{ inner } => inner.poll_ready(cx)
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn start_send(self: std::pin::Pin<&mut Self>, item: Item) -> Result<(), Self::Error> {
+        match self.project() {
+            EitherSinkInner::A{ inner } => inner.start_send(item),
+            EitherSinkInner::B{ inner } => inner.start_send(item)
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn poll_flush(self: std::pin::Pin<&mut Self>, cx: &mut std::task::Context<'_>) -> std::task::Poll<Result<(), Self::Error>> {
+        match self.project() {
+            EitherSinkInner::A{ inner } => inner.poll_flush(cx),
+            EitherSinkInner::B{ inner } => inner.poll_flush(cx)
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn poll_close(self: std::pin::Pin<&mut Self>, cx: &mut std::task::Context<'_>) -> std::task::Poll<Result<(), Self::Error>> {
+        match self.project() {
+            EitherSinkInner::A{ inner } => inner.poll_close(cx),
+            EitherSinkInner::B{ inner } => inner.poll_close(cx)
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/backend/common/src/lib.rs b/backend/common/src/lib.rs
index f859036..cd7013b 100644
--- a/backend/common/src/lib.rs
+++ b/backend/common/src/lib.rs
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ mod dense_map;
 mod mean_list;
 mod most_seen;
 mod num_stats;
+mod either_sink;
 
 // Export a bunch of common bits at the top level for ease of import:
 pub use assign_id::AssignId;
@@ -37,3 +38,4 @@ pub use dense_map::DenseMap;
 pub use mean_list::MeanList;
 pub use most_seen::MostSeen;
 pub use num_stats::NumStats;
+pub use either_sink::EitherSink;
diff --git a/backend/telemetry_core/src/aggregator/aggregator_set.rs b/backend/telemetry_core/src/aggregator/aggregator_set.rs
index 334cc5d..fb07fc3 100644
--- a/backend/telemetry_core/src/aggregator/aggregator_set.rs
+++ b/backend/telemetry_core/src/aggregator/aggregator_set.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ use futures::{Sink, SinkExt, StreamExt};
 use inner_loop::FromShardWebsocket;
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering};
 use std::sync::Arc;
+use common::EitherSink;
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct AggregatorSet(Arc<AggregatorSetInner>);
@@ -19,6 +20,8 @@ impl AggregatorSet {
         num_aggregators: usize,
         denylist: Vec<String>,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<AggregatorSet> {
+        assert_ne!(num_aggregators, 0, "You must have 1 or more aggregator");
+
         let aggregators = futures::future::try_join_all(
             (0..num_aggregators).map(|_| Aggregator::spawn(denylist.clone())),
         )
@@ -35,6 +38,13 @@ impl AggregatorSet {
         &self,
     ) -> impl Sink<inner_loop::FromShardWebsocket, Error = anyhow::Error> + Send + Sync + Unpin + 'static
     {
+        // Special case 1 aggregator to avoid the extra indurection and so on
+        // if we don't actually need it.
+        if self.0.aggregators.len() == 1 {
+            let sub = self.0.aggregators[0].subscribe_shard();
+            return EitherSink::a(sub)
+        }
+
         let mut conns: Vec<_> = self
             .0
             .aggregators
@@ -57,7 +67,7 @@ impl AggregatorSet {
             }
         });
 
-        tx.sink_map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("{}", e))
+        EitherSink::b(tx.sink_map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("{}", e)))
     }
 
     /// Return a sink that a feed can send messages into to be handled by a single aggregator.