diff --git a/src/actions/MatrixActionCreators.ts b/src/actions/MatrixActionCreators.ts
index 70b86f8ee5..72834782d6 100644
--- a/src/actions/MatrixActionCreators.ts
+++ b/src/actions/MatrixActionCreators.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 import { MatrixClient } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/client";
 import { MatrixEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event";
 import { Room } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room";
-import { EventTimeline } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event-timeline";
+import { IRoomTimelineData } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event-timeline-set";
 
 import dis from "../dispatcher/dispatcher";
 import { ActionPayload } from "../dispatcher/payloads";
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ function createRoomReceiptAction(matrixClient: MatrixClient, event: MatrixEvent,
 }
 
 /**
- * @typedef RoomTimelineAction
+ * @typedef IRoomTimelineActionPayload
  * @type {Object}
  * @property {string} action 'MatrixActions.Room.timeline'.
  * @property {boolean} isLiveEvent whether the event was attached to a
@@ -169,6 +169,13 @@ function createRoomReceiptAction(matrixClient: MatrixClient, event: MatrixEvent,
  * event was attached to a timeline in the set of unfiltered timelines.
  * @property {Room} room the Room whose tags changed.
  */
+export interface IRoomTimelineActionPayload extends Pick<ActionPayload, "action"> {
+    action: 'MatrixActions.Room.timeline';
+    event: MatrixEvent;
+    room: Room | null;
+    isLiveEvent?: boolean;
+    isLiveUnfilteredRoomTimelineEvent: boolean;
+}
 
 /**
  * Create a MatrixActions.Room.timeline action that represents a
@@ -177,7 +184,7 @@ function createRoomReceiptAction(matrixClient: MatrixClient, event: MatrixEvent,
  *
  * @param {MatrixClient} matrixClient the matrix client.
  * @param {MatrixEvent} timelineEvent the event that was added/removed.
- * @param {Room} room the Room that was stored.
+ * @param {?Room} room the Room that was stored.
  * @param {boolean} toStartOfTimeline whether the event is being added
  * to the start (and not the end) of the timeline.
  * @param {boolean} removed whether the event was removed from the
@@ -186,25 +193,22 @@ function createRoomReceiptAction(matrixClient: MatrixClient, event: MatrixEvent,
  * @param {boolean} data.liveEvent whether the event is a live event,
  * belonging to a live timeline.
  * @param {EventTimeline} data.timeline the timeline being altered.
- * @returns {RoomTimelineAction} an action of type `MatrixActions.Room.timeline`.
+ * @returns {IRoomTimelineActionPayload} an action of type `MatrixActions.Room.timeline`.
  */
 function createRoomTimelineAction(
     matrixClient: MatrixClient,
     timelineEvent: MatrixEvent,
-    room: Room,
+    room: Room | null,
     toStartOfTimeline: boolean,
     removed: boolean,
-    data: {
-        liveEvent: boolean;
-        timeline: EventTimeline;
-    },
-): ActionPayload {
+    data: IRoomTimelineData,
+): IRoomTimelineActionPayload {
     return {
         action: 'MatrixActions.Room.timeline',
         event: timelineEvent,
         isLiveEvent: data.liveEvent,
-        isLiveUnfilteredRoomTimelineEvent:
-            room && data.timeline.getTimelineSet() === room.getUnfilteredTimelineSet(),
+        isLiveUnfilteredRoomTimelineEvent: room && data.timeline.getTimelineSet() === room.getUnfilteredTimelineSet(),
+        room,
     };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/autocomplete/UserProvider.tsx b/src/autocomplete/UserProvider.tsx
index 2c5241c519..ffad0d5d05 100644
--- a/src/autocomplete/UserProvider.tsx
+++ b/src/autocomplete/UserProvider.tsx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import { MatrixEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event";
 import { Room } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room";
 import { RoomMember } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room-member";
 import { RoomState } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room-state";
-import { EventTimeline } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event-timeline";
+import { IRoomTimelineData } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event-timeline-set";
 
 import { MatrixClientPeg } from '../MatrixClientPeg';
 import QueryMatcher from './QueryMatcher';
@@ -42,11 +42,6 @@ const USER_REGEX = /\B@\S*/g;
 // to allow you to tab-complete /mat into /(matthew)
 const FORCED_USER_REGEX = /[^/,:; \t\n]\S*/g;
 
-interface IRoomTimelineData {
-    timeline: EventTimeline;
-    liveEvent?: boolean;
-}
-
 export default class UserProvider extends AutocompleteProvider {
     matcher: QueryMatcher<RoomMember>;
     users: RoomMember[];
@@ -78,12 +73,12 @@ export default class UserProvider extends AutocompleteProvider {
 
     private onRoomTimeline = (
         ev: MatrixEvent,
-        room: Room,
+        room: Room | null,
         toStartOfTimeline: boolean,
         removed: boolean,
         data: IRoomTimelineData,
     ) => {
-        if (!room) return;
+        if (!room) return; // notification timeline, we'll get this event again with a room specific timeline
         if (removed) return;
         if (room.roomId !== this.room.roomId) return;
 
diff --git a/src/components/structures/FilePanel.tsx b/src/components/structures/FilePanel.tsx
index c77734db39..4062182266 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/FilePanel.tsx
+++ b/src/components/structures/FilePanel.tsx
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 import React from 'react';
 import { Filter } from 'matrix-js-sdk/src/filter';
-import { EventTimelineSet } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event-timeline-set";
+import { EventTimelineSet, IRoomTimelineData } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event-timeline-set";
 import { Direction } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event-timeline";
 import { MatrixEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event";
 import { Room } from 'matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room';
@@ -62,7 +62,13 @@ class FilePanel extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
         timelineSet: null,
     };
 
-    private onRoomTimeline = (ev: MatrixEvent, room: Room, toStartOfTimeline: true, removed: true, data: any): void => {
+    private onRoomTimeline = (
+        ev: MatrixEvent,
+        room: Room | null,
+        toStartOfTimeline: boolean,
+        removed: boolean,
+        data: IRoomTimelineData,
+    ): void => {
         if (room?.roomId !== this.props?.roomId) return;
         if (toStartOfTimeline || !data || !data.liveEvent || ev.isRedacted()) return;
 
diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx b/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx
index f72b65a943..5eb9ec65db 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx
@@ -934,10 +934,10 @@ export class RoomView extends React.Component<IRoomProps, IRoomState> {
         }
     };
 
-    private onRoomTimeline = (ev: MatrixEvent, room: Room, toStartOfTimeline: boolean, removed, data) => {
+    private onRoomTimeline = (ev: MatrixEvent, room: Room | null, toStartOfTimeline: boolean, removed, data) => {
         if (this.unmounted) return;
 
-        // ignore events for other rooms
+        // ignore events for other rooms or the notification timeline set
         if (!room || room.roomId !== this.state.room?.roomId) return;
 
         // ignore events from filtered timelines
diff --git a/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.tsx b/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.tsx
index 1a4fbc88af..e9ed951f42 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.tsx
+++ b/src/components/structures/TimelinePanel.tsx
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@ import React, { createRef, ReactNode, SyntheticEvent } from 'react';
 import ReactDOM from "react-dom";
 import { NotificationCountType, Room } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room";
 import { MatrixEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event";
-import { EventTimelineSet } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event-timeline-set";
+import { EventTimelineSet, IRoomTimelineData } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event-timeline-set";
 import { Direction, EventTimeline } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event-timeline";
 import { TimelineWindow } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/timeline-window";
 import { EventType, RelationType } from 'matrix-js-sdk/src/@types/event';
 import { SyncState } from 'matrix-js-sdk/src/sync';
-import { RoomMember } from 'matrix-js-sdk';
+import { RoomMember } from 'matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room-member';
 import { debounce } from 'lodash';
 import { logger } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/logger";
 
@@ -526,13 +526,10 @@ class TimelinePanel extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
 
     private onRoomTimeline = (
         ev: MatrixEvent,
-        room: Room,
+        room: Room | null,
         toStartOfTimeline: boolean,
         removed: boolean,
-        data: {
-            timeline: EventTimeline;
-            liveEvent?: boolean;
-        },
+        data: IRoomTimelineData,
     ): void => {
         // ignore events for other timeline sets
         if (data.timeline.getTimelineSet() !== this.props.timelineSet) return;
diff --git a/src/components/views/avatars/DecoratedRoomAvatar.tsx b/src/components/views/avatars/DecoratedRoomAvatar.tsx
index 6ba507c0cc..11aaa40acb 100644
--- a/src/components/views/avatars/DecoratedRoomAvatar.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/avatars/DecoratedRoomAvatar.tsx
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ import classNames from "classnames";
 import { Room } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room";
 import { User } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/user";
 import { MatrixEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event";
+import { EventType } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/@types/event";
+import { JoinRule } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/@types/partials";
 
 import RoomAvatar from "./RoomAvatar";
 import NotificationBadge from '../rooms/NotificationBadge';
@@ -92,9 +94,9 @@ export default class DecoratedRoomAvatar extends React.PureComponent<IProps, ISt
     }
 
     private get isPublicRoom(): boolean {
-        const joinRules = this.props.room.currentState.getStateEvents("m.room.join_rules", "");
+        const joinRules = this.props.room.currentState.getStateEvents(EventType.RoomJoinRules, "");
         const joinRule = joinRules && joinRules.getContent().join_rule;
-        return joinRule === 'public';
+        return joinRule === JoinRule.Public;
     }
 
     private get dmUser(): User {
@@ -114,14 +116,11 @@ export default class DecoratedRoomAvatar extends React.PureComponent<IProps, ISt
         }
     }
 
-    private onRoomTimeline = (ev: MatrixEvent, room: Room) => {
+    private onRoomTimeline = (ev: MatrixEvent, room: Room | null) => {
         if (this.isUnmounted) return;
+        if (this.props.room.roomId !== room?.roomId) return;
 
-        // apparently these can happen?
-        if (!room) return;
-        if (this.props.room.roomId !== room.roomId) return;
-
-        if (ev.getType() === 'm.room.join_rules' || ev.getType() === 'm.room.member') {
+        if (ev.getType() === EventType.RoomJoinRules || ev.getType() === EventType.RoomMember) {
             const newIcon = this.calculateIcon();
             if (newIcon !== this.state.icon) {
                 this.setState({ icon: newIcon });
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/WhoIsTypingTile.tsx b/src/components/views/rooms/WhoIsTypingTile.tsx
index a84d3b8323..0f5604e4d6 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/WhoIsTypingTile.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/WhoIsTypingTile.tsx
@@ -91,8 +91,8 @@ export default class WhoIsTypingTile extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
         return WhoIsTypingTile.isVisible(this.state);
     };
 
-    private onRoomTimeline = (event: MatrixEvent, room: Room): void => {
-        if (room?.roomId === this.props.room?.roomId) {
+    private onRoomTimeline = (event: MatrixEvent, room: Room | null): void => {
+        if (room?.roomId === this.props.room.roomId) {
             const userId = event.getSender();
             // remove user from usersTyping
             const usersTyping = this.state.usersTyping.filter((m) => m.userId !== userId);
diff --git a/src/indexing/EventIndex.ts b/src/indexing/EventIndex.ts
index 39533a713e..75a5ede857 100644
--- a/src/indexing/EventIndex.ts
+++ b/src/indexing/EventIndex.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import { RoomMember } from 'matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room-member';
 import { Direction, EventTimeline } from 'matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event-timeline';
 import { Room } from 'matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room';
 import { MatrixEvent } from 'matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event';
-import { EventTimelineSet } from 'matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event-timeline-set';
+import { EventTimelineSet, IRoomTimelineData } from 'matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event-timeline-set';
 import { RoomState } from 'matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room-state';
 import { TimelineIndex, TimelineWindow } from 'matrix-js-sdk/src/timeline-window';
 import { sleep } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/utils";
@@ -187,17 +187,17 @@ export default class EventIndex extends EventEmitter {
      */
     private onRoomTimeline = async (
         ev: MatrixEvent,
-        room: Room,
+        room: Room | null,
         toStartOfTimeline: boolean,
         removed: boolean,
-        data: {
-            liveEvent: boolean;
-        },
+        data: IRoomTimelineData,
     ) => {
+        if (!room) return; // notification timeline, we'll get this event again with a room specific timeline
+
         const client = MatrixClientPeg.get();
 
         // We only index encrypted rooms locally.
-        if (!client.isRoomEncrypted(room.roomId)) return;
+        if (!client.isRoomEncrypted(ev.getRoomId())) return;
 
         if (ev.isRedaction()) {
             return this.redactEvent(ev);
diff --git a/src/stores/notifications/RoomNotificationState.ts b/src/stores/notifications/RoomNotificationState.ts
index b4a0b19cb4..782b86e4a5 100644
--- a/src/stores/notifications/RoomNotificationState.ts
+++ b/src/stores/notifications/RoomNotificationState.ts
@@ -71,10 +71,8 @@ export class RoomNotificationState extends NotificationState implements IDestroy
         this.updateNotificationState();
     };
 
-    private handleRoomEventUpdate = (event: MatrixEvent) => {
-        const roomId = event.getRoomId();
-
-        if (roomId !== this.room.roomId) return; // ignore - not for us
+    private handleRoomEventUpdate = (event: MatrixEvent, room: Room | null) => {
+        if (room?.roomId !== this.room.roomId) return; // ignore - not for us or notifications timeline
         this.updateNotificationState();
     };
 
diff --git a/src/stores/room-list/RoomListStore.ts b/src/stores/room-list/RoomListStore.ts
index d639b76c2b..8488e31506 100644
--- a/src/stores/room-list/RoomListStore.ts
+++ b/src/stores/room-list/RoomListStore.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import { SpaceWatcher } from "./SpaceWatcher";
 import SpaceStore from "../spaces/SpaceStore";
 import { Action } from "../../dispatcher/actions";
 import { SettingUpdatedPayload } from "../../dispatcher/payloads/SettingUpdatedPayload";
+import { IRoomTimelineActionPayload } from "../../actions/MatrixActionCreators";
 
 interface IState {
     tagsEnabled?: boolean;
@@ -239,15 +240,22 @@ export class RoomListStoreClass extends AsyncStoreWithClient<IState> {
             await this.handleRoomUpdate(roomPayload.room, RoomUpdateCause.PossibleTagChange);
             this.updateFn.trigger();
         } else if (payload.action === 'MatrixActions.Room.timeline') {
-            const eventPayload = (<any>payload); // TODO: Type out the dispatcher types
+            const eventPayload = <IRoomTimelineActionPayload>payload;
 
-            // Ignore non-live events (backfill)
-            if (!eventPayload.isLiveEvent || !payload.isLiveUnfilteredRoomTimelineEvent) return;
+            // Ignore non-live events (backfill) and notification timeline set events (without a room)
+            if (!eventPayload.isLiveEvent ||
+                !eventPayload.isLiveUnfilteredRoomTimelineEvent ||
+                !eventPayload.room
+            ) {
+                return;
+            }
 
             const roomId = eventPayload.event.getRoomId();
             const room = this.matrixClient.getRoom(roomId);
             const tryUpdate = async (updatedRoom: Room) => {
-                if (eventPayload.event.getType() === 'm.room.tombstone' && eventPayload.event.getStateKey() === '') {
+                if (eventPayload.event.getType() === EventType.RoomTombstone &&
+                    eventPayload.event.getStateKey() === ''
+                ) {
                     const newRoom = this.matrixClient.getRoom(eventPayload.event.getContent()['replacement_room']);
                     if (newRoom) {
                         // If we have the new room, then the new room check will have seen the predecessor