diff --git a/res/css/structures/_FilePanel.scss b/res/css/structures/_FilePanel.scss
index 703e90f402..87e885e668 100644
--- a/res/css/structures/_FilePanel.scss
+++ b/res/css/structures/_FilePanel.scss
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ limitations under the License.
     order: 2;
     flex: 1 1 0;
     overflow-y: auto;
+    display: flex;
 }
 
 .mx_FilePanel .mx_RoomView_messageListWrapper {
diff --git a/res/css/structures/_NotificationPanel.scss b/res/css/structures/_NotificationPanel.scss
index 78b3522d4e..c9e0261ec9 100644
--- a/res/css/structures/_NotificationPanel.scss
+++ b/res/css/structures/_NotificationPanel.scss
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ limitations under the License.
     order: 2;
     flex: 1 1 0;
     overflow-y: auto;
+    display: flex;
 }
 
 .mx_NotificationPanel .mx_RoomView_messageListWrapper {
diff --git a/src/components/structures/FilePanel.js b/src/components/structures/FilePanel.js
index c7e8295f80..f5a5912dd5 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/FilePanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/FilePanel.js
@@ -39,23 +39,10 @@ const FilePanel = createReactClass({
         };
     },
 
-    componentWillMount: function() {
+    componentDidMount: function() {
         this.updateTimelineSet(this.props.roomId);
     },
 
-    componentWillReceiveProps: function(nextProps) {
-        if (nextProps.roomId !== this.props.roomId) {
-            // otherwise we race between re-rendering the TimelinePanel and setting the new timelineSet.
-            //
-            // FIXME: this race only happens because of the promise returned by getOrCreateFilter().
-            // We should only need to create the containsUrl filter once per login session, so in practice
-            // it shouldn't be being done here at all.  Then we could just update the timelineSet directly
-            // without resetting it first, and speed up room-change.
-            this.setState({ timelineSet: null });
-            this.updateTimelineSet(nextProps.roomId);
-        }
-    },
-
     updateTimelineSet: function(roomId) {
         const client = MatrixClientPeg.get();
         const room = client.getRoom(roomId);
diff --git a/src/components/structures/ScrollPanel.js b/src/components/structures/ScrollPanel.js
index 32efad1e05..1d5c520285 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/ScrollPanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/ScrollPanel.js
@@ -759,8 +759,10 @@ module.exports = createReactClass({
     _getMessagesHeight() {
         const itemlist = this.refs.itemlist;
         const lastNode = itemlist.lastElementChild;
+        const lastNodeBottom = lastNode ? lastNode.offsetTop + lastNode.clientHeight : 0;
+        const firstNodeTop = itemlist.firstElementChild ? itemlist.firstElementChild.offsetTop : 0;
         // 18 is itemlist padding
-        return (lastNode.offsetTop + lastNode.clientHeight) - itemlist.firstElementChild.offsetTop + (18 * 2);
+        return lastNodeBottom - firstNodeTop + (18 * 2);
     },
 
     _topFromBottom(node) {