diff --git a/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js b/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
index 1453007b18..4bb4e34033 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
@@ -574,11 +574,8 @@ export default React.createClass({
                 const UserSettingsDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.UserSettingsDialog");
                 Modal.createTrackedDialog('User settings', '', UserSettingsDialog, {}, 'mx_SettingsDialog');
 
-                // View the home page if we need something to look at
-                if (!this.state.currentGroupId && !this.state.currentRoomId) {
-                    this._setPage(PageTypes.HomePage);
-                    this.notifyNewScreen('home');
-                }
+                // View the welcome or home page if we need something to look at
+                this._viewSomethingBehindModal();
                 break;
             }
             case 'view_create_room':
@@ -595,11 +592,8 @@ export default React.createClass({
                     config: this.props.config,
                 }, 'mx_RoomDirectory_dialogWrapper');
 
-                // View the home page if we need something to look at
-                if (!this.state.currentGroupId && !this.state.currentRoomId) {
-                    this._setPage(PageTypes.HomePage);
-                    this.notifyNewScreen('home');
-                }
+                // View the welcome or home page if we need something to look at
+                this._viewSomethingBehindModal();
             }
             break;
             case 'view_my_groups':
@@ -825,6 +819,7 @@ export default React.createClass({
         this.focusComposer = true;
 
         const newState = {
+            view: VIEWS.LOGGED_IN,
             currentRoomId: roomInfo.room_id || null,
             page_type: PageTypes.RoomView,
             thirdPartyInvite: roomInfo.third_party_invite,
@@ -887,6 +882,16 @@ export default React.createClass({
         this.notifyNewScreen('group/' + groupId);
     },
 
+    _viewSomethingBehindModal() {
+        if (this.state.view !== VIEWS.LOGGED_IN) {
+            this._viewWelcome();
+            return;
+        }
+        if (!this.state.currentGroupId && !this.state.currentRoomId) {
+            this._viewHome();
+        }
+    },
+
     _viewWelcome() {
         this.setStateForNewView({
             view: VIEWS.WELCOME,
@@ -1552,11 +1557,7 @@ export default React.createClass({
                 payload.room_id = roomString;
             }
 
-            // we can't view a room unless we're logged in
-            // (a guest account is fine)
-            if (this.state.view === VIEWS.LOGGED_IN) {
-                dis.dispatch(payload);
-            }
+            dis.dispatch(payload);
         } else if (screen.indexOf('user/') == 0) {
             const userId = screen.substring(5);
 
diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomDirectory.js b/src/components/structures/RoomDirectory.js
index 5309b02041..e13eab8eb3 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomDirectory.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomDirectory.js
@@ -78,6 +78,11 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         this.protocols = null;
 
         this.setState({protocolsLoading: true});
+        if (!MatrixClientPeg.get()) {
+            // We may not have a client yet when invoked from welcome page
+            this.setState({protocolsLoading: false});
+            return;
+        }
         MatrixClientPeg.get().getThirdpartyProtocols().done((response) => {
             this.protocols = response;
             this.setState({protocolsLoading: false});
diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomView.js b/src/components/structures/RoomView.js
index 50fa18e075..b233662898 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomView.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomView.js
@@ -283,6 +283,15 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         }
     },
 
+    _getRoomId() {
+        // According to `_onRoomViewStoreUpdate`, `state.roomId` can be null
+        // if we have a room alias we haven't resolved yet. To work around this,
+        // first we'll try the room object if it's there, and then fallback to
+        // the bare room ID. (We may want to update `state.roomId` after
+        // resolving aliases, so we could always trust it.)
+        return this.state.room ? this.state.room.roomId : this.state.roomId;
+    },
+
     _onWidgetEchoStoreUpdate: function() {
         this.setState({
             showApps: this._shouldShowApps(this.state.room),
@@ -877,13 +886,12 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         // If the user is a ROU, allow them to transition to a PWLU
         if (cli && cli.isGuest()) {
             // Join this room once the user has registered and logged in
-            const signUrl = this.props.thirdPartyInvite ?
-                this.props.thirdPartyInvite.inviteSignUrl : undefined;
+            // (If we failed to peek, we may not have a valid room object.)
             dis.dispatch({
                 action: 'do_after_sync_prepared',
                 deferred_action: {
                     action: 'view_room',
-                    room_id: this.state.room.roomId,
+                    room_id: this._getRoomId(),
                 },
             });