diff --git a/src/matrix/net/HomeServerApi.js b/src/matrix/net/HomeServerApi.js
index 02d4dc2d..a9b63f8e 100644
--- a/src/matrix/net/HomeServerApi.js
+++ b/src/matrix/net/HomeServerApi.js
@@ -130,6 +130,10 @@ export class HomeServerApi {
             {}, {}, options);
     }
 
+    state(roomId, eventType, stateKey, options = null) {
+        return this._get(`/rooms/${encodeURIComponent(roomId)}/state/${encodeURIComponent(eventType)}/${encodeURIComponent(stateKey)}`, {}, null, options);
+    }
+
     passwordLogin(username, password, initialDeviceDisplayName, options = null) {
         return this._unauthedRequest("POST", this._url("/login"), null, {
           "type": "m.login.password",
diff --git a/src/matrix/room/BaseRoom.js b/src/matrix/room/BaseRoom.js
index 7ee04761..b24ef706 100644
--- a/src/matrix/room/BaseRoom.js
+++ b/src/matrix/room/BaseRoom.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import {RelationWriter} from "./timeline/persistence/RelationWriter.js";
 import {Timeline} from "./timeline/Timeline.js";
 import {FragmentIdComparer} from "./timeline/FragmentIdComparer.js";
 import {WrappedError} from "../error.js"
-import {fetchOrLoadMembers} from "./members/load.js";
+import {fetchOrLoadMembers, fetchOrLoadMember} from "./members/load.js";
 import {MemberList} from "./members/MemberList.js";
 import {Heroes} from "./members/Heroes.js";
 import {EventEntry} from "./timeline/entries/EventEntry.js";
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ export class BaseRoom extends EventEmitter {
         this._observedEvents = null;
         this._powerLevels = null;
         this._powerLevelLoading = null;
+        this._observedMembers = null;
     }
 
     async _eventIdsToEntries(eventIds, txn) {
@@ -214,6 +215,32 @@ export class BaseRoom extends EventEmitter {
         }
     }
 
+    async observeMember(userId) {
+        if (!this._observedMembers) {
+            this._observedMembers = new Map();
+        }
+        const mapMember = this._observedMembers.get(userId);
+        if (mapMember) {
+            // Hit, we're already observing this member
+            return mapMember;
+        }
+        // Miss, load from storage/hs and set in map
+        const member = await fetchOrLoadMember({
+            summary: this._summary,
+            roomId: this._roomId,
+            userId,
+            storage: this._storage,
+            hsApi: this._hsApi
+        }, this._platform.logger);
+        if (!member) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        const observableMember = new RetainedObservableValue(member, () => this._observedMembers.delete(userId));
+        this._observedMembers.set(userId, observableMember);
+        return observableMember;
+    }
+
+
     /** @public */
     async loadMemberList(log = null) {
         if (this._memberList) {
diff --git a/src/matrix/room/Room.js b/src/matrix/room/Room.js
index a8e94326..c49d6a4e 100644
--- a/src/matrix/room/Room.js
+++ b/src/matrix/room/Room.js
@@ -209,6 +209,9 @@ export class Room extends BaseRoom {
             if (this._memberList) {
                 this._memberList.afterSync(memberChanges);
             }
+            if (this._observedMembers) {
+                this._updateObservedMembers(memberChanges);
+            }
             if (this._timeline) {
                 for (const [userId, memberChange] of memberChanges.entries()) {
                     if (userId === this._user.id) {
@@ -250,6 +253,15 @@ export class Room extends BaseRoom {
         }
     }
 
+    _updateObservedMembers(memberChanges) {
+        for (const [userId, memberChange] of memberChanges) {
+            const observableMember = this._observedMembers.get(userId);
+            if (observableMember) {
+                observableMember.set(memberChange.member);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     needsAfterSyncCompleted({shouldFlushKeyShares}) {
         return shouldFlushKeyShares;
     }
diff --git a/src/matrix/room/members/load.js b/src/matrix/room/members/load.js
index 52ae58c4..5077d793 100644
--- a/src/matrix/room/members/load.js
+++ b/src/matrix/room/members/load.js
@@ -90,3 +90,49 @@ export async function fetchOrLoadMembers(options, logger) {
         return loadMembers(options);
     }
 }
+
+export async function fetchOrLoadMember(options, logger) {
+    const member = await loadMember(options);
+    const {summary} = options;
+    if (!summary.data.hasFetchedMembers && !member) {
+        // We haven't fetched the memberlist yet; so ping the hs to see if this member does exist
+        return logger.wrapOrRun(options.log, "fetchMember", log => fetchMember(options, log));
+    }
+    return member;
+}
+
+async function loadMember({roomId, userId, storage}) {
+    const txn = await storage.readTxn([storage.storeNames.roomMembers,]);
+    const member = await txn.roomMembers.get(roomId, userId);
+    return member? new RoomMember(member) : null;
+}
+
+async function fetchMember({roomId, userId, hsApi, storage}, log) {
+    let memberData;
+    try {
+        memberData = await hsApi.state(roomId, "m.room.member", userId, { log }).response();
+    }
+    catch (error) {
+        if (error.name === "HomeServerError" && error.errcode === "M_NOT_FOUND") {
+            return null;
+        }
+        throw error;
+    }
+    const member = new RoomMember({
+        roomId,
+        userId,
+        membership: memberData.membership,
+        avatarUrl: memberData.avatar_url,
+        displayName: memberData.displayname,
+    });
+    const txn = await storage.readWriteTxn([storage.storeNames.roomMembers]);
+    try {
+        txn.roomMembers.set(member.serialize());
+    }
+    catch(e) {
+        txn.abort();
+        throw e;
+    }
+    await txn.complete();
+    return member;
+}