diff --git a/src/matrix/room/Room.js b/src/matrix/room/Room.js
index ca7618f2..79f0b36d 100644
--- a/src/matrix/room/Room.js
+++ b/src/matrix/room/Room.js
@@ -36,20 +36,31 @@ export class Room extends EventEmitter {
         this._sendQueue = new SendQueue({roomId, storage, sendScheduler, pendingEvents});
         this._timeline = null;
         this._user = user;
+        this._changedMembersDuringSync = null;
 	}
 
     async writeSync(roomResponse, membership, txn) {
 		const summaryChanges = this._summary.writeSync(roomResponse, membership, txn);
-		const {entries, newLiveKey} = await this._syncWriter.writeSync(roomResponse, txn);
+		const {entries, newLiveKey, changedMembers} = await this._syncWriter.writeSync(roomResponse, txn);
         let removedPendingEvents;
         if (roomResponse.timeline && roomResponse.timeline.events) {
             removedPendingEvents = this._sendQueue.removeRemoteEchos(roomResponse.timeline.events, txn);
         }
-        return {summaryChanges, newTimelineEntries: entries, newLiveKey, removedPendingEvents};
+        return {summaryChanges, newTimelineEntries: entries, newLiveKey, removedPendingEvents, changedMembers};
     }
 
-    afterSync({summaryChanges, newTimelineEntries, newLiveKey, removedPendingEvents}) {
+    afterSync({summaryChanges, newTimelineEntries, newLiveKey, removedPendingEvents, changedMembers}) {
         this._syncWriter.afterSync(newLiveKey);
+        if (changedMembers.length) {
+            if (this._changedMembersDuringSync) {
+                for (const member of changedMembers) {
+                    this._changedMembersDuringSync.set(member.userId, member);
+                }
+            }
+            if (this._memberList) {
+                this._memberList.afterSync(changedMembers);
+            }
+        }
         if (summaryChanges) {
             this._summary.applyChanges(summaryChanges);
             this.emit("change");
diff --git a/src/matrix/room/timeline/persistence/SyncWriter.js b/src/matrix/room/timeline/persistence/SyncWriter.js
index 62a2fb7e..dff28118 100644
--- a/src/matrix/room/timeline/persistence/SyncWriter.js
+++ b/src/matrix/room/timeline/persistence/SyncWriter.js
@@ -108,28 +108,37 @@ export class SyncWriter {
                     // if it is there already
                     txn.roomMembers.set(member.serialize());
                 }
+                return member;
             }
         } else {
             txn.roomState.set(this._roomId, event);
         }
     }
 
-    async _writeStateEvents(roomResponse, txn) {
+    _writeStateEvents(roomResponse, txn) {
+        const changedMembers = [];
         // persist state
         const {state, timeline} = roomResponse;
         if (state.events) {
             for (const event of state.events) {
-                await this._writeStateEvent(event, txn);
+                const member = this._writeStateEvent(event, txn);
+                if (member) {
+                    changedMembers.push(member);
+                }
             }
         }
         // persist live state events in timeline
         if (timeline.events) {
             for (const event of timeline.events) {
                 if (typeof event.state_key === "string") {
-                    this._writeStateEvent(event, txn);
+                    const member = this._writeStateEvent(event, txn);
+                    if (member) {
+                        changedMembers.push(member);
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }
+        return changedMembers;
     }
 
     _writeTimeline(entries, timeline, currentKey, txn) {
@@ -165,12 +174,13 @@ export class SyncWriter {
             entries.push(FragmentBoundaryEntry.end(oldFragment, this._fragmentIdComparer));
             entries.push(FragmentBoundaryEntry.start(newFragment, this._fragmentIdComparer));
         }
-        
-        await this._writeStateEvents(roomResponse, txn);
+        // important this happens before _writeTimeline so
+        // members are available in the transaction
+        const changedMembers = this._writeStateEvents(roomResponse, txn);
 
         currentKey = this._writeTimeline(entries, timeline, currentKey, txn);
 
-        return {entries, newLiveKey: currentKey};
+        return {entries, newLiveKey: currentKey, changedMembers};
     }
 
     afterSync(newLiveKey) {