diff --git a/src/matrix/room/BaseRoom.js b/src/matrix/room/BaseRoom.js
index 1bee3823..3314e9b1 100644
--- a/src/matrix/room/BaseRoom.js
+++ b/src/matrix/room/BaseRoom.js
@@ -226,6 +226,9 @@ export class BaseRoom extends EventEmitter {
         }
         // Miss, load from storage and set in map
         const member = await loadMember({roomId: this._roomId, userId, storage: this._storage});
+        if (!member) {
+            return false;
+        }
         const observableMember = new RetainedObservableValue(member, () => this._observedMembers.delete(userId));
         this._observedMembers.set(userId, observableMember);
         return observableMember;
diff --git a/src/matrix/room/members/load.js b/src/matrix/room/members/load.js
index eb4ca247..a7b2e641 100644
--- a/src/matrix/room/members/load.js
+++ b/src/matrix/room/members/load.js
@@ -94,5 +94,5 @@ export async function fetchOrLoadMembers(options, logger) {
 export async function loadMember({roomId, userId, storage}) {
     const txn = await storage.readTxn([storage.storeNames.roomMembers,]);
     const member = await txn.roomMembers.get(roomId, userId);
-    return new RoomMember(member);
+    return member? new RoomMember(member) : undefined;
 }