diff --git a/synapse/federation/units.py b/synapse/federation/units.py
index c5ab14314e..025a79c022 100644
--- a/synapse/federation/units.py
+++ b/synapse/federation/units.py
@@ -117,9 +117,6 @@ class Transaction(JsonEncodedObject):
                 "Require 'transaction_id' to construct a Transaction"
             )
 
-        for p in pdus:
-            p.transaction_id = kwargs["transaction_id"]
-
         kwargs["pdus"] = [p.get_pdu_json() for p in pdus]
 
         return Transaction(**kwargs)
diff --git a/synapse/push/httppusher.py b/synapse/push/httppusher.py
index 6bd703632d..87fa7f006a 100644
--- a/synapse/push/httppusher.py
+++ b/synapse/push/httppusher.py
@@ -311,10 +311,10 @@ class HttpPusher(object):
                 ]
             }
         }
-        if event.type == 'm.room.member':
+        if event.type == 'm.room.member' and event.is_state():
             d['notification']['membership'] = event.content['membership']
             d['notification']['user_is_target'] = event.state_key == self.user_id
-        if self.hs.config.push_include_content and 'content' in event:
+        if self.hs.config.push_include_content and event.content:
             d['notification']['content'] = event.content
 
         # We no longer send aliases separately, instead, we send the human
diff --git a/synapse/push/push_rule_evaluator.py b/synapse/push/push_rule_evaluator.py
index 2bd321d530..cf6c8b875e 100644
--- a/synapse/push/push_rule_evaluator.py
+++ b/synapse/push/push_rule_evaluator.py
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ class PushRuleEvaluatorForEvent(object):
 
         # XXX: optimisation: cache our pattern regexps
         if condition['key'] == 'content.body':
-            body = self._event["content"].get("body", None)
+            body = self._event.content.get("body", None)
             if not body:
                 return False
 
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ class PushRuleEvaluatorForEvent(object):
         if not display_name:
             return False
 
-        body = self._event["content"].get("body", None)
+        body = self._event.content.get("body", None)
         if not body:
             return False
 
diff --git a/tests/replication/slave/storage/test_events.py b/tests/replication/slave/storage/test_events.py
index 41be5d5a1a..1688a741d1 100644
--- a/tests/replication/slave/storage/test_events.py
+++ b/tests/replication/slave/storage/test_events.py
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ ROOM_ID = "!room:blue"
 
 
 def dict_equals(self, other):
-    me = encode_canonical_json(self._event_dict)
-    them = encode_canonical_json(other._event_dict)
+    me = encode_canonical_json(self.get_pdu_json())
+    them = encode_canonical_json(other.get_pdu_json())
     return me == them
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_federation.py b/tests/test_federation.py
index 952a0a7b51..e1a34ccffd 100644
--- a/tests/test_federation.py
+++ b/tests/test_federation.py
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ class MessageAcceptTests(unittest.TestCase):
                 "origin_server_ts": 1,
                 "type": "m.room.message",
                 "origin": "test.serv",
-                "content": "hewwo?",
+                "content": {"body": "hewwo?"},
                 "auth_events": [],
                 "prev_events": [("two:test.serv", {}), (most_recent, {})],
             }