diff --git a/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js b/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
index b70c89e2d8..01aa9dbda6 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 );
                 var roomIndex = -1;
                 for (var i = 0; i < allRooms.length; ++i) {
-                    if (allRooms[i].roomId == this.state.currentRoom) {
+                    if (allRooms[i].roomId == this.state.currentRoomId) {
                         roomIndex = i;
                         break;
                     }
@@ -506,20 +506,10 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             page_type: this.PageTypes.RoomView,
             thirdPartyInvite: thirdPartyInvite,
             roomOobData: oob_data,
+            newState.currentRoomAlias: roomAlias,
+            newState.currentRoomId: roomId,
         };
 
-        // If an alias has been provided, we use that and only that,
-        // since otherwise we'll prefer to pass in an ID to RoomView
-        // but if we're not in the room, we should join by alias rather
-        // than ID.
-        if (roomAlias) {
-            newState.currentRoomAlias = roomAlias;
-            newState.currentRoom = null;
-        } else {
-            newState.currentRoomAlias = null;
-            newState.currentRoom = roomId;
-        }
-
         // if we aren't given an explicit event id, look for one in the
         // scrollStateMap.
         if (!eventId) {
@@ -612,13 +602,13 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 dis.dispatch(self.starting_room_alias_payload);
                 delete self.starting_room_alias_payload;
             } else if (!self.state.page_type) {
-                if (!self.state.currentRoom) {
+                if (!self.state.currentRoomId) {
                     var firstRoom = null;
                     if (cli.getRooms() && cli.getRooms().length) {
                         firstRoom = RoomListSorter.mostRecentActivityFirst(
                             cli.getRooms()
                         )[0].roomId;
-                        self.setState({ready: true, currentRoom: firstRoom, page_type: self.PageTypes.RoomView});
+                        self.setState({ready: true, currentRoomId: firstRoom, page_type: self.PageTypes.RoomView});
                     } else {
                         self.setState({ready: true, page_type: self.PageTypes.RoomDirectory});
                     }
@@ -628,8 +618,8 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
                 // we notifyNewScreen now because now the room will actually be displayed,
                 // and (mostly) now we can get the correct alias.
-                var presentedId = self.state.currentRoom;
-                var room = MatrixClientPeg.get().getRoom(self.state.currentRoom);
+                var presentedId = self.state.currentRoomId;
+                var room = MatrixClientPeg.get().getRoom(self.state.currentRoomId);
                 if (room) {
                     var theAlias = MatrixTools.getCanonicalAliasForRoom(room);
                     if (theAlias) presentedId = theAlias;
@@ -979,10 +969,10 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     onUserSettingsClose: function() {
         // XXX: use browser history instead to find the previous room?
         // or maintain a this.state.pageHistory in _setPage()?
-        if (this.state.currentRoom) {
+        if (this.state.currentRoomId) {
             dis.dispatch({
                 action: 'view_room',
-                room_id: this.state.currentRoom,
+                room_id: this.state.currentRoomId,
             });
         }
         else {
@@ -1022,17 +1012,18 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                     page_element = (
                         <RoomView
                             ref="roomView"
-                            roomAddress={this.state.currentRoom || this.state.currentRoomAlias}
+                            roomId={this.state.currentRoomId}
+                            roomAlias={this.state.currentRoomAlias}
                             eventId={this.state.initialEventId}
                             thirdPartyInvite={this.state.thirdPartyInvite}
                             oobData={this.state.roomOobData}
                             highlightedEventId={this.state.highlightedEventId}
                             eventPixelOffset={this.state.initialEventPixelOffset}
-                            key={this.state.currentRoom || this.state.currentRoomAlias}
+                            key={this.state.currentRoomId || this.state.currentRoomAlias}
                             opacity={this.state.middleOpacity}
                             ConferenceHandler={this.props.ConferenceHandler} />
                     );
-                    right_panel = <RightPanel roomId={this.state.currentRoom} collapsed={this.state.collapse_rhs} opacity={this.state.sideOpacity} />
+                    right_panel = <RightPanel roomId={this.state.currentRoomId} collapsed={this.state.collapse_rhs} opacity={this.state.sideOpacity} />
                     break;
                 case this.PageTypes.UserSettings:
                     page_element = <UserSettings onClose={this.onUserSettingsClose} version={this.state.version} brand={this.props.config.brand} />
@@ -1068,7 +1059,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 <div className="mx_MatrixChat_wrapper">
                     {topBar}
                     <div className={bodyClasses}>
-                        <LeftPanel selectedRoom={this.state.currentRoom} collapsed={this.state.collapse_lhs} opacity={this.state.sideOpacity}/>
+                        <LeftPanel selectedRoom={this.state.currentRoomId} collapsed={this.state.collapse_lhs} opacity={this.state.sideOpacity}/>
                         <main className="mx_MatrixChat_middlePanel">
                             {page_element}
                         </main>
diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomView.js b/src/components/structures/RoomView.js
index 9fc335236c..d840630760 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomView.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomView.js
@@ -55,7 +55,10 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     propTypes: {
         ConferenceHandler: React.PropTypes.any,
 
-        // the ID for this room (or, if we don't know it, an alias for it)
+        // Either a room ID or room alias for the room to display.
+        // If the room is being displayed as a result of the user clicking
+        // on a room alias, the alias should be supplied. Otherwise, a room
+        // ID should be supplied.
         roomAddress: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
 
         // An object representing a third party invite to join this room
@@ -95,15 +98,14 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
     getInitialState: function() {
         var room;
+        var room_id;
         if (this.props.roomAddress[0] == '!') {
-            room = MatrixClientPeg.get().getRoom(this.props.roomAddress);
-        } else {
-            room = MatrixTools.getRoomForAlias(
-                MatrixClientPeg.get().getRooms(), this.props.roomAddress
-            );
+            room_id = this.props.roomAddress;
+            room = MatrixClientPeg.get().getRoom(room_id);
         }
         return {
             room: room,
+            roomId: room_id,
             roomLoading: !room,
             editingRoomSettings: false,
             uploadingRoomSettings: false,
@@ -143,6 +145,27 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             }
         });
 
+        if (this.props.roomAddress[0] == '#') {
+            // we always look up the alias from the directory server:
+            // we want the room that the given alias is pointing to
+            // right now. We may have joined that alias before but there's
+            // no guarantee the alias hasn't subsequently been remapped.
+            MatrixClientPeg.get().getRoomIdForAlias(this.props.roomAddress).done((result) => {
+                this.setState({
+                    roomId: result.room_id,
+                    roomLoading: false,
+                }, this.updatePeeking);
+            }, (err) => {
+                this.setState({
+                    roomLoading: false,
+                });
+            });
+        }
+
+        this.updatePeeking();
+    },
+
+    updatePeeking: function() {
         // if this is an unknown room then we're in one of three states:
         // - This is a room we can peek into (search engine) (we can /peek)
         // - This is a room we can publicly join or were invited to. (we can /join)
@@ -150,10 +173,13 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         // We can't try to /join because this may implicitly accept invites (!)
         // We can /peek though. If it fails then we present the join UI. If it
         // succeeds then great, show the preview (but we still may be able to /join!).
-        if (!this.state.room) {
-            console.log("Attempting to peek into room %s", this.props.roomAddress);
+        // Note that peeking works by room ID and room ID only, as opposed to joining
+        // which must be by alias or invite wherever possible (peeking currently does
+        // not work over federation).
+        if (!this.state.room && this.state.roomId) {
+            console.log("Attempting to peek into room %s", this.state.roomId);
 
-            MatrixClientPeg.get().peekInRoom(this.props.roomAddress).then((room) => {
+            MatrixClientPeg.get().peekInRoom(this.state.roomId).then((room) => {
                 this.setState({
                     room: room,
                     roomLoading: false,
@@ -172,7 +198,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                     throw err;
                 }
             }).done();
-        } else {
+        } else if (this.state.room) {
             MatrixClientPeg.get().stopPeeking();
             this._onRoomLoaded(this.state.room);
         }