diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.js b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.js
index 3810f7d4d6..96ff65498f 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.js
@@ -456,11 +456,10 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         var panel = ReactDOM.findDOMNode(this);
         if (!panel) return null;
 
-        if (panel.classList.contains('gm-prevented')) {
-            return panel;
-        } else {
-            return panel.children[2]; // XXX: Fragile!
-        }
+        // empirically, if we have gm-prevented for some reason, the scroll node
+        // is still the 3rd child (i.e. the view child).  This looks to be due
+        // to vdh's improved resize updater logic...?
+        return panel.children[2]; // XXX: Fragile!
     },
 
     _whenScrolling: function(e) {
@@ -506,7 +505,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         // Use the offset of the top of the scroll area from the window
         // as this is used to calculate the CSS fixed top position for the stickies
         var scrollAreaOffset = scrollArea.getBoundingClientRect().top + window.pageYOffset;
-        // Use the offset of the top of the componet from the window
+        // Use the offset of the top of the component from the window
         // as this is used to calculate the CSS fixed top position for the stickies
         var scrollAreaHeight = ReactDOM.findDOMNode(this).getBoundingClientRect().height;