diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx b/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx
index 1a18ece008..57c9afb17b 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx
@@ -831,14 +831,14 @@ export default class RoomView extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
     };
 
     private handleEffects = (ev) => {
-        if (this.state.room.getUnreadNotificationCount() === 0) return;
-        if (this.state.matrixClientIsReady) {
-            effects.forEach(effect => {
-                if (containsEmoji(ev.getContent(), effect.emojis) || ev.getContent().msgtype === effect.msgType) {
-                    dis.dispatch({action: `effects.${effect.command}`});
-                }
-            })
-        }
+        if (!this.state.room ||
+            !this.state.matrixClientIsReady ||
+            this.state.room.getUnreadNotificationCount() === 0) return;
+        effects.forEach(effect => {
+            if (containsEmoji(ev.getContent(), effect.emojis) || ev.getContent().msgtype === effect.msgType) {
+                dis.dispatch({action: `effects.${effect.command}`});
+            }
+        })
     };
 
     private onRoomName = (room: Room) => {
diff --git a/src/components/views/elements/effects/effectUtilities.ts b/src/components/views/elements/effects/effectUtilities.ts
index 212c477b39..e94287c745 100644
--- a/src/components/views/elements/effects/effectUtilities.ts
+++ b/src/components/views/elements/effects/effectUtilities.ts
@@ -4,5 +4,5 @@
  * @param  {Array<string>} emojis The list of emojis to check for
  */
 export const containsEmoji = (content: { msgtype: string, body: string }, emojis: Array<string>): boolean => {
-    return emojis.some((emoji) => content.body.includes(emoji));
+    return emojis.some((emoji) => content.body && content.body.includes(emoji));
 }