diff --git a/src/components/views/messages/RoomAvatarEvent.js b/src/components/views/messages/RoomAvatarEvent.tsx
similarity index 88%
rename from src/components/views/messages/RoomAvatarEvent.js
rename to src/components/views/messages/RoomAvatarEvent.tsx
index 9832332311..c29460b002 100644
--- a/src/components/views/messages/RoomAvatarEvent.js
+++ b/src/components/views/messages/RoomAvatarEvent.tsx
@@ -17,23 +17,24 @@ limitations under the License.
 */
 
 import React from 'react';
-import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import { MatrixClientPeg } from '../../../MatrixClientPeg';
 import { _t } from '../../../languageHandler';
-import * as sdk from '../../../index';
 import Modal from '../../../Modal';
 import AccessibleButton from '../elements/AccessibleButton';
 import { replaceableComponent } from "../../../utils/replaceableComponent";
 import { mediaFromMxc } from "../../../customisations/Media";
+import { MatrixEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/event";
+import RoomAvatar from "../avatars/RoomAvatar";
+import ImageView from "../elements/ImageView";
+
+interface IProps {
+    /* the MatrixEvent to show */
+    mxEvent: MatrixEvent;
+}
 
 @replaceableComponent("views.messages.RoomAvatarEvent")
-export default class RoomAvatarEvent extends React.Component {
-    static propTypes = {
-        /* the MatrixEvent to show */
-        mxEvent: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
-    };
-
-    onAvatarClick = () => {
+export default class RoomAvatarEvent extends React.Component<IProps> {
+    private onAvatarClick = (): void => {
         const cli = MatrixClientPeg.get();
         const ev = this.props.mxEvent;
         const httpUrl = mediaFromMxc(ev.getContent().url).srcHttp;
@@ -44,7 +45,6 @@ export default class RoomAvatarEvent extends React.Component {
             roomName: room ? room.name : '',
         });
 
-        const ImageView = sdk.getComponent("elements.ImageView");
         const params = {
             src: httpUrl,
             name: text,
@@ -52,10 +52,9 @@ export default class RoomAvatarEvent extends React.Component {
         Modal.createDialog(ImageView, params, "mx_Dialog_lightbox", null, true);
     };
 
-    render() {
+    public render(): JSX.Element {
         const ev = this.props.mxEvent;
         const senderDisplayName = ev.sender && ev.sender.name ? ev.sender.name : ev.getSender();
-        const RoomAvatar = sdk.getComponent("avatars.RoomAvatar");
 
         if (!ev.getContent().url || ev.getContent().url.trim().length === 0) {
             return (