diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomSublist.tsx b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomSublist.tsx
index c6730e5a65..f6d0d1c22e 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomSublist.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomSublist.tsx
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ import { Direction } from "re-resizable/lib/resizer";
 import { polyfillTouchEvent } from "../../../@types/polyfill";
 import { RoomNotificationStateStore } from "../../../stores/notifications/RoomNotificationStateStore";
 import RoomListLayoutStore from "../../../stores/room-list/RoomListLayoutStore";
-import { arrayHasOrderChange } from "../../../utils/arrays";
+import { arrayFastClone, arrayHasOrderChange } from "../../../utils/arrays";
 import { objectExcluding, objectHasDiff } from "../../../utils/objects";
 import TemporaryTile from "./TemporaryTile";
 import { ListNotificationState } from "../../../stores/notifications/ListNotificationState";
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ export default class RoomSublist extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
             isResizing: false,
             isExpanded: this.isBeingFiltered ? this.isBeingFiltered : !this.layout.isCollapsed,
             height: 0, // to be fixed in a moment, we need `rooms` to calculate this.
-            rooms: RoomListStore.instance.orderedLists[this.props.tagId] || [],
+            rooms: arrayFastClone(RoomListStore.instance.orderedLists[this.props.tagId] || []),
         };
         // Why Object.assign() and not this.state.height? Because TypeScript says no.
         this.state = Object.assign(this.state, {height: this.calculateInitialHeight()});
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ export default class RoomSublist extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
         }
 
         const currentRooms = this.state.rooms;
-        const newRooms = RoomListStore.instance.orderedLists[this.props.tagId] || [];
+        const newRooms = arrayFastClone(RoomListStore.instance.orderedLists[this.props.tagId] || []);
         if (arrayHasOrderChange(currentRooms, newRooms)) {
             stateUpdates.rooms = newRooms;
         }
diff --git a/src/stores/room-list/algorithms/Algorithm.ts b/src/stores/room-list/algorithms/Algorithm.ts
index 9b2779d900..2654a8b460 100644
--- a/src/stores/room-list/algorithms/Algorithm.ts
+++ b/src/stores/room-list/algorithms/Algorithm.ts
@@ -715,7 +715,9 @@ export class Algorithm extends EventEmitter {
                     const algorithm: OrderingAlgorithm = this.algorithms[rmTag];
                     if (!algorithm) throw new Error(`No algorithm for ${rmTag}`);
                     await algorithm.handleRoomUpdate(room, RoomUpdateCause.RoomRemoved);
-                    this.cachedRooms[rmTag] = algorithm.orderedRooms;
+                    this._cachedRooms[rmTag] = algorithm.orderedRooms;
+                    this.recalculateFilteredRoomsForTag(rmTag); // update filter to re-sort the list
+                    this.recalculateStickyRoom(rmTag); // update sticky room to make sure it moves if needed
                 }
                 for (const addTag of diff.added) {
                     if (SettingsStore.getValue("advancedRoomListLogging")) {
@@ -725,7 +727,7 @@ export class Algorithm extends EventEmitter {
                     const algorithm: OrderingAlgorithm = this.algorithms[addTag];
                     if (!algorithm) throw new Error(`No algorithm for ${addTag}`);
                     await algorithm.handleRoomUpdate(room, RoomUpdateCause.NewRoom);
-                    this.cachedRooms[addTag] = algorithm.orderedRooms;
+                    this._cachedRooms[addTag] = algorithm.orderedRooms;
                 }
 
                 // Update the tag map so we don't regen it in a moment
@@ -821,7 +823,7 @@ export class Algorithm extends EventEmitter {
             if (!algorithm) throw new Error(`No algorithm for ${tag}`);
 
             await algorithm.handleRoomUpdate(room, cause);
-            this.cachedRooms[tag] = algorithm.orderedRooms;
+            this._cachedRooms[tag] = algorithm.orderedRooms;
 
             // Flag that we've done something
             this.recalculateFilteredRoomsForTag(tag); // update filter to re-sort the list
diff --git a/src/stores/room-list/algorithms/list-ordering/ImportanceAlgorithm.ts b/src/stores/room-list/algorithms/list-ordering/ImportanceAlgorithm.ts
index 9cb7679e89..e4aa5ff06f 100644
--- a/src/stores/room-list/algorithms/list-ordering/ImportanceAlgorithm.ts
+++ b/src/stores/room-list/algorithms/list-ordering/ImportanceAlgorithm.ts
@@ -136,6 +136,9 @@ export class ImportanceAlgorithm extends OrderingAlgorithm {
         } else {
             throw new Error(`Unhandled splice: ${cause}`);
         }
+
+        // changes have been made if we made it here, so say so
+        return true;
     }
 
     public async handleRoomUpdate(room: Room, cause: RoomUpdateCause): Promise<boolean> {