diff --git a/src/Searching.js b/src/Searching.js
index b1507e6a49..f65b8920b3 100644
--- a/src/Searching.js
+++ b/src/Searching.js
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ function combineEvents(previousSearchResult, localEvents = undefined, serverEven
     let oldestEventFrom = previousSearchResult.oldestEventFrom;
     response.highlights = previousSearchResult.highlights;
 
-    if (localEvents && serverEvents) {
+    if (localEvents && serverEvents && serverEvents.results) {
         // This is a first search call, combine the events from the server and
         // the local index. Note where our oldest event came from, we shall
         // fetch the next batch of events from the other source.
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ function combineEvents(previousSearchResult, localEvents = undefined, serverEven
             oldestEventFrom = "local";
         }
         combineEventSources(previousSearchResult, response, localEvents.results, cachedEvents);
-    } else if (serverEvents) {
+    } else if (serverEvents && serverEvents.results) {
         // This is a pagination call fetching more events from the server,
         // meaning that our oldest event was in the local index.
         // Change the source of the oldest event if our server event is older
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ function combineResponses(previousSearchResult, localEvents = undefined, serverE
     return response;
 }
 
-function restoreEncryptionInfo(searchResultSlice) {
+function restoreEncryptionInfo(searchResultSlice = []) {
     for (let i = 0; i < searchResultSlice.length; i++) {
         const timeline = searchResultSlice[i].context.getTimeline();
 
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ async function combinedPagination(searchResult) {
         },
     };
 
-    const oldResultCount = searchResult.results.length;
+    const oldResultCount = searchResult.results ? searchResult.results.length : 0;
 
     // Let the client process the combined result.
     const result = client._processRoomEventsSearch(searchResult, response);
diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx b/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx
index 2952568e2f..0226cecf15 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomView.tsx
@@ -1258,7 +1258,7 @@ export default class RoomView extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
         }
 
         if (!this.state.searchResults.next_batch) {
-            if (this.state.searchResults.results.length == 0) {
+            if (!this.state.searchResults?.results?.length) {
                 ret.push(<li key="search-top-marker">
                     <h2 className="mx_RoomView_topMarker">{ _t("No results") }</h2>
                 </li>,
@@ -1282,7 +1282,7 @@ export default class RoomView extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
 
         let lastRoomId;
 
-        for (let i = this.state.searchResults.results.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+        for (let i = (this.state.searchResults?.results?.length || 0) - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
             const result = this.state.searchResults.results[i];
 
             const mxEv = result.context.getEvent();
@@ -1944,7 +1944,7 @@ export default class RoomView extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
 
         if (this.state.searchResults) {
             // show searching spinner
-            if (this.state.searchResults.results === undefined) {
+            if (this.state.searchResults.count === undefined) {
                 searchResultsPanel = (
                     <div className="mx_RoomView_messagePanel mx_RoomView_messagePanelSearchSpinner" />
                 );