diff --git a/src/Lifecycle.js b/src/Lifecycle.js
index b50e96b298..4393c29d37 100644
--- a/src/Lifecycle.js
+++ b/src/Lifecycle.js
@@ -22,11 +22,7 @@ import dis from './dispatcher';
 
 /**
  * Transitions to a logged-in state using the given credentials
- * @param {string} credentials.homeserverUrl The base HS URL
- * @param {string} credentials.identityServerUrl The base IS URL
- * @param {string} credentials.userId The full Matrix User ID
- * @param {string} credentials.accessToken The session access token
- * @param {boolean} credentials.guest True if the session is a guest session
+ * @param {MatrixClientCreds} credentials The credentials to use
  */
 function setLoggedIn(credentials) {
     credentials.guest = Boolean(credentials.guest);
@@ -80,11 +76,7 @@ function startMatrixClient() {
     UserActivity.start();
     Presence.start();
 
-    // the react sdk doesn't work without this, so don't allow
-    // it to be overridden (and modify the global object so at
-    // at least the app can see we've changed it)
-    MatrixClientPeg.opts.pendingEventOrdering = "detached";
-    MatrixClientPeg.get().startClient(MatrixClientPeg.opts);
+    MatrixClientPeg.start();
 }
 
 function onLoggedOut() {
diff --git a/src/MatrixClientPeg.js b/src/MatrixClientPeg.js
index c8b015f99f..e6d0e7f3f7 100644
--- a/src/MatrixClientPeg.js
+++ b/src/MatrixClientPeg.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 'use strict';
 
 import Matrix from 'matrix-js-sdk';
+import utils from 'matrix-js-sdk/lib/utils';
 
 const localStorage = window.localStorage;
 
@@ -49,10 +50,10 @@ class MatrixClientPeg {
     constructor() {
         this.matrixClient = null;
 
-        // These are the default options used when Lifecycle.js
-        // starts the client. These can be altered at any
-        // time up to after the 'will_start_client' event is
-        // finished processing.
+        // These are the default options used when when the
+        // client is started in 'start'. These can be altered
+        // at any time up to after the 'will_start_client'
+        // event is finished processing.
         this.opts = {
             initialSyncLimit: 20,
         };
@@ -88,6 +89,13 @@ class MatrixClientPeg {
         );
     }
 
+    start() {
+        const opts = utils.deepCopy(this.opts);
+        // the react sdk doesn't work without this, so don't allow
+        opts.pendingEventOrdering = "detached";
+        this.get().startClient(opts);
+    }
+
     _replaceClient(hs_url, is_url, user_id, access_token, isGuest) {
         if (localStorage) {
             try {