diff --git a/src/components/views/right_panel/UserInfo.js b/src/components/views/right_panel/UserInfo.js
index 90bb3f3dcb..d1d7aa0371 100644
--- a/src/components/views/right_panel/UserInfo.js
+++ b/src/components/views/right_panel/UserInfo.js
@@ -109,14 +109,14 @@ function openDMForUser(matrixClient, userId) {
 }
 
 function useIsEncrypted(cli, room) {
-    const [isEncrypted, setIsEncrypted] = useState(cli.isRoomEncrypted(room.roomId));
+    const [isEncrypted, setIsEncrypted] = useState(room ? cli.isRoomEncrypted(room.roomId) : undefined);
 
     const update = useCallback((event) => {
         if (event.getType() === "m.room.encryption") {
             setIsEncrypted(cli.isRoomEncrypted(room.roomId));
         }
     }, [cli, room]);
-    useEventEmitter(room.currentState, "RoomState.events", update);
+    useEventEmitter(room ? room.currentState : undefined, "RoomState.events", update);
     return isEncrypted;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/hooks/useEventEmitter.js b/src/hooks/useEventEmitter.js
index 56676bf871..7adc6ef2e3 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useEventEmitter.js
+++ b/src/hooks/useEventEmitter.js
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ export const useEventEmitter = (emitter, eventName, handler) => {
 
     useEffect(
         () => {
+            // allow disabling this hook by passing a falsy emitter
+            if (!emitter) return;
+
             // Create event listener that calls handler function stored in ref
             const eventListener = event => savedHandler.current(event);