diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomView.js b/src/components/structures/RoomView.js
index 2189fa3856..9a930d3d06 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomView.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomView.js
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         });
 
         // Start listening for RoomViewStore updates
-        RoomViewStore.addListener(this._onRoomViewStoreUpdate);
+        this._roomStoreToken = RoomViewStore.addListener(this._onRoomViewStoreUpdate);
         this._onRoomViewStoreUpdate(true);
     },
 
@@ -182,6 +182,8 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         this.setState({
             roomId: RoomViewStore.getRoomId(),
             roomAlias: RoomViewStore.getRoomAlias(),
+            roomLoading: RoomViewStore.isRoomLoading(),
+            roomLoadError: RoomViewStore.getRoomLoadError(),
             joining: RoomViewStore.isJoining(),
             joinError: RoomViewStore.getJoinError(),
         }, () => {
@@ -343,6 +345,11 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
         document.removeEventListener("keydown", this.onKeyDown);
 
+        // Remove RoomStore listener
+        if (this._roomStoreToken) {
+            this._roomStoreToken.remove();
+        }
+
         // cancel any pending calls to the rate_limited_funcs
         this._updateRoomMembers.cancelPendingCall();
 
diff --git a/src/stores/RoomViewStore.js b/src/stores/RoomViewStore.js
index d893318af7..b94e772b02 100644
--- a/src/stores/RoomViewStore.js
+++ b/src/stores/RoomViewStore.js
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ class RoomViewStore extends Store {
             case 'view_room':
                 this._viewRoom(payload);
                 break;
+            case 'view_room_error':
+                this._viewRoomError(payload);
+                break;
             case 'will_join':
                 this._setState({
                     joining: true,
@@ -80,33 +83,47 @@ class RoomViewStore extends Store {
     }
 
     _viewRoom(payload) {
-        const address = payload.room_alias || payload.room_id;
-        if (address[0] == '#') {
+        // Always set the room ID if present
+        if (payload.room_id) {
             this._setState({
-                roomLoading: true,
+                roomId: payload.room_id,
+                roomLoading: false,
+                roomLoadError: null,
             });
-            MatrixClientPeg.get().getRoomIdForAlias(address).then(
+        } else if (payload.room_alias) {
+            this._setState({
+                roomId: null,
+                roomAlias: payload.room_alias,
+                roomLoading: true,
+                roomLoadError: null,
+            });
+            MatrixClientPeg.get().getRoomIdForAlias(payload.room_alias).done(
             (result) => {
-                this._setState({
-                    roomId: result.room_id,
-                    roomAlias: address,
-                    roomLoading: false,
-                    roomLoadError: null,
+                dis.dispatch({
+                    action: 'view_room',
+                    room_id: result.room_id,
+                    room_alias: payload.room_alias,
                 });
             }, (err) => {
-                console.error(err);
-                this._setState({
-                    roomLoading: false,
-                    roomLoadError: err,
+                dis.dispatch({
+                    action: 'view_room_error',
+                    room_id: null,
+                    room_alias: payload.room_alias,
+                    err: err,
                 });
             });
-        } else {
-            this._setState({
-                roomId: address,
-            });
         }
     }
 
+    _viewRoomError(payload) {
+        this._setState({
+            roomId: payload.room_id,
+            roomAlias: payload.room_alias,
+            roomLoading: false,
+            roomLoadError: payload.err,
+        });
+    }
+
     _joinRoom(payload) {
         this._setState({
             joining: true,
@@ -140,6 +157,10 @@ class RoomViewStore extends Store {
         return this._state.roomLoading;
     }
 
+    getRoomLoadError() {
+        return this._state.roomLoadError;
+    }
+
     isJoining() {
         return this._state.joining;
     }
diff --git a/test/stores/RoomViewStore-test.js b/test/stores/RoomViewStore-test.js
index 7100dced19..2f545ffd74 100644
--- a/test/stores/RoomViewStore-test.js
+++ b/test/stores/RoomViewStore-test.js
@@ -45,12 +45,15 @@ describe('RoomViewStore', function() {
             done();
         };
 
-        dispatch({ action: 'view_room', room_alias: '#somealias2:aser.ver' });
+        RoomViewStore.addListener(() => {
+            // Wait until the room alias has resolved and the room ID is
+            if (!RoomViewStore.isRoomLoading()) {
+                expect(RoomViewStore.getRoomId()).toBe("!randomcharacters:aser.ver");
+                dispatch({ action: 'join_room' });
+                expect(RoomViewStore.isJoining()).toBe(true);
+            }
+        });
 
-        // Wait for the next event loop to allow for room alias resolution
-        setTimeout(() => {
-            dispatch({ action: 'join_room' });
-            expect(RoomViewStore.isJoining()).toBe(true);
-        }, 0);
+        dispatch({ action: 'view_room', room_alias: '#somealias2:aser.ver' });
     });
 });