diff --git a/src/settings/handlers/AccountSettingsHandler.js b/src/settings/handlers/AccountSettingsHandler.js
index f738bf7971..7b05ad0c1b 100644
--- a/src/settings/handlers/AccountSettingsHandler.js
+++ b/src/settings/handlers/AccountSettingsHandler.js
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ export default class AccountSettingsHandler extends MatrixClientBackedSettingsHa
             if (!content || !content['recent_rooms']) {
                 content = this._getSettings(BREADCRUMBS_LEGACY_EVENT_TYPE);
             }
+            if (!content) content = {}; // If we still don't have content, make some
 
             content['recent_rooms'] = newValue;
             return MatrixClientPeg.get().setAccountData(BREADCRUMBS_EVENT_TYPE, content);