diff --git a/src/Notifier.ts b/src/Notifier.ts
index 4f55046e72..2afc7d9901 100644
--- a/src/Notifier.ts
+++ b/src/Notifier.ts
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ export const Notifier = {
     // or not
     pendingEncryptedEventIds: [],
 
-    notificationMessageForEvent: function(ev: MatrixEvent) {
+    notificationMessageForEvent: function(ev: MatrixEvent): string {
         if (typehandlers.hasOwnProperty(ev.getContent().msgtype)) {
             return typehandlers[ev.getContent().msgtype](ev);
         }
diff --git a/src/TextForEvent.tsx b/src/TextForEvent.tsx
index 50bdae8ca9..4c2c264439 100644
--- a/src/TextForEvent.tsx
+++ b/src/TextForEvent.tsx
@@ -669,6 +669,7 @@ export function hasText(ev): boolean {
     return Boolean(handler?.(ev));
 }
 
+export function textForEvent(ev: MatrixEvent): string
 export function textForEvent(ev: MatrixEvent, allowJSX = false): string | JSX.Element {
     const handler = (ev.isState() ? stateHandlers : handlers)[ev.getType()];
     return handler?.(ev, allowJSX)?.() || '';