diff --git a/src/components/views/dialogs/InviteDialog.tsx b/src/components/views/dialogs/InviteDialog.tsx
index 60f783e889..2ebc84ec7c 100644
--- a/src/components/views/dialogs/InviteDialog.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/dialogs/InviteDialog.tsx
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import Modal from "../../../Modal";
 import {humanizeTime} from "../../../utils/humanize";
 import createRoom, {
     canEncryptToAllUsers, ensureDMExists, findDMForUser, privateShouldBeEncrypted,
+    IInvite3PID,
 } from "../../../createRoom";
 import {inviteMultipleToRoom, showCommunityInviteDialog} from "../../../RoomInvite";
 import {Key} from "../../../Keyboard";
@@ -618,13 +619,14 @@ export default class InviteDialog extends React.PureComponent<IInviteDialogProps
 
     _startDm = async () => {
         this.setState({busy: true});
+        const client = MatrixClientPeg.get();
         const targets = this._convertFilter();
         const targetIds = targets.map(t => t.userId);
 
         // Check if there is already a DM with these people and reuse it if possible.
         let existingRoom: Room;
         if (targetIds.length === 1) {
-            existingRoom = findDMForUser(MatrixClientPeg.get(), targetIds[0]);
+            existingRoom = findDMForUser(client, targetIds[0]);
         } else {
             existingRoom = DMRoomMap.shared().getDMRoomForIdentifiers(targetIds);
         }
@@ -646,7 +648,6 @@ export default class InviteDialog extends React.PureComponent<IInviteDialogProps
             // If so, enable encryption in the new room.
             const has3PidMembers = targets.some(t => t instanceof ThreepidMember);
             if (!has3PidMembers) {
-                const client = MatrixClientPeg.get();
                 const allHaveDeviceKeys = await canEncryptToAllUsers(client, targetIds);
                 if (allHaveDeviceKeys) {
                     createRoomOptions.encryption = true;
@@ -656,35 +657,41 @@ export default class InviteDialog extends React.PureComponent<IInviteDialogProps
 
         // Check if it's a traditional DM and create the room if required.
         // TODO: [Canonical DMs] Remove this check and instead just create the multi-person DM
-        let createRoomPromise = Promise.resolve(null) as Promise<string | null | boolean>;
-        const isSelf = targetIds.length === 1 && targetIds[0] === MatrixClientPeg.get().getUserId();
-        if (targetIds.length === 1 && !isSelf) {
-            createRoomOptions.dmUserId = targetIds[0];
-            createRoomPromise = createRoom(createRoomOptions);
-        } else if (isSelf) {
-            createRoomPromise = createRoom(createRoomOptions);
-        } else {
-            // Create a boring room and try to invite the targets manually.
-            createRoomPromise = createRoom(createRoomOptions).then(roomId => {
-                return inviteMultipleToRoom(roomId, targetIds);
-            }).then(result => {
-                if (this._shouldAbortAfterInviteError(result)) {
-                    return true; // abort
-                }
-            });
-        }
+        try {
+            const isSelf = targetIds.length === 1 && targetIds[0] === client.getUserId();
+            if (targetIds.length === 1 && !isSelf) {
+                createRoomOptions.dmUserId = targetIds[0];
+            }
 
-        // the createRoom call will show the room for us, so we don't need to worry about that.
-        createRoomPromise.then(abort => {
-            if (abort === true) return; // only abort on true booleans, not roomIds or something
+            if (targetIds.length > 1) {
+                createRoomOptions.createOpts = targetIds.reduce(
+                    (roomOptions, address) => {
+                        const type = getAddressType(address);
+                        if (type === 'email') {
+                            const invite: IInvite3PID = {
+                                id_server: client.getIdentityServerUrl(true),
+                                medium: 'email',
+                                address,
+                            };
+                            roomOptions.invite_3pid.push(invite);
+                        } else if (type === 'mx-user-id') {
+                            roomOptions.invite.push(address);
+                        }
+                        return roomOptions;
+                    },
+                    { invite: [], invite_3pid: [] },
+                )
+            }
+
+            await createRoom(createRoomOptions);
             this.props.onFinished();
-        }).catch(err => {
+        } catch (err) {
             console.error(err);
             this.setState({
                 busy: false,
                 errorText: _t("We couldn't create your DM."),
             });
-        });
+        }
     };
 
     _inviteUsers = async () => {
diff --git a/src/createRoom.ts b/src/createRoom.ts
index a5343076ac..310d894266 100644
--- a/src/createRoom.ts
+++ b/src/createRoom.ts
@@ -90,6 +90,12 @@ export interface IOpts {
     parentSpace?: Room;
 }
 
+export interface IInvite3PID {
+    id_server: string,
+    medium: 'email',
+    address: string,
+}
+
 /**
  * Create a new room, and switch to it.
  *