diff --git a/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js b/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
index e94be4d9ed..b70c89e2d8 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
@@ -392,6 +392,10 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 });
                 break;
             case 'view_room':
+                // Takes both room ID and room alias: if switching to a room the client is already
+                // know to be in (eg. user clicks on a room in the recents panel), supply only the
+                // ID. If the user is clicking on a room in the context of the alias being presented
+                // to them, supply the room alias and optionally the room ID.
                 this._viewRoom(
                     payload.room_id, payload.room_alias, payload.show_settings, payload.event_id,
                     payload.third_party_invite, payload.oob_data
@@ -423,12 +427,6 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                     this._viewRoom(allRooms[roomIndex].roomId);
                 }
                 break;
-            case 'view_room_alias':
-                this._viewRoom(
-                    undefined, payload.room_alias, undefined, payload.event_id,
-                    payload.third_party_invite, payload.oob_data
-                );
-                break;
             case 'view_user_settings':
                 this._setPage(this.PageTypes.UserSettings);
                 this.notifyNewScreen('settings');
@@ -502,8 +500,6 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         this.focusComposer = true;
 
         var newState = {
-            currentRoom: roomId,
-            currentRoomAlias: roomAlias,
             initialEventId: eventId,
             highlightedEventId: eventId,
             initialEventPixelOffset: undefined,
@@ -512,6 +508,18 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             roomOobData: oob_data,
         };
 
+        // If an alias has been provided, we use that and only that,
+        // since otherwise we'll prefer to pass in an ID to RoomView
+        // but if we're not in the room, we should join by alias rather
+        // than ID.
+        if (roomAlias) {
+            newState.currentRoomAlias = roomAlias;
+            newState.currentRoom = null;
+        } else {
+            newState.currentRoomAlias = null;
+            newState.currentRoom = roomId;
+        }
+
         // if we aren't given an explicit event id, look for one in the
         // scrollStateMap.
         if (!eventId) {
@@ -788,23 +796,16 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 inviterName: params.inviter_name,
             };
 
-            var payload;
+            var payload = {
+                action: 'view_room',
+                event_id: eventId,
+                third_party_invite: third_party_invite,
+                oob_data: oob_data,
+            };
             if (roomString[0] == '#') {
-                payload = {
-                    action: 'view_room_alias',
-                    room_alias: roomString,
-                    event_id: eventId,
-                    third_party_invite: third_party_invite,
-                    oob_data: oob_data,
-                };
+                payload.room_alias = roomString;
             } else {
-                payload = {
-                    action: 'view_room',
-                    room_id: roomString,
-                    event_id: eventId,
-                    third_party_invite: third_party_invite,
-                    oob_data: oob_data,
-                };
+                payload.room_id = roomString;
             }
 
             // we can't view a room unless we're logged in
@@ -832,7 +833,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
     onAliasClick: function(event, alias) {
         event.preventDefault();
-        dis.dispatch({action: 'view_room_alias', room_alias: alias});
+        dis.dispatch({action: 'view_room', room_alias: alias});
     },
 
     onUserClick: function(event, userId) {