diff --git a/src/components/views/right_panel/EncryptionPanel.js b/src/components/views/right_panel/EncryptionPanel.js
index 2e9365fca3..89c9a26e92 100644
--- a/src/components/views/right_panel/EncryptionPanel.js
+++ b/src/components/views/right_panel/EncryptionPanel.js
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ const EncryptionPanel = ({verificationRequest, member, onClose, layout}) => {
         const roomId = await ensureDMExists(cli, member.userId);
         const verificationRequest = await cli.requestVerificationDM(member.userId, roomId);
         setRequest(verificationRequest);
+        setPhase(verificationRequest.phase);
     }, [member.userId]);
 
     const requested = request && (phase === PHASE_REQUESTED || phase === undefined);
diff --git a/src/components/views/right_panel/UserInfo.js b/src/components/views/right_panel/UserInfo.js
index 315035db96..1174f45640 100644
--- a/src/components/views/right_panel/UserInfo.js
+++ b/src/components/views/right_panel/UserInfo.js
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import dis from '../../../dispatcher';
 import Modal from '../../../Modal';
 import * as sdk from '../../../index';
 import { _t } from '../../../languageHandler';
-import createRoom from '../../../createRoom';
+import createRoom, {findDMForUser} from '../../../createRoom';
 import DMRoomMap from '../../../utils/DMRoomMap';
 import AccessibleButton from '../elements/AccessibleButton';
 import SdkConfig from '../../../SdkConfig';
@@ -169,10 +169,19 @@ async function verifyDevice(userId, device) {
 }
 
 function verifyUser(user) {
+    const cli = MatrixClientPeg.get();
+    const dmRoom = findDMForUser(cli, user.userId);
+    let existingRequest;
+    if (dmRoom) {
+        existingRequest = cli.findVerificationRequestDMInProgress(dmRoom.roomId);
+    }
     dis.dispatch({
         action: "set_right_panel_phase",
         phase: RIGHT_PANEL_PHASES.EncryptionPanel,
-        refireParams: {member: user},
+        refireParams: {
+            member: user,
+            verificationRequest: existingRequest,
+        },
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/src/components/views/right_panel/VerificationPanel.js b/src/components/views/right_panel/VerificationPanel.js
index 08c3935a2c..106007b98b 100644
--- a/src/components/views/right_panel/VerificationPanel.js
+++ b/src/components/views/right_panel/VerificationPanel.js
@@ -258,7 +258,11 @@ export default class VerificationPanel extends React.PureComponent {
     };
 
     componentDidMount() {
-        this.props.request.on("change", this._onRequestChange);
+        const {request} = this.props;
+        request.on("change", this._onRequestChange);
+        if (request.verifier) {
+            this.setState({sasEvent: request.verifier.sasEvent});
+        }
         this._onRequestChange();
     }
 
diff --git a/src/createRoom.js b/src/createRoom.js
index c25b618dc6..d4575633b3 100644
--- a/src/createRoom.js
+++ b/src/createRoom.js
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ export default function createRoom(opts) {
     });
 }
 
-export async function ensureDMExists(client, userId) {
+export function findDMForUser(client, userId) {
     const roomIds = DMRoomMap.shared().getDMRoomsForUserId(userId);
     const rooms = roomIds.map(id => client.getRoom(id));
     const suitableDMRooms = rooms.filter(r => {
@@ -169,10 +169,16 @@ export async function ensureDMExists(client, userId) {
         }
         return false;
     });
-    let roomId;
     if (suitableDMRooms.length) {
-        const room = suitableDMRooms[0];
-        roomId = room.roomId;
+        return suitableDMRooms[0];
+    }
+}
+
+export async function ensureDMExists(client, userId) {
+    const existingDMRoom = findDMForUser(client, userId);
+    let roomId;
+    if (existingDMRoom) {
+        roomId = existingDMRoom.roomId;
     } else {
         roomId = await createRoom({dmUserId: userId, spinner: false, andView: false});
     }