diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/MemberList.js b/src/components/views/rooms/MemberList.js
index f991827091..55fe650b7b 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/MemberList.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/MemberList.js
@@ -133,16 +133,21 @@ export default class MemberList extends React.Component {
         }
     }
 
+    get canInvite() {
+        const cli = MatrixClientPeg.get();
+        const room = cli.getRoom(this.props.roomId);
+        return room && room.canInvite(cli.getUserId());
+    }
+
     _getMembersState(members) {
         // set the state after determining _showPresence to make sure it's
         // taken into account while rerendering
-        const cli = MatrixClientPeg.get();
         return {
             loading: false,
             members: members,
             filteredJoinedMembers: this._filterMembers(members, 'join'),
             filteredInvitedMembers: this._filterMembers(members, 'invite'),
-            canInvite: cli.getRoom(this.props.roomId).canInvite(cli.getUserId()),
+            canInvite: this.canInvite,
 
             // ideally we'd size this to the page height, but
             // in practice I find that a little constraining
@@ -199,9 +204,7 @@ export default class MemberList extends React.Component {
             this._updateList();
         }
 
-        const cli = MatrixClientPeg.get();
-        const canInvite = cli.getRoom(this.props.roomId).canInvite(cli.getUserId());
-        if (canInvite !== this.state.canInvite) this.setState({canInvite});
+        if (this.canInvite !== this.state.canInvite) this.setState({ canInvite: this.canInvite });
     };
 
     _updateList = rate_limited_func(() => {