diff --git a/src/components/views/elements/RoomName.tsx b/src/components/views/elements/RoomName.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9178155d19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/views/elements/RoomName.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2021 The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+import {useEffect, useState} from "react";
+import {Room} from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room";
+
+import {useEventEmitter} from "../../../hooks/useEventEmitter";
+
+interface IProps {
+    room: Room;
+    children?(name: string): JSX.Element;
+}
+
+const RoomName = ({ room, children }: IProps): JSX.Element => {
+    const [name, setName] = useState(room?.name);
+    useEventEmitter(room, "Room.name", () => {
+        setName(room?.name);
+    });
+    useEffect(() => {
+        setName(room?.name);
+    }, [room]);
+
+    if (children) return children(name);
+    return name || "";
+};
+
+export default RoomName;
diff --git a/src/components/views/elements/RoomTopic.tsx b/src/components/views/elements/RoomTopic.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fe8aa5a83d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/views/elements/RoomTopic.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2021 The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+import React, {useEffect, useState} from "react";
+import {EventType} from "matrix-js-sdk/src/@types/event";
+import {Room} from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room";
+
+import {useEventEmitter} from "../../../hooks/useEventEmitter";
+import {linkifyElement} from "../../../HtmlUtils";
+
+interface IProps {
+    room?: Room;
+    children?(topic: string, ref: (element: HTMLElement) => void): JSX.Element;
+}
+
+export const getTopic = room => room?.currentState?.getStateEvents(EventType.RoomTopic, "")?.getContent()?.topic;
+
+const RoomTopic = ({ room, children }: IProps): JSX.Element => {
+    const [topic, setTopic] = useState(getTopic(room));
+    useEventEmitter(room.currentState, "RoomState.events", () => {
+        setTopic(getTopic(room));
+    });
+    useEffect(() => {
+        setTopic(getTopic(room));
+    }, [room]);
+
+    const ref = e => e && linkifyElement(e);
+    if (children) return children(topic, ref);
+    return <span ref={ref}>{ topic }</span>;
+};
+
+export default RoomTopic;
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomHeader.js b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomHeader.js
index 8eb8276630..93055c69f5 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomHeader.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomHeader.js
@@ -15,14 +15,13 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
-import React, {createRef} from 'react';
+import React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import classNames from 'classnames';
 import { _t } from '../../../languageHandler';
 import {MatrixClientPeg} from '../../../MatrixClientPeg';
 import RateLimitedFunc from '../../../ratelimitedfunc';
 
-import { linkifyElement } from '../../../HtmlUtils';
 import {CancelButton} from './SimpleRoomHeader';
 import SettingsStore from "../../../settings/SettingsStore";
 import RoomHeaderButtons from '../right_panel/RoomHeaderButtons';
@@ -30,6 +29,8 @@ import E2EIcon from './E2EIcon';
 import DecoratedRoomAvatar from "../avatars/DecoratedRoomAvatar";
 import {DefaultTagID} from "../../../stores/room-list/models";
 import AccessibleTooltipButton from "../elements/AccessibleTooltipButton";
+import RoomTopic from "../elements/RoomTopic";
+import RoomName from "../elements/RoomName";
 
 export default class RoomHeader extends React.Component {
     static propTypes = {
@@ -52,35 +53,13 @@ export default class RoomHeader extends React.Component {
         onCancelClick: null,
     };
 
-    constructor(props) {
-        super(props);
-
-        this._topic = createRef();
-    }
-
     componentDidMount() {
         const cli = MatrixClientPeg.get();
         cli.on("RoomState.events", this._onRoomStateEvents);
         cli.on("Room.accountData", this._onRoomAccountData);
-
-        // When a room name occurs, RoomState.events is fired *before*
-        // room.name is updated. So we have to listen to Room.name as well as
-        // RoomState.events.
-        if (this.props.room) {
-            this.props.room.on("Room.name", this._onRoomNameChange);
-        }
-    }
-
-    componentDidUpdate() {
-        if (this._topic.current) {
-            linkifyElement(this._topic.current);
-        }
     }
 
     componentWillUnmount() {
-        if (this.props.room) {
-            this.props.room.removeListener("Room.name", this._onRoomNameChange);
-        }
         const cli = MatrixClientPeg.get();
         if (cli) {
             cli.removeListener("RoomState.events", this._onRoomStateEvents);
@@ -109,10 +88,6 @@ export default class RoomHeader extends React.Component {
         this.forceUpdate();
     }, 500);
 
-    _onRoomNameChange = (room) => {
-        this.forceUpdate();
-    };
-
     _hasUnreadPins() {
         const currentPinEvent = this.props.room.currentState.getStateEvents("m.room.pinned_events", '');
         if (!currentPinEvent) return false;
@@ -170,29 +145,28 @@ export default class RoomHeader extends React.Component {
             }
         }
 
-        let roomName = _t("Join Room");
+        let oobName = _t("Join Room");
         if (this.props.oobData && this.props.oobData.name) {
-            roomName = this.props.oobData.name;
-        } else if (this.props.room) {
-            roomName = this.props.room.name;
+            oobName = this.props.oobData.name;
         }
 
         const textClasses = classNames('mx_RoomHeader_nametext', { mx_RoomHeader_settingsHint: settingsHint });
         const name =
             <div className="mx_RoomHeader_name" onClick={this.props.onSettingsClick}>
-                <div dir="auto" className={textClasses} title={roomName}>{ roomName }</div>
+                <RoomName room={this.props.room}>
+                    {(name) => {
+                        const roomName = name || oobName;
+                        return <div dir="auto" className={textClasses} title={roomName}>{ roomName }</div>;
+                    }}
+                </RoomName>
                 { searchStatus }
             </div>;
 
-        let topic;
-        if (this.props.room) {
-            const ev = this.props.room.currentState.getStateEvents('m.room.topic', '');
-            if (ev) {
-                topic = ev.getContent().topic;
-            }
-        }
-        const topicElement =
-            <div className="mx_RoomHeader_topic" ref={this._topic} title={topic} dir="auto">{ topic }</div>;
+        const topicElement = <RoomTopic room={this.props.room}>
+            {(topic, ref) => <div className="mx_RoomHeader_topic" ref={ref} title={topic} dir="auto">
+                { topic }
+            </div>}
+        </RoomTopic>;
 
         let roomAvatar;
         if (this.props.room) {