diff --git a/src/Rooms.js b/src/Rooms.js
index 436580371e..281ff842e9 100644
--- a/src/Rooms.js
+++ b/src/Rooms.js
@@ -93,14 +93,12 @@ export function setDMRoom(roomId, userId) {
 
     if (mDirectEvent !== undefined) dmRoomMap = mDirectEvent.getContent();
 
+    // remove it from the lists of any others users
+    // (it can only be a DM room for one person)
     for (const thisUserId of Object.keys(dmRoomMap)) {
         const roomList = dmRoomMap[thisUserId];
 
-        if (thisUserId == userId) {
-            if (roomList.indexOf(roomId) == -1) {
-                roomList.push(roomId);
-            }
-        } else {
+        if (thisUserId != userId) {
             const indexOfRoom = roomList.indexOf(roomId);
             if (indexOfRoom > -1) {
                 roomList.splice(indexOfRoom, 1);
@@ -108,6 +106,14 @@ export function setDMRoom(roomId, userId) {
         }
     }
 
+    // now add it, if it's not already there
+    const roomList = dmRoomMap[userId] || [];
+    if (roomList.indexOf(roomId) == -1) {
+        roomList.push(roomId);
+    }
+    dmRoomMap[userId] = roomList;
+
+
     return MatrixClientPeg.get().setAccountData('m.direct', dmRoomMap);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/components/views/dialogs/ChatInviteDialog.js b/src/components/views/dialogs/ChatInviteDialog.js
index e322127135..3e4af5bc50 100644
--- a/src/components/views/dialogs/ChatInviteDialog.js
+++ b/src/components/views/dialogs/ChatInviteDialog.js
@@ -257,9 +257,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
     _startChat: function(addr) {
         // Start the chat
-        createRoom().then(function(roomId) {
-            return Invite.inviteToRoom(roomId, addr);
-        })
+        createRoom({dmUserId: addr})
         .catch(function(err) {
             var ErrorDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ErrorDialog");
             Modal.createDialog(ErrorDialog, {
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/MemberInfo.js b/src/components/views/rooms/MemberInfo.js
index b6944a3d4e..4a01ffd536 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/MemberInfo.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/MemberInfo.js
@@ -421,11 +421,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
     onNewDMClick: function() {
         this.setState({ updating: this.state.updating + 1 });
-        createRoom({
-            createOpts: {
-                invite: [this.props.member.userId],
-            },
-        }).finally(() => {
+        createRoom({dmUserId: this.props.member.userId}).finally(() => {
             this.props.onFinished();
             this.setState({ updating: this.state.updating - 1 });
         }).done();
diff --git a/src/createRoom.js b/src/createRoom.js
index 51e3ff8a96..4c282ef485 100644
--- a/src/createRoom.js
+++ b/src/createRoom.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ var MatrixClientPeg = require('./MatrixClientPeg');
 var Modal = require('./Modal');
 var sdk = require('./index');
 var dis = require("./dispatcher");
+var Rooms = require("./Rooms");
 
 var q = require('q');
 
@@ -28,16 +29,17 @@ var q = require('q');
  * action was aborted or failed.
  *
  * @param {object=} opts parameters for creating the room
+ * @param {string=} opts.dmUserId If specified, make this a DM room for this user and invite them
  * @param {object=} opts.createOpts set of options to pass to createRoom call.
  */
 function createRoom(opts) {
-    var opts = opts || {};
+    opts = opts || {};
 
-    var ErrorDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ErrorDialog");
-    var NeedToRegisterDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.NeedToRegisterDialog");
-    var Loader = sdk.getComponent("elements.Spinner");
+    const ErrorDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ErrorDialog");
+    const NeedToRegisterDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.NeedToRegisterDialog");
+    const Loader = sdk.getComponent("elements.Spinner");
 
-    var client = MatrixClientPeg.get();
+    const client = MatrixClientPeg.get();
     if (client.isGuest()) {
         Modal.createDialog(NeedToRegisterDialog, {
             title: "Please Register",
@@ -46,10 +48,15 @@ function createRoom(opts) {
         return q(null);
     }
 
+    const defaultPreset = opts.dmUserId ? 'trusted_private_chat' : 'private_chat';
+
     // set some defaults for the creation
-    var createOpts = opts.createOpts || {};
-    createOpts.preset = createOpts.preset || 'private_chat';
+    const createOpts = opts.createOpts || {};
+    createOpts.preset = createOpts.preset || defaultPreset;
     createOpts.visibility = createOpts.visibility || 'private';
+    if (opts.dmUserId && createOpts.invite === undefined) {
+        createOpts.invite = [opts.dmUserId];
+    }
 
     // Allow guests by default since the room is private and they'd
     // need an invite. This means clicking on a 3pid invite email can
@@ -64,20 +71,28 @@ function createRoom(opts) {
         }
     ];
 
-    var modal = Modal.createDialog(Loader, null, 'mx_Dialog_spinner');
+    const modal = Modal.createDialog(Loader, null, 'mx_Dialog_spinner');
 
+    let roomId;
     return client.createRoom(createOpts).finally(function() {
         modal.close();
     }).then(function(res) {
+        roomId = res.room_id;
+        if (opts.dmUserId) {
+            return Rooms.setDMRoom(roomId, opts.dmUserId);
+        } else {
+            return q();
+        }
+    }).then(function() {
         // NB createRoom doesn't block on the client seeing the echo that the
         // room has been created, so we race here with the client knowing that
         // the room exists, causing things like
         // https://github.com/vector-im/vector-web/issues/1813
         dis.dispatch({
             action: 'view_room',
-            room_id: res.room_id
+            room_id: roomId
         });
-        return res.room_id;
+        return roomId;
     }, function(err) {
         Modal.createDialog(ErrorDialog, {
             title: "Failure to create room",