diff --git a/lib/controllers/room_chat_controller.dart b/lib/controllers/room_chat_controller.dart
index 3fe9d74..aef5226 100644
--- a/lib/controllers/room_chat_controller.dart
+++ b/lib/controllers/room_chat_controller.dart
@@ -123,9 +123,9 @@ class RoomChatController extends AsyncNotifier<InMemoryChatController> {
 
     ref.onDispose(controller.dispose);
 
-    // While there are under 20 messages, try up to two times to load more messages.
-    for (var i = 0; i < 2 && messages.length < 20; i++) {
-      await loadOlder(controller);
+    // While there are under 20 messages, try up to load more messages until theres no more or we have 20 messages.
+    for (var more = true; more == true && controller.messages.length < 20;) {
+      more = await loadOlder(controller);
     }
 
     return controller;
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ class RoomChatController extends AsyncNotifier<InMemoryChatController> {
         RedactEventRequest(eventId: message.id, roomId: roomId, reason: reason),
       );
 
-  Future<void> loadOlder([InMemoryChatController? chatController]) async {
+  Future<bool> loadOlder([InMemoryChatController? chatController]) async {
     final response = await ref
         .watch(ClientController.provider.notifier)
         .paginate(
@@ -183,28 +183,30 @@ class RoomChatController extends AsyncNotifier<InMemoryChatController> {
             ),
           }),
           const ISet.empty(),
+          addToNewEvents: false,
         );
 
     final room = ref.read(RoomsController.provider)[roomId];
-    if (room == null) return;
+    if (room != null) {
+      final messages = await ref.watch(
+        MessagesController.provider(
+          MessagesConfig(room: room, events: response.events.reversed),
+        ).future,
+      );
 
-    final messages = await ref.watch(
-      MessagesController.provider(
-        MessagesConfig(room: room, events: response.events.reversed),
-      ).future,
-    );
-
-    final controller = chatController ?? await future;
-    await controller.insertAllMessages(
-      messages
-          .where(
-            (newMessage) => !controller.messages.any(
-              (message) => message.id == newMessage.id,
-            ),
-          )
-          .toList(),
-      index: 0,
-    );
+      final controller = chatController ?? await future;
+      await controller.insertAllMessages(
+        messages
+            .where(
+              (newMessage) => !controller.messages.any(
+                (message) => message.id == newMessage.id,
+              ),
+            )
+            .toList(),
+        index: 0,
+      );
+    }
+    return response.hasMore;
   }
 
   Future<void> send(
diff --git a/lib/controllers/rooms_controller.dart b/lib/controllers/rooms_controller.dart
index 27eb18e..7013de0 100644
--- a/lib/controllers/rooms_controller.dart
+++ b/lib/controllers/rooms_controller.dart
@@ -11,7 +11,11 @@ class RoomsController extends Notifier<IMap<String, Room>> {
   @override
   IMap<String, Room> build() => const IMap.empty();
 
-  void update(IMap<String, Room> rooms, ISet<String> leftRooms) {
+  void update(
+    IMap<String, Room> rooms,
+    ISet<String> leftRooms, {
+    bool addToNewEvents = true,
+  }) {
     final homeserver =
         ref.watch(
           ClientStateController.provider.select(
@@ -29,18 +33,20 @@ class RoomsController extends Notifier<IMap<String, Room>> {
         (item) => item.eventId,
       );
 
-      ref
-          .watch(NewEventsController.provider(roomId).notifier)
-          .add(
-            incoming.timeline
-                .map(
-                  (timelineTuple) => events?.firstWhereOrNull(
-                    (event) => timelineTuple.eventRowId == event.rowId,
-                  ),
-                )
-                .nonNulls
-                .toIList(),
-          );
+      if (addToNewEvents) {
+        ref
+            .watch(NewEventsController.provider(roomId).notifier)
+            .add(
+              incoming.timeline
+                  .map(
+                    (timelineTuple) => events?.firstWhereOrNull(
+                      (event) => timelineTuple.eventRowId == event.rowId,
+                    ),
+                  )
+                  .nonNulls
+                  .toIList(),
+            );
+      }
 
       return acc.add(
         roomId,