diff --git a/spec/unit/room.spec.js b/spec/unit/room.spec.js
index be746a237..015bfb48c 100644
--- a/spec/unit/room.spec.js
+++ b/spec/unit/room.spec.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import * as utils from "../test-utils";
-import { EventStatus, MatrixEvent } from "../../src";
+import { DuplicateStrategy, EventStatus, MatrixEvent } from "../../src";
 import { EventTimeline } from "../../src/models/event-timeline";
 import { RoomState } from "../../src";
 import { Room } from "../../src";
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ describe("Room", function() {
             dupe.event.event_id = events[0].getId();
             room.addLiveEvents(events);
             expect(room.timeline[0]).toEqual(events[0]);
-            room.addLiveEvents([dupe], "replace");
+            room.addLiveEvents([dupe], DuplicateStrategy.Replace);
             expect(room.timeline[0]).toEqual(dupe);
         });
 
diff --git a/src/models/event-timeline-set.ts b/src/models/event-timeline-set.ts
index aa4d307bc..dfa974267 100644
--- a/src/models/event-timeline-set.ts
+++ b/src/models/event-timeline-set.ts
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ export class EventTimelineSet extends EventEmitter {
 
         const timeline = this._eventIdToTimeline[event.getId()];
         if (timeline) {
-            if (duplicateStrategy === "replace") {
+            if (duplicateStrategy === DuplicateStrategy.Replace) {
                 debuglog("EventTimelineSet.addLiveEvent: replacing duplicate event " +
                     event.getId());
                 const tlEvents = timeline.getEvents();
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ export class EventTimelineSet extends EventEmitter {
                     if (tlEvents[j].getId() === event.getId()) {
                         // still need to set the right metadata on this event
                         if (!roomState) {
-                            timeline.getState(EventTimeline.FORWARDS);
+                            roomState = timeline.getState(EventTimeline.FORWARDS);
                         }
                         EventTimeline.setEventMetadata(
                             event,
diff --git a/src/models/room.ts b/src/models/room.ts
index f779c32da..d2ea38738 100644
--- a/src/models/room.ts
+++ b/src/models/room.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 import { EventEmitter } from "events";
 
-import { EventTimelineSet } from "./event-timeline-set";
+import { EventTimelineSet, DuplicateStrategy } from "./event-timeline-set";
 import { EventTimeline } from "./event-timeline";
 import { getHttpUriForMxc } from "../content-repo";
 import * as utils from "../utils";
@@ -1327,7 +1327,7 @@ export class Room extends EventEmitter {
      * @fires module:client~MatrixClient#event:"Room.timeline"
      * @private
      */
-    private addLiveEvent(event: MatrixEvent, duplicateStrategy?: "ignore" | "replace", fromCache = false): void {
+    private addLiveEvent(event: MatrixEvent, duplicateStrategy?: DuplicateStrategy, fromCache = false): void {
         if (event.isRedaction()) {
             const redactId = event.event.redacts;
 
@@ -1713,7 +1713,7 @@ export class Room extends EventEmitter {
      * @param {boolean} fromCache whether the sync response came from cache
      * @throws If <code>duplicateStrategy</code> is not falsey, 'replace' or 'ignore'.
      */
-    public addLiveEvents(events: MatrixEvent[], duplicateStrategy?: "replace" | "ignore", fromCache = false): void {
+    public addLiveEvents(events: MatrixEvent[], duplicateStrategy?: DuplicateStrategy, fromCache = false): void {
         let i;
         if (duplicateStrategy && ["replace", "ignore"].indexOf(duplicateStrategy) === -1) {
             throw new Error("duplicateStrategy MUST be either 'replace' or 'ignore'");