diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/clientapi/readers/profile.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/clientapi/readers/profile.go
index d4ba5136c..7e935d9ce 100644
--- a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/clientapi/readers/profile.go
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/clientapi/readers/profile.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/clientapi/auth/authtypes"
 	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/clientapi/auth/storage/accounts"
 	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/clientapi/httputil"
 	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/clientapi/jsonerror"
@@ -107,14 +108,21 @@ func SetAvatarURL(
 		}
 	}
 
-	if err := sendUpdate(userID, r.AvatarURL, "", accountDB, cfg); err != nil {
+	localpart := getLocalPart(userID)
+
+	oldProfile, err := accountDB.GetProfileByLocalpart(localpart)
+	if err != nil {
 		return httputil.LogThenError(req, err)
 	}
 
-	localpart := getLocalPart(userID)
 	if err := accountDB.SetAvatarURL(localpart, r.AvatarURL); err != nil {
 		return httputil.LogThenError(req, err)
 	}
+
+	if err := sendUpdate(userID, oldProfile, r.AvatarURL, "", accountDB, cfg); err != nil {
+		return httputil.LogThenError(req, err)
+	}
+
 	return util.JSONResponse{
 		Code: 200,
 		JSON: struct{}{},
@@ -155,14 +163,21 @@ func SetDisplayName(
 		}
 	}
 
-	if err := sendUpdate(userID, "", r.DisplayName, accountDB, cfg); err != nil {
+	localpart := getLocalPart(userID)
+
+	oldProfile, err := accountDB.GetProfileByLocalpart(localpart)
+	if err != nil {
 		return httputil.LogThenError(req, err)
 	}
 
-	localpart := getLocalPart(userID)
 	if err := accountDB.SetDisplayName(localpart, r.DisplayName); err != nil {
 		return httputil.LogThenError(req, err)
 	}
+
+	if err := sendUpdate(userID, oldProfile, "", r.DisplayName, accountDB, cfg); err != nil {
+		return httputil.LogThenError(req, err)
+	}
+
 	return util.JSONResponse{
 		Code: 200,
 		JSON: struct{}{},
@@ -182,8 +197,8 @@ func getLocalPart(userID string) string {
 
 // Send an update using kafka to notify the roomserver of the profile update
 // Returns an error if the update failed to send
-func sendUpdate(userID string, newAvatarURL string, newDisplayName string,
-	accountDB *accounts.Database, cfg config.Dendrite,
+func sendUpdate(userID string, oldProfile *authtypes.Profile, newAvatarURL string,
+	newDisplayName string, accountDB *accounts.Database, cfg config.Dendrite,
 ) error {
 	var update profileUpdate
 	var m sarama.ProducerMessage
@@ -191,23 +206,17 @@ func sendUpdate(userID string, newAvatarURL string, newDisplayName string,
 	m.Topic = string(cfg.Kafka.Topics.UserUpdates)
 	m.Key = sarama.StringEncoder(userID)
 
-	localpart := getLocalPart(userID)
-	profile, err := accountDB.GetProfileByLocalpart(localpart)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	// Determining if the changed value is the avatar URL or the display name
 	if len(newAvatarURL) > 0 {
 		update = profileUpdate{
 			Updated:  "avatar_url",
-			OldValue: profile.AvatarURL,
+			OldValue: oldProfile.AvatarURL,
 			NewValue: newAvatarURL,
 		}
 	} else if len(newDisplayName) > 0 {
 		update = profileUpdate{
 			Updated:  "displayname",
-			OldValue: profile.DisplayName,
+			OldValue: oldProfile.DisplayName,
 			NewValue: newDisplayName,
 		}
 	} else {