diff --git a/cmd/resolve-state/main.go b/cmd/resolve-state/main.go
index 42a3b7e12..d6db72436 100644
--- a/cmd/resolve-state/main.go
+++ b/cmd/resolve-state/main.go
@@ -215,8 +215,8 @@ func main() {
 			return rsAPI.QueryUserIDForSender(ctx, roomID, senderID)
 		},
 		func(eventID string) bool {
-			isRejected, err := roomserverDB.IsEventRejected(ctx, roomInfo.RoomNID, eventID)
-			if err != nil {
+			isRejected, rejectedErr := roomserverDB.IsEventRejected(ctx, roomInfo.RoomNID, eventID)
+			if rejectedErr != nil {
 				return true
 			}
 			return isRejected
diff --git a/roomserver/internal/query/query.go b/roomserver/internal/query/query.go
index 4de530fd7..74b010281 100644
--- a/roomserver/internal/query/query.go
+++ b/roomserver/internal/query/query.go
@@ -166,8 +166,8 @@ func (r *Queryer) QueryStateAfterEvents(
 				return r.QueryUserIDForSender(ctx, roomID, senderID)
 			},
 			func(eventID string) bool {
-				isRejected, err := r.DB.IsEventRejected(ctx, info.RoomNID, eventID)
-				if err != nil {
+				isRejected, rejectedErr := r.DB.IsEventRejected(ctx, info.RoomNID, eventID)
+				if rejectedErr != nil {
 					return true
 				}
 				return isRejected
@@ -684,8 +684,8 @@ func (r *Queryer) QueryStateAndAuthChain(
 				return r.QueryUserIDForSender(ctx, roomID, senderID)
 			},
 			func(eventID string) bool {
-				isRejected, err := r.DB.IsEventRejected(ctx, info.RoomNID, eventID)
-				if err != nil {
+				isRejected, rejectedErr := r.DB.IsEventRejected(ctx, info.RoomNID, eventID)
+				if rejectedErr != nil {
 					return true
 				}
 				return isRejected