diff --git a/userapi/storage/accounts/postgres/key_backup_version_table.go b/userapi/storage/accounts/postgres/key_backup_version_table.go
index 0abe7b291..51a462b32 100644
--- a/userapi/storage/accounts/postgres/key_backup_version_table.go
+++ b/userapi/storage/accounts/postgres/key_backup_version_table.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ const selectKeyBackupSQL = "" +
 	"SELECT algorithm, auth_data, etag, deleted FROM account_e2e_room_keys_versions WHERE user_id = $1 AND version = $2"
 
 const selectLatestVersionSQL = "" +
-	"SELECT COALESCE(MAX(version),0) FROM account_e2e_room_keys_versions WHERE user_id = $1"
+	"SELECT MAX(version) FROM account_e2e_room_keys_versions WHERE user_id = $1"
 
 type keyBackupVersionStatements struct {
 	insertKeyBackupStmt         *sql.Stmt
@@ -146,12 +146,19 @@ func (s *keyBackupVersionStatements) selectKeyBackup(
 ) (versionResult, algorithm string, authData json.RawMessage, etag string, deleted bool, err error) {
 	var versionInt int64
 	if version == "" {
-		err = txn.Stmt(s.selectLatestVersionStmt).QueryRowContext(ctx, userID).Scan(&versionInt)
+		var v *int64 // allows nulls
+		if err = txn.Stmt(s.selectLatestVersionStmt).QueryRowContext(ctx, userID).Scan(&v); err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+		if v == nil {
+			err = sql.ErrNoRows
+			return
+		}
+		versionInt = *v
 	} else {
-		versionInt, err = strconv.ParseInt(version, 10, 64)
-	}
-	if err != nil {
-		return
+		if versionInt, err = strconv.ParseInt(version, 10, 64); err != nil {
+			return
+		}
 	}
 	versionResult = strconv.FormatInt(versionInt, 10)
 	var deletedInt int
diff --git a/userapi/storage/accounts/sqlite3/key_backup_version_table.go b/userapi/storage/accounts/sqlite3/key_backup_version_table.go
index b0e074839..a9e7bf5db 100644
--- a/userapi/storage/accounts/sqlite3/key_backup_version_table.go
+++ b/userapi/storage/accounts/sqlite3/key_backup_version_table.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ const selectKeyBackupSQL = "" +
 	"SELECT algorithm, auth_data, etag, deleted FROM account_e2e_room_keys_versions WHERE user_id = $1 AND version = $2"
 
 const selectLatestVersionSQL = "" +
-	"SELECT IFNULL(MAX(version),0) FROM account_e2e_room_keys_versions WHERE user_id = $1"
+	"SELECT MAX(version) FROM account_e2e_room_keys_versions WHERE user_id = $1"
 
 type keyBackupVersionStatements struct {
 	insertKeyBackupStmt         *sql.Stmt
@@ -144,12 +144,19 @@ func (s *keyBackupVersionStatements) selectKeyBackup(
 ) (versionResult, algorithm string, authData json.RawMessage, etag string, deleted bool, err error) {
 	var versionInt int64
 	if version == "" {
-		err = txn.Stmt(s.selectLatestVersionStmt).QueryRowContext(ctx, userID).Scan(&versionInt)
+		var v *int64 // allows nulls
+		if err = txn.Stmt(s.selectLatestVersionStmt).QueryRowContext(ctx, userID).Scan(&v); err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+		if v == nil {
+			err = sql.ErrNoRows
+			return
+		}
+		versionInt = *v
 	} else {
-		versionInt, err = strconv.ParseInt(version, 10, 64)
-	}
-	if err != nil {
-		return
+		if versionInt, err = strconv.ParseInt(version, 10, 64); err != nil {
+			return
+		}
 	}
 	versionResult = strconv.FormatInt(versionInt, 10)
 	var deletedInt int