diff --git a/roomserver/internal/input/input_events.go b/roomserver/internal/input/input_events.go
index f2bd4ba49..38c0169ae 100644
--- a/roomserver/internal/input/input_events.go
+++ b/roomserver/internal/input/input_events.go
@@ -22,9 +22,10 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"time"
+
 	userAPI "github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/userapi/api"
 	"github.com/tidwall/gjson"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/matrix-org/gomatrixserverlib"
 	"github.com/matrix-org/util"
diff --git a/roomserver/internal/perform/perform_join.go b/roomserver/internal/perform/perform_join.go
index 0f5cfcfd2..57a9e445b 100644
--- a/roomserver/internal/perform/perform_join.go
+++ b/roomserver/internal/perform/perform_join.go
@@ -273,8 +273,9 @@ func (r *Joiner) performJoinRoomByID(
 
 	// If a guest is trying to join a room, check that the room has a m.room.guest_access event
 	if req.IsGuest {
+		var guestAccessEvent *gomatrixserverlib.HeaderedEvent
 		guestAccess := "forbidden"
-		guestAccessEvent, err := r.DB.GetStateEvent(ctx, req.RoomIDOrAlias, gomatrixserverlib.MRoomGuestAccess, "")
+		guestAccessEvent, err = r.DB.GetStateEvent(ctx, req.RoomIDOrAlias, gomatrixserverlib.MRoomGuestAccess, "")
 		if err == nil && guestAccessEvent != nil {
 			guestAccess = gjson.GetBytes(guestAccessEvent.Content(), "guest_access").String()
 		}
@@ -284,7 +285,7 @@ func (r *Joiner) performJoinRoomByID(
 		if guestAccess != "can_join" {
 			return "", "", &rsAPI.PerformError{
 				Code: rsAPI.PerformErrorNotAllowed,
-				Msg:  fmt.Sprintf("Guest access is forbidden"),
+				Msg:  "Guest access is forbidden",
 			}
 		}
 	}