diff --git a/clientapi/routing/state.go b/clientapi/routing/state.go
index 532a877fb..d25ee8237 100644
--- a/clientapi/routing/state.go
+++ b/clientapi/routing/state.go
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ func OnIncomingStateTypeRequest(
 		}
 		// If the user has never been in the room then stop at this point.
 		// We won't tell the user about a room they have never joined.
-		if !membershipRes.HasBeenInRoom || membershipRes.Membership == "ban" {
+		if !membershipRes.HasBeenInRoom || membershipRes.Membership == gomatrixserverlib.Ban {
 			return util.JSONResponse{
 				Code: http.StatusForbidden,
 				JSON: jsonerror.Forbidden(fmt.Sprintf("Unknown room %q or user %q has never joined this room", roomID, device.UserID)),