diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/clientapi/writers/membership.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/clientapi/writers/membership.go
index 679a7a367..c197036dc 100644
--- a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/clientapi/writers/membership.go
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/clientapi/writers/membership.go
@@ -67,21 +67,11 @@ func SendMembership(
 		return *reqErr
 	}
 
-	localpart, serverName, err := gomatrixserverlib.SplitID('@', stateKey)
+	profile, err := loadProfile(stateKey, cfg, accountDB)
 	if err != nil {
 		return httputil.LogThenError(req, err)
 	}
 
-	var profile *authtypes.Profile
-	if serverName == cfg.Matrix.ServerName {
-		profile, err = accountDB.GetProfileByLocalpart(localpart)
-		if err != nil {
-			return httputil.LogThenError(req, err)
-		}
-	} else {
-		profile = &authtypes.Profile{}
-	}
-
 	builder := gomatrixserverlib.EventBuilder{
 		Sender:   device.UserID,
 		RoomID:   roomID,
@@ -125,6 +115,22 @@ func SendMembership(
 	}
 }
 
+func loadProfile(userID string, cfg config.Dendrite, accountDB *accounts.Database) (*authtypes.Profile, error) {
+	localpart, serverName, err := gomatrixserverlib.SplitID('@', userID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	var profile *authtypes.Profile
+	if serverName == cfg.Matrix.ServerName {
+		profile, err = accountDB.GetProfileByLocalpart(localpart)
+	} else {
+		profile = &authtypes.Profile{}
+	}
+
+	return profile, err
+}
+
 // getMembershipStateKey extracts the target user ID of a membership change.
 // For "join" and "leave" this will be the ID of the user making the change.
 // For "ban", "unban", "kick" and "invite" the target user ID will be in the JSON request body.