diff --git a/syncapi/routing/routing.go b/syncapi/routing/routing.go
index 922a7df6e..8916565dc 100644
--- a/syncapi/routing/routing.go
+++ b/syncapi/routing/routing.go
@@ -81,7 +81,10 @@ func Setup(
 	})).Methods(http.MethodGet, http.MethodOptions)
 
 	r0mux.Handle("/rooms/{roomID}/messages", common.MakeAuthAPI("room_messages", authData, func(req *http.Request, device *authtypes.Device) util.JSONResponse {
-		vars := mux.Vars(req)
+		vars, err := common.URLDecodeMapValues(mux.Vars(req))
+		if err != nil {
+			return util.ErrorResponse(err)
+		}
 		return OnIncomingMessagesRequest(req, syncDB, vars["roomID"], federation, queryAPI, cfg)
 	})).Methods(http.MethodGet, http.MethodOptions)
 }
diff --git a/syncapi/storage/postgres/syncserver.go b/syncapi/storage/postgres/syncserver.go
index d93a55de0..68863d91c 100644
--- a/syncapi/storage/postgres/syncserver.go
+++ b/syncapi/storage/postgres/syncserver.go
@@ -566,12 +566,11 @@ func (d *SyncServerDatasource) getResponseWithPDUsForCompleteSync(
 	defer common.EndTransaction(txn, &succeeded)
 
 	// Get the current sync position which we will base the sync response on.
-	/*
-		toPos, err = d.syncPositionTx(ctx, txn)
-		if err != nil {
-			return
-		}
-	*/
+	toPos, err = d.syncPositionTx(ctx, txn)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
 	// Get the current stream position which we will base the sync response on.
 	pos, err := d.syncStreamPositionTx(ctx, txn)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -628,6 +627,7 @@ func (d *SyncServerDatasource) getResponseWithPDUsForCompleteSync(
 		jr.Timeline.PrevBatch = types.NewPaginationTokenFromTypeAndPosition(
 			types.PaginationTokenTypeTopology, backwardTopologyPos, 0,
 		).String()
+		// TODO: do we want short-form here? adds complexity elsewhere
 		if prevPDUPos := recentStreamEvents[0].StreamPosition - 1; prevPDUPos > 0 {
 			// Use the short form of batch token for prev_batch
 			jr.Timeline.PrevBatch = strconv.FormatInt(int64(prevPDUPos), 10)
diff --git a/syncapi/sync/request.go b/syncapi/sync/request.go
index c7f9ba0f4..a1bce0a6b 100644
--- a/syncapi/sync/request.go
+++ b/syncapi/sync/request.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ func newSyncRequest(req *http.Request, device authtypes.Device) (*syncRequest, e
 	timeout := getTimeout(req.URL.Query().Get("timeout"))
 	fullState := req.URL.Query().Get("full_state")
 	wantFullState := fullState != "" && fullState != "false"
-	since, err := getSyncStreamPosition(req.URL.Query().Get("since"))
+	since, err := getPaginationToken(req.URL.Query().Get("since"))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -82,11 +82,11 @@ func getTimeout(timeoutMS string) time.Duration {
 // getPaginationToken tries to parse a 'since' token taken from the API to a
 // pagination token. If the string is empty then (nil, nil) is returned.
 // Returns an error if the parsed token's type isn't types.PaginationTokenTypeStream.
-func getPaginationToken(since string) (*types.StreamPosition, error) {
+func getSyncStreamPosition(since string) (*types.StreamPosition, error) {
 	if since == "" {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
-	p, err := types.NewPaginationTokenFromString(since)
+	p, err := getPaginationToken(since)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -101,15 +101,10 @@ func getPaginationToken(since string) (*types.StreamPosition, error) {
 // There are two forms of tokens: The full length form containing all PDU and EDU
 // positions separated by "_", and the short form containing only the PDU
 // position. Short form can be used for, e.g., `prev_batch` tokens.
-func getSyncStreamPosition(since string) (*types.PaginationToken, error) {
+func getPaginationToken(since string) (*types.PaginationToken, error) {
 	if since == "" {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
 
-	pos, err := types.NewPaginationTokenFromString(since)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	return pos, nil
+	return types.NewPaginationTokenFromString(since)
 }
diff --git a/syncapi/types/types.go b/syncapi/types/types.go
index f27377b88..b596aedfe 100644
--- a/syncapi/types/types.go
+++ b/syncapi/types/types.go
@@ -76,12 +76,18 @@ func NewPaginationTokenFromString(s string) (p *PaginationToken, err error) {
 	// Check if the type is among the known ones.
 	p.Type = PaginationTokenType(s[:1])
 	if p.Type != PaginationTokenTypeStream && p.Type != PaginationTokenTypeTopology {
-		err = ErrInvalidPaginationTokenType
-		return
+		if pduPos, perr := strconv.ParseInt(s, 10, 64); perr != nil {
+			return nil, ErrInvalidPaginationTokenType
+		} else {
+			// TODO: should this be topograpical?
+			p.Type = PaginationTokenTypeTopology
+			p.PDUPosition = StreamPosition(pduPos)
+			return
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Parse the token (aka position).
-	positions := strings.Split(s[:1], "_")
+	positions := strings.Split(s[1:], "_")
 
 	// Try to get the PDU position.
 	if len(positions) >= 1 {