diff --git a/syncapi/storage/shared/storage_consumer.go b/syncapi/storage/shared/storage_consumer.go
index aeeebb1d2..18802d0c4 100644
--- a/syncapi/storage/shared/storage_consumer.go
+++ b/syncapi/storage/shared/storage_consumer.go
@@ -567,9 +567,14 @@ func (d *Database) ReIndex(ctx context.Context, limit, afterID int64) (map[int64
 }
 
 func (d *Database) UpdateRelations(ctx context.Context, event *gomatrixserverlib.HeaderedEvent) error {
+	// No need to unmarshal if the event is a redaction
+	if event.Type() == gomatrixserverlib.MRoomRedaction {
+		return nil
+	}
 	var content gomatrixserverlib.RelationContent
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(event.Content(), &content); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("json.Unmarshal: %w", err)
+		logrus.WithError(err).Error("unable to unmarshal relation content")
+		return nil
 	}
 	switch {
 	case content.Relations == nil:
@@ -578,8 +583,6 @@ func (d *Database) UpdateRelations(ctx context.Context, event *gomatrixserverlib
 		return nil
 	case content.Relations.RelationType == "":
 		return nil
-	case event.Type() == gomatrixserverlib.MRoomRedaction:
-		return nil
 	default:
 		return d.Writer.Do(d.DB, nil, func(txn *sql.Tx) error {
 			return d.Relations.InsertRelation(
diff --git a/syncapi/syncapi_test.go b/syncapi/syncapi_test.go
index e748660f7..1cb82ce11 100644
--- a/syncapi/syncapi_test.go
+++ b/syncapi/syncapi_test.go
@@ -10,11 +10,13 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/syncapi/routing"
 	"github.com/matrix-org/gomatrixserverlib"
 	"github.com/nats-io/nats.go"
 	"github.com/tidwall/gjson"
 
+	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/syncapi/routing"
+	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/syncapi/storage"
+
 	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/clientapi/producers"
 	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver"
 	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/api"
@@ -1074,6 +1076,90 @@ func testContext(t *testing.T, dbType test.DBType) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestUpdateRelations(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name         string
+		eventContent map[string]interface{}
+		eventType    string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "empty event content should not error",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "unable to unmarshal event should not error",
+			eventContent: map[string]interface{}{
+				"m.relates_to": map[string]interface{}{
+					"event_id": map[string]interface{}{}, // this should be a string and not struct
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "empty event ID is ignored",
+			eventContent: map[string]interface{}{
+				"m.relates_to": map[string]interface{}{
+					"event_id": "",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "empty rel_type is ignored",
+			eventContent: map[string]interface{}{
+				"m.relates_to": map[string]interface{}{
+					"event_id": "$randomEventID",
+					"rel_type": "",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:      "redactions are ignored",
+			eventType: gomatrixserverlib.MRoomRedaction,
+			eventContent: map[string]interface{}{
+				"m.relates_to": map[string]interface{}{
+					"event_id": "$randomEventID",
+					"rel_type": "m.replace",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "valid event is correctly written",
+			eventContent: map[string]interface{}{
+				"m.relates_to": map[string]interface{}{
+					"event_id": "$randomEventID",
+					"rel_type": "m.replace",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	alice := test.NewUser(t)
+	room := test.NewRoom(t, alice)
+
+	test.WithAllDatabases(t, func(t *testing.T, dbType test.DBType) {
+		base, shutdownBase := testrig.CreateBaseDendrite(t, dbType)
+		t.Cleanup(shutdownBase)
+		db, err := storage.NewSyncServerDatasource(base, &base.Cfg.SyncAPI.Database)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		for _, tc := range testCases {
+			t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+				evType := "m.room.message"
+				if tc.eventType != "" {
+					evType = tc.eventType
+				}
+				ev := room.CreateEvent(t, alice, evType, tc.eventContent)
+				err = db.UpdateRelations(ctx, ev)
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatal(err)
+				}
+			})
+		}
+	})
+}
+
 func syncUntil(t *testing.T,
 	base *base.BaseDendrite, accessToken string,
 	skip bool,