diff --git a/roomserver/acls/acls.go b/roomserver/acls/acls.go
index 017682e05..4950e6231 100644
--- a/roomserver/acls/acls.go
+++ b/roomserver/acls/acls.go
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ import (
 const MRoomServerACL = "m.room.server_acl"
 
 type ServerACLDatabase interface {
-	// GetKnownRooms returns a list of all rooms we know about.
-	GetKnownRooms(ctx context.Context) ([]string, error)
+	// RoomsWithACLs returns all room IDs for rooms with ACLs
+	RoomsWithACLs(ctx context.Context) ([]string, error)
 
 	// GetBulkStateContent returns all state events which match a given room ID and a given state key tuple. Both must be satisfied for a match.
 	// If a tuple has the StateKey of '*' and allowWildcards=true then all state events with the EventType should be returned.
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func NewServerACLs(db ServerACLDatabase) *ServerACLs {
 	}
 
 	// Look up all of the rooms that the current state server knows about.
-	rooms, err := db.GetKnownRooms(ctx)
+	rooms, err := db.RoomsWithACLs(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		logrus.WithError(err).Fatalf("Failed to get known rooms")
 	}
diff --git a/roomserver/acls/acls_test.go b/roomserver/acls/acls_test.go
index efe1d2093..09920308c 100644
--- a/roomserver/acls/acls_test.go
+++ b/roomserver/acls/acls_test.go
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ var (
 
 type dummyACLDB struct{}
 
-func (d dummyACLDB) GetKnownRooms(ctx context.Context) ([]string, error) {
+func (d dummyACLDB) RoomsWithACLs(ctx context.Context) ([]string, error) {
 	return []string{"1", "2"}, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/roomserver/roomserver_test.go b/roomserver/roomserver_test.go
index 88e335711..85312efd9 100644
--- a/roomserver/roomserver_test.go
+++ b/roomserver/roomserver_test.go
@@ -1284,3 +1284,38 @@ func TestRoomConsumerRecreation(t *testing.T) {
 	wantAckWait := input.MaximumMissingProcessingTime + (time.Second * 10)
 	assert.Equal(t, wantAckWait, info.Config.AckWait)
 }
+
+func TestRoomsWithACLs(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	alice := test.NewUser(t)
+	noACLRoom := test.NewRoom(t, alice)
+	aclRoom := test.NewRoom(t, alice)
+
+	aclRoom.CreateAndInsert(t, alice, "m.room.server_acl", map[string]any{
+		"deny":  []string{"evilhost.test"},
+		"allow": []string{"*"},
+	}, test.WithStateKey(""))
+
+	test.WithAllDatabases(t, func(t *testing.T, dbType test.DBType) {
+		cfg, processCtx, closeDB := testrig.CreateConfig(t, dbType)
+		defer closeDB()
+
+		cm := sqlutil.NewConnectionManager(processCtx, cfg.Global.DatabaseOptions)
+		natsInstance := &jetstream.NATSInstance{}
+		caches := caching.NewRistrettoCache(128*1024*1024, time.Hour, caching.DisableMetrics)
+		// start JetStream listeners
+		rsAPI := roomserver.NewInternalAPI(processCtx, cfg, cm, natsInstance, caches, caching.DisableMetrics)
+		rsAPI.SetFederationAPI(nil, nil)
+
+		for _, room := range []*test.Room{noACLRoom, aclRoom} {
+			// Create the rooms
+			err := api.SendEvents(ctx, rsAPI, api.KindNew, room.Events(), "test", "test", "test", nil, false)
+			assert.NoError(t, err)
+		}
+
+		// Validate that we only have one ACLd room.
+		roomsWithACLs, err := rsAPI.RoomsWithACLs(ctx)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, []string{aclRoom.ID}, roomsWithACLs)
+	})
+}