diff --git a/syncapi/streams/stream_pdu.go b/syncapi/streams/stream_pdu.go
index 3e001b583..d0773f804 100644
--- a/syncapi/streams/stream_pdu.go
+++ b/syncapi/streams/stream_pdu.go
@@ -513,7 +513,6 @@ func (p *PDUStreamProvider) getJoinResponseForCompleteSync(
 	// transaction IDs for complete syncs, but we do it anyway because Sytest demands it for:
 	// "Can sync a room with a message with a transaction id" - which does a complete sync to check.
 	recentEvents := snapshot.StreamEventsToEvents(device, recentStreamEvents)
-	stateEvents = removeDuplicates(stateEvents, recentEvents)
 
 	events := recentEvents
 	// Only apply history visibility checks if the response is for joined rooms
@@ -547,7 +546,9 @@ func (p *PDUStreamProvider) getJoinResponseForCompleteSync(
 	// If we are limited by the filter AND the history visibility filter
 	// didn't "remove" events, return that the response is limited.
 	jr.Timeline.Limited = limited && len(events) == len(recentEvents)
-	jr.State.Events = gomatrixserverlib.HeaderedToClientEvents(stateEvents, gomatrixserverlib.FormatSync)
+	jr.State.Events = gomatrixserverlib.HeaderedToClientEvents(
+		removeDuplicates(stateEvents, recentEvents), gomatrixserverlib.FormatSync,
+	)
 	return jr, nil
 }