diff --git a/clientapi/routing/joinroom.go b/clientapi/routing/joinroom.go
index 33ceda5d0..e3e13c9cf 100644
--- a/clientapi/routing/joinroom.go
+++ b/clientapi/routing/joinroom.go
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ func (r joinRoomReq) joinRoomUsingServers(
 		return jsonerror.InternalServerError()
 	}
 
-	var queryRes roomserverAPI.QueryLatestEventsAndStateResponse
+	queryRes := roomserverAPI.QueryLatestEventsAndStateResponse{}
 	event, err := common.BuildEvent(r.req.Context(), &eb, r.cfg, r.evTime, r.queryAPI, &queryRes)
 	if err == nil {
 		if _, err = r.producer.SendEvents(r.req.Context(), []gomatrixserverlib.Event{*event}, r.cfg.Matrix.ServerName, nil); err != nil {
diff --git a/clientapi/threepid/invites.go b/clientapi/threepid/invites.go
index aa54aa9fa..a21aa2b7b 100644
--- a/clientapi/threepid/invites.go
+++ b/clientapi/threepid/invites.go
@@ -353,8 +353,8 @@ func emit3PIDInviteEvent(
 		return err
 	}
 
-	var queryRes *api.QueryLatestEventsAndStateResponse
-	event, err := common.BuildEvent(ctx, builder, cfg, evTime, queryAPI, queryRes)
+	queryRes := api.QueryLatestEventsAndStateResponse{}
+	event, err := common.BuildEvent(ctx, builder, cfg, evTime, queryAPI, &queryRes)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/common/events.go b/common/events.go
index 5d8ac90df..e49c49fe4 100644
--- a/common/events.go
+++ b/common/events.go
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func AddPrevEventsToEvent(
 		StateToFetch: eventsNeeded.Tuples(),
 	}
 	if queryRes == nil {
-		*queryRes = api.QueryLatestEventsAndStateResponse{}
+		queryRes = &api.QueryLatestEventsAndStateResponse{}
 	}
 	if err = queryAPI.QueryLatestEventsAndState(ctx, &queryReq, queryRes); err != nil {
 		return err