diff --git a/roomserver/internal/query/query.go b/roomserver/internal/query/query.go
index c41e1ea67..f3061c222 100644
--- a/roomserver/internal/query/query.go
+++ b/roomserver/internal/query/query.go
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 
+	"github.com/matrix-org/gomatrixserverlib"
+	"github.com/matrix-org/util"
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+
 	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/clientapi/auth/authtypes"
 	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/internal/caching"
 	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/acls"
@@ -30,9 +34,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/storage"
 	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/types"
 	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/version"
-	"github.com/matrix-org/gomatrixserverlib"
-	"github.com/matrix-org/util"
-	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
 type Queryer struct {
@@ -732,7 +733,7 @@ func (r *Queryer) QueryRoomsForUser(ctx context.Context, req *api.QueryRoomsForU
 
 func (r *Queryer) QueryKnownUsers(ctx context.Context, req *api.QueryKnownUsersRequest, res *api.QueryKnownUsersResponse) error {
 	users, err := r.DB.GetKnownUsers(ctx, req.UserID, req.SearchString, req.Limit)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err != nil && err != sql.ErrNoRows {
 		return err
 	}
 	for _, user := range users {