diff --git a/syncapi/internal/keychange.go b/syncapi/internal/keychange.go
index 8553537e1..531e299a0 100644
--- a/syncapi/internal/keychange.go
+++ b/syncapi/internal/keychange.go
@@ -94,7 +94,8 @@ func DeviceListCatchup(
 	queryRes.UserIDs = append(queryRes.UserIDs, joinUserIDs...)
 	queryRes.UserIDs = append(queryRes.UserIDs, leaveUserIDs...)
 	queryRes.UserIDs = util.UniqueStrings(queryRes.UserIDs)
-	sharedUsersMap := filterSharedUsers(ctx, db, userID, queryRes.UserIDs)
+	var sharedUsersMap map[string]int
+	sharedUsersMap, queryRes.UserIDs = filterSharedUsers(ctx, db, userID, queryRes.UserIDs)
 	userSet := make(map[string]bool)
 	for _, userID := range res.DeviceLists.Changed {
 		if sharedUsersMap[userID] > 0 {
@@ -225,16 +226,15 @@ func TrackChangedUsers(
 // it down to include only users who the requesting user shares a room with.
 func filterSharedUsers(
 	ctx context.Context, db storage.SharedUsers, userID string, usersWithChangedKeys []string,
-) map[string]int {
+) (map[string]int, []string) {
 	sharedUsersMap := make(map[string]int, len(usersWithChangedKeys))
 	for _, userID := range usersWithChangedKeys {
 		sharedUsersMap[userID] = 0
 	}
 	sharedUsers, err := db.SharedUsers(ctx, userID, usersWithChangedKeys)
 	if err != nil {
-		util.GetLogger(ctx).WithError(err).Errorf("db.SharedUsers failed: %s", err)
 		// default to all users so we do needless queries rather than miss some important device update
-		return nil
+		return nil, usersWithChangedKeys
 	}
 	for _, userID := range sharedUsers {
 		sharedUsersMap[userID]++
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ func filterSharedUsers(
 	// and if we are in 0 rooms then we don't technically share any room with ourselves so we wouldn't
 	// be notified about key changes.
 	sharedUsersMap[userID] = 1
-	return sharedUsersMap
+	return sharedUsersMap, sharedUsers
 }
 
 func joinedRooms(res *types.Response, userID string) []string {