diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/syncapi/sync/notifier_test.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/syncapi/sync/notifier_test.go
index 6ee259681..79c5a2872 100644
--- a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/syncapi/sync/notifier_test.go
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/syncapi/sync/notifier_test.go
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ func waitForEvents(n *Notifier, req syncRequest) (types.StreamPosition, error) {
 		return types.StreamPosition(0), fmt.Errorf(
 			"waitForEvents timed out waiting for %s (pos=%d)", req.userID, req.since,
 		)
-	case <-listener.GetNotifyChannel(req.since):
+	case <-listener.GetNotifyChannel(*req.since):
 		p := listener.GetStreamPosition()
 		return p, nil
 	}
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ func newTestSyncRequest(userID string, since types.StreamPosition) syncRequest {
 	return syncRequest{
 		userID:        userID,
 		timeout:       1 * time.Minute,
-		since:         since,
+		since:         &since,
 		wantFullState: false,
 		limit:         defaultTimelineLimit,
 		log:           util.GetLogger(context.TODO()),
diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/syncapi/sync/request.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/syncapi/sync/request.go
index 7dec55fe1..7f5259814 100644
--- a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/syncapi/sync/request.go
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/syncapi/sync/request.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ type syncRequest struct {
 	userID        string
 	limit         int
 	timeout       time.Duration
-	since         types.StreamPosition
+	since         *types.StreamPosition // nil means that no since token was supplied
 	wantFullState bool
 	log           *log.Entry
 }
@@ -70,13 +70,16 @@ func getTimeout(timeoutMS string) time.Duration {
 	return time.Duration(i) * time.Millisecond
 }
 
-func getSyncStreamPosition(since string) (types.StreamPosition, error) {
+// getSyncStreamPosition tries to parse a 'since' token taken from the API to a
+// stream position. If the string is empty then (nil, nil) is returned.
+func getSyncStreamPosition(since string) (*types.StreamPosition, error) {
 	if since == "" {
-		return types.StreamPosition(0), nil
+		return nil, nil
 	}
 	i, err := strconv.Atoi(since)
 	if err != nil {
-		return types.StreamPosition(0), err
+		return nil, err
 	}
-	return types.StreamPosition(i), nil
+	token := types.StreamPosition(i)
+	return &token, nil
 }
diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/syncapi/sync/requestpool.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/syncapi/sync/requestpool.go
index 3b6775618..15993b774 100644
--- a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/syncapi/sync/requestpool.go
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/syncapi/sync/requestpool.go
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func (rp *RequestPool) OnIncomingSyncRequest(req *http.Request, device *authtype
 	currPos := rp.notifier.CurrentPosition()
 
 	// If this is an initial sync or timeout=0 we return immediately
-	if syncReq.since == types.StreamPosition(0) || syncReq.timeout == 0 {
+	if syncReq.since == nil || syncReq.timeout == 0 {
 		syncData, err := rp.currentSyncForUser(*syncReq, currPos)
 		if err != nil {
 			return httputil.LogThenError(req, err)
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func (rp *RequestPool) OnIncomingSyncRequest(req *http.Request, device *authtype
 		case <-timer.C:
 			return util.JSONResponse{
 				Code: 200,
-				JSON: types.NewResponse(syncReq.since),
+				JSON: types.NewResponse(currPos),
 			}
 		// Or for the request to be cancelled
 		case <-req.Context().Done():
@@ -121,10 +121,10 @@ func (rp *RequestPool) OnIncomingSyncRequest(req *http.Request, device *authtype
 
 func (rp *RequestPool) currentSyncForUser(req syncRequest, currentPos types.StreamPosition) (res *types.Response, err error) {
 	// TODO: handle ignored users
-	if req.since == types.StreamPosition(0) {
+	if req.since == nil {
 		res, err = rp.db.CompleteSync(req.ctx, req.userID, req.limit)
 	} else {
-		res, err = rp.db.IncrementalSync(req.ctx, req.userID, req.since, currentPos, req.limit)
+		res, err = rp.db.IncrementalSync(req.ctx, req.userID, *req.since, currentPos, req.limit)
 	}
 
 	if err != nil {
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ func (rp *RequestPool) appendAccountData(
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if req.since == types.StreamPosition(0) {
+	if req.since == nil {
 		// If this is the initial sync, we don't need to check if a data has
 		// already been sent. Instead, we send the whole batch.
 		var global []gomatrixserverlib.ClientEvent
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ func (rp *RequestPool) appendAccountData(
 	}
 
 	// Sync is not initial, get all account data since the latest sync
-	dataTypes, err := rp.db.GetAccountDataInRange(req.ctx, userID, req.since, currentPos)
+	dataTypes, err := rp.db.GetAccountDataInRange(req.ctx, userID, *req.since, currentPos)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}