diff --git a/lib/src/database/database.dart b/lib/src/database/database.dart
index 805330f..d339336 100644
--- a/lib/src/database/database.dart
+++ b/lib/src/database/database.dart
@@ -529,6 +529,15 @@ class Database extends _$Database {
     return sdk.Event.fromDb(res.first, room).asUser;
   }
 
+  Future<List<sdk.User>> getUsers(int clientId, sdk.Room room) async {
+    final res = await dbGetUsers(clientId, room.id).get();
+    final ret = <sdk.User>[];
+    for (final r in res) {
+      ret.add(sdk.Event.fromDb(r, room).asUser);
+    }
+    return ret;
+  }
+
   Future<List<sdk.Event>> getEventList(int clientId, sdk.Room room) async {
     final res = await dbGetEventList(clientId, room.id).get();
     final eventList = <sdk.Event>[];
diff --git a/lib/src/database/database.g.dart b/lib/src/database/database.g.dart
index 453053e..203313f 100644
--- a/lib/src/database/database.g.dart
+++ b/lib/src/database/database.g.dart
@@ -6197,6 +6197,13 @@ abstract class _$Database extends GeneratedDatabase {
         }).map(_rowToDbRoomState);
   }
 
+  Selectable<DbRoomState> dbGetUsers(int client_id, String room_id) {
+    return customSelect(
+        'SELECT * FROM room_states WHERE client_id = :client_id AND type = \'m.room.member\' AND room_id = :room_id',
+        variables: [Variable.withInt(client_id), Variable.withString(room_id)],
+        readsFrom: {roomStates}).map(_rowToDbRoomState);
+  }
+
   DbEvent _rowToDbEvent(QueryRow row) {
     return DbEvent(
       clientId: row.readInt('client_id'),
diff --git a/lib/src/database/database.moor b/lib/src/database/database.moor
index 716bdc6..cade18c 100644
--- a/lib/src/database/database.moor
+++ b/lib/src/database/database.moor
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ storeRoomState: INSERT OR REPLACE INTO room_states (client_id, event_id, room_id
 getAllRoomAccountData: SELECT * FROM room_account_data WHERE client_id = :client_id;
 storeRoomAccountData: INSERT OR REPLACE INTO room_account_data (client_id, type, room_id, content) VALUES (:client_id, :type, :room_id, :content);
 dbGetUser: SELECT * FROM room_states WHERE client_id = :client_id AND type = 'm.room.member' AND state_key = :state_key AND room_id = :room_id;
+dbGetUsers: SELECT * FROM room_states WHERE client_id = :client_id AND type = 'm.room.member' AND room_id = :room_id;
 dbGetEventList: SELECT * FROM events WHERE client_id = :client_id AND room_id = :room_id GROUP BY event_id ORDER BY sort_order DESC;
 getStates: SELECT * FROM room_states WHERE client_id = :client_id AND room_id = :room_id;
 resetNotificationCount: UPDATE rooms SET notification_count = 0, highlight_count = 0 WHERE client_id = :client_id AND room_id = :room_id;
diff --git a/lib/src/room.dart b/lib/src/room.dart
index 93b6398..0113123 100644
--- a/lib/src/room.dart
+++ b/lib/src/room.dart
@@ -984,10 +984,20 @@ class Room {
   /// Request the full list of participants from the server. The local list
   /// from the store is not complete if the client uses lazy loading.
   Future<List<User>> requestParticipants() async {
+    if (!participantListComplete && partial && client.database != null) {
+      // we aren't fully loaded, maybe the users are in the database
+      final users = await client.database.getUsers(client.id, this);
+      for (final user in users) {
+        setState(user);
+      }
+    }
     if (participantListComplete) return getParticipants();
     final matrixEvents = await client.api.requestMembers(id);
     final users =
         matrixEvents.map((e) => Event.fromMatrixEvent(e, this).asUser).toList();
+    for (final user in users) {
+      setState(user); // at *least* cache this in-memory
+    }
     users.removeWhere(
         (u) => [Membership.leave, Membership.ban].contains(u.membership));
     return users;
diff --git a/test/room_test.dart b/test/room_test.dart
index 590f0ec..b459db5 100644
--- a/test/room_test.dart
+++ b/test/room_test.dart
@@ -300,6 +300,9 @@ void main() {
     });
 
     test('getParticipants', () async {
+      var userList = room.getParticipants();
+      expect(userList.length, 4);
+      // add new user
       room.setState(Event(
           senderId: '@alice:test.abc',
           type: 'm.room.member',
@@ -309,9 +312,9 @@ void main() {
           originServerTs: DateTime.now(),
           content: {'displayname': 'alice'},
           stateKey: '@alice:test.abc'));
-      final userList = room.getParticipants();
-      expect(userList.length, 4);
-      expect(userList[3].displayName, 'alice');
+      userList = room.getParticipants();
+      expect(userList.length, 5);
+      expect(userList[4].displayName, 'alice');
     });
 
     test('addToDirectChat', () async {