diff --git a/lib/src/room.dart b/lib/src/room.dart
index 4a4612e..044208e 100644
--- a/lib/src/room.dart
+++ b/lib/src/room.dart
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ class Room {
             final event = room.getState('im.ponies.room_emotes', stateKey);
             if (event != null && stateKeyEntry.value is Map) {
               addEmotePack(
-                  room.canonicalAlias.isEmpty ? room.id : canonicalAlias,
+                  (room.canonicalAlias?.isEmpty ?? true) ? room.id : canonicalAlias,
                   event.content,
                   stateKeyEntry.value['name']);
             }