diff --git a/src/settings/handlers/AccountSettingsHandler.js b/src/settings/handlers/AccountSettingsHandler.js
index e50358a728..b822709573 100644
--- a/src/settings/handlers/AccountSettingsHandler.js
+++ b/src/settings/handlers/AccountSettingsHandler.js
@@ -25,19 +25,20 @@ export default class AccountSettingHandler extends SettingsHandler {
     getValue(settingName, roomId) {
         // Special case URL previews
         if (settingName === "urlPreviewsEnabled") {
-            const content = this._getSettings("org.matrix.preview_urls");
+            const content = this._getSettings("org.matrix.preview_urls") || {};
 
             // Check to make sure that we actually got a boolean
             if (typeof(content['disable']) !== "boolean") return null;
             return !content['disable'];
         }
 
-        let preferredValue = this._getSettings()[settingName];
+        const settings = this._getSettings() || {};
+        let preferredValue = settings[settingName];
 
         if (preferredValue === null || preferredValue === undefined) {
             // Honour the old setting on read only
             if (settingName === "hideAvatarChanges" || settingName === "hideDisplaynameChanges") {
-                preferredValue = this._getSettings()["hideAvatarDisplaynameChanges"];
+                preferredValue = settings["hideAvatarDisplaynameChanges"];
             }
         }
 
@@ -47,12 +48,12 @@ export default class AccountSettingHandler extends SettingsHandler {
     setValue(settingName, roomId, newValue) {
         // Special case URL previews
         if (settingName === "urlPreviewsEnabled") {
-            const content = this._getSettings("org.matrix.preview_urls");
+            const content = this._getSettings("org.matrix.preview_urls") || {};
             content['disable'] = !newValue;
             return MatrixClientPeg.get().setAccountData("org.matrix.preview_urls", content);
         }
 
-        const content = this._getSettings();
+        const content = this._getSettings() || {};
         content[settingName] = newValue;
         return MatrixClientPeg.get().setAccountData("im.vector.web.settings", content);
     }
@@ -68,9 +69,10 @@ export default class AccountSettingHandler extends SettingsHandler {
 
     _getSettings(eventType = "im.vector.web.settings") {
         const cli = MatrixClientPeg.get();
-        if (!cli) return {};
+        if (!cli) return null;
+
         const event = cli.getAccountData(eventType);
-        if (!event || !event.getContent()) return {};
+        if (!event || !event.getContent()) return null;
         return event.getContent();
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/settings/handlers/DeviceSettingsHandler.js b/src/settings/handlers/DeviceSettingsHandler.js
index 22f6140a80..13117f7498 100644
--- a/src/settings/handlers/DeviceSettingsHandler.js
+++ b/src/settings/handlers/DeviceSettingsHandler.js
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@ export default class DeviceSettingsHandler extends SettingsHandler {
             return null; // wrong type or otherwise not set
         }
 
-        return this._getSettings()[settingName];
+        const settings = this._getSettings() || {};
+        return settings[settingName];
     }
 
     setValue(settingName, roomId, newValue) {
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ export default class DeviceSettingsHandler extends SettingsHandler {
             return Promise.resolve();
         }
 
-        const settings = this._getSettings();
+        const settings = this._getSettings() || {};
         settings[settingName] = newValue;
         localStorage.setItem("mx_local_settings", JSON.stringify(settings));
 
@@ -91,7 +92,7 @@ export default class DeviceSettingsHandler extends SettingsHandler {
 
     _getSettings() {
         const value = localStorage.getItem("mx_local_settings");
-        if (!value) return {};
+        if (!value) return null;
         return JSON.parse(value);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/settings/handlers/RoomAccountSettingsHandler.js b/src/settings/handlers/RoomAccountSettingsHandler.js
index e946581807..74dbf9eed0 100644
--- a/src/settings/handlers/RoomAccountSettingsHandler.js
+++ b/src/settings/handlers/RoomAccountSettingsHandler.js
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ export default class RoomAccountSettingsHandler extends SettingsHandler {
     getValue(settingName, roomId) {
         // Special case URL previews
         if (settingName === "urlPreviewsEnabled") {
-            const content = this._getSettings(roomId, "org.matrix.room.preview_urls");
+            const content = this._getSettings(roomId, "org.matrix.room.preview_urls") || {};
 
             // Check to make sure that we actually got a boolean
             if (typeof(content['disable']) !== "boolean") return null;
@@ -35,16 +35,18 @@ export default class RoomAccountSettingsHandler extends SettingsHandler {
         if (settingName === "roomColor") {
             // The event content should already be in an appropriate format, we just need
             // to get the right value.
+            // don't fallback to {} because thats truthy and would imply there is an event specifying tint
             return this._getSettings(roomId, "org.matrix.room.color_scheme");
         }
 
-        return this._getSettings(roomId)[settingName];
+        const settings = this._getSettings(roomId) || {};
+        return settings[settingName];
     }
 
     setValue(settingName, roomId, newValue) {
         // Special case URL previews
         if (settingName === "urlPreviewsEnabled") {
-            const content = this._getSettings(roomId, "org.matrix.room.preview_urls");
+            const content = this._getSettings(roomId, "org.matrix.room.preview_urls") || {};
             content['disable'] = !newValue;
             return MatrixClientPeg.get().setRoomAccountData(roomId, "org.matrix.room.preview_urls", content);
         }
@@ -55,7 +57,7 @@ export default class RoomAccountSettingsHandler extends SettingsHandler {
             return MatrixClientPeg.get().setRoomAccountData(roomId, "org.matrix.room.color_scheme", newValue);
         }
 
-        const content = this._getSettings(roomId);
+        const content = this._getSettings(roomId) || {};
         content[settingName] = newValue;
         return MatrixClientPeg.get().setRoomAccountData(roomId, "im.vector.web.settings", content);
     }
@@ -74,10 +76,10 @@ export default class RoomAccountSettingsHandler extends SettingsHandler {
 
     _getSettings(roomId, eventType = "im.vector.settings") {
         const room = MatrixClientPeg.get().getRoom(roomId);
-        if (!room) return {};
+        if (!room) return null;
 
         const event = room.getAccountData(eventType);
-        if (!event || !event.getContent()) return {};
+        if (!event || !event.getContent()) return null;
         return event.getContent();
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/settings/handlers/RoomSettingsHandler.js b/src/settings/handlers/RoomSettingsHandler.js
index cb3e836c7f..71abff94f6 100644
--- a/src/settings/handlers/RoomSettingsHandler.js
+++ b/src/settings/handlers/RoomSettingsHandler.js
@@ -24,25 +24,26 @@ export default class RoomSettingsHandler extends SettingsHandler {
     getValue(settingName, roomId) {
         // Special case URL previews
         if (settingName === "urlPreviewsEnabled") {
-            const content = this._getSettings(roomId, "org.matrix.room.preview_urls");
+            const content = this._getSettings(roomId, "org.matrix.room.preview_urls") || {};
 
             // Check to make sure that we actually got a boolean
             if (typeof(content['disable']) !== "boolean") return null;
             return !content['disable'];
         }
 
-        return this._getSettings(roomId)[settingName];
+        const settings = this._getSettings(roomId) || {};
+        return settings[settingName];
     }
 
     setValue(settingName, roomId, newValue) {
         // Special case URL previews
         if (settingName === "urlPreviewsEnabled") {
-            const content = this._getSettings(roomId, "org.matrix.room.preview_urls");
+            const content = this._getSettings(roomId, "org.matrix.room.preview_urls") || {};
             content['disable'] = !newValue;
             return MatrixClientPeg.get().sendStateEvent(roomId, "org.matrix.room.preview_urls", content);
         }
 
-        const content = this._getSettings(roomId);
+        const content = this._getSettings(roomId) || {};
         content[settingName] = newValue;
         return MatrixClientPeg.get().sendStateEvent(roomId, "im.vector.web.settings", content, "");
     }
@@ -65,9 +66,10 @@ export default class RoomSettingsHandler extends SettingsHandler {
 
     _getSettings(roomId, eventType = "im.vector.web.settings") {
         const room = MatrixClientPeg.get().getRoom(roomId);
-        if (!room) return {};
+        if (!room) return null;
+
         const event = room.currentState.getStateEvents(eventType, "");
-        if (!event || !event.getContent()) return {};
+        if (!event || !event.getContent()) return null;
         return event.getContent();
     }
 }