diff --git a/lib/src/database/database.dart b/lib/src/database/database.dart
index eda8c5b5..a6c32e76 100644
--- a/lib/src/database/database.dart
+++ b/lib/src/database/database.dart
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ class Database extends _$Database {
     final chatId = eventUpdate.roomID;
 
     // Get the state_key for state events
-    var stateKey = '';
+    String stateKey;
     if (eventContent['state_key'] is String) {
       stateKey = eventContent['state_key'];
     }
@@ -331,7 +331,10 @@ class Database extends _$Database {
 
     if (type == 'history') return;
 
-    if (type != 'account_data') {
+    if (type != 'account_data' &&
+        ((stateKey is String) ||
+            [EventTypes.Message, EventTypes.Sticker, EventTypes.Encrypted]
+                .contains(eventUpdate.eventType))) {
       final now = DateTime.now();
       await storeRoomState(
         clientId,
@@ -347,7 +350,7 @@ class Database extends _$Database {
         json.encode(eventContent['unsigned'] ?? ''),
         json.encode(eventContent['content']),
         json.encode(eventContent['prev_content'] ?? ''),
-        stateKey,
+        stateKey ?? '',
       );
     } else if (type == 'account_data') {
       await storeRoomAccountData(
diff --git a/lib/src/room.dart b/lib/src/room.dart
index bab2d0ff..6d812fd7 100644
--- a/lib/src/room.dart
+++ b/lib/src/room.dart
@@ -115,7 +115,15 @@ class Room {
         print('[LibOlm] Could not decrypt room state: ' + e.toString());
       }
     }
-    if ((getState(state.type)?.originServerTs?.millisecondsSinceEpoch ?? 0) >
+    if (!(state.stateKey is String) &&
+        ![EventTypes.Message, EventTypes.Sticker, EventTypes.Encrypted]
+            .contains(state.type)) {
+      return;
+    }
+    if ((getState(state.type, state.stateKey ?? '')
+                ?.originServerTs
+                ?.millisecondsSinceEpoch ??
+            0) >
         (state.originServerTs?.millisecondsSinceEpoch ?? 1)) {
       return;
     }
diff --git a/test/room_test.dart b/test/room_test.dart
index 0703e154..5e67d7f0 100644
--- a/test/room_test.dart
+++ b/test/room_test.dart
@@ -447,6 +447,45 @@ void main() {
       await room.setHistoryVisibility(HistoryVisibility.joined);
     });
 
+    test('setState', () async {
+      // not set non-state-events
+      room.setState(Event.fromJson({
+        'content': {'history_visibility': 'shared'},
+        'event_id': '\$143273582443PhrSn:example.org',
+        'origin_server_ts': 1432735824653,
+        'room_id': '!jEsUZKDJdhlrceRyVU:example.org',
+        'sender': '@example:example.org',
+        'type': 'm.custom',
+        'unsigned': {'age': 1234}
+      }, room));
+      expect(room.getState('m.custom') != null, false);
+
+      // set state events
+      room.setState(Event.fromJson({
+        'content': {'history_visibility': 'shared'},
+        'event_id': '\$143273582443PhrSn:example.org',
+        'origin_server_ts': 1432735824653,
+        'room_id': '!jEsUZKDJdhlrceRyVU:example.org',
+        'sender': '@example:example.org',
+        'state_key': '',
+        'type': 'm.custom',
+        'unsigned': {'age': 1234}
+      }, room));
+      expect(room.getState('m.custom') != null, true);
+
+      // sets messages as state events
+      room.setState(Event.fromJson({
+        'content': {'history_visibility': 'shared'},
+        'event_id': '\$143273582443PhrSn:example.org',
+        'origin_server_ts': 1432735824653,
+        'room_id': '!jEsUZKDJdhlrceRyVU:example.org',
+        'sender': '@example:example.org',
+        'type': 'm.room.message',
+        'unsigned': {'age': 1234}
+      }, room));
+      expect(room.getState('m.room.message') != null, true);
+    });
+
     test('logout', () async {
       await matrix.logout();
     });