diff --git a/lib/src/database/database_api.dart b/lib/src/database/database_api.dart
index 368f1ce8..7bdc6872 100644
--- a/lib/src/database/database_api.dart
+++ b/lib/src/database/database_api.dart
@@ -67,8 +67,6 @@ abstract class DatabaseApi {
 
   Future<Event?> getEventById(String eventId, Room room);
 
-  bool eventIsKnown(String eventId, String roomId);
-
   Future<void> forgetRoom(String roomId);
 
   Future<void> clearCache();
diff --git a/lib/src/database/hive_database.dart b/lib/src/database/hive_database.dart
index 90891efb..884b2c53 100644
--- a/lib/src/database/hive_database.dart
+++ b/lib/src/database/hive_database.dart
@@ -371,10 +371,6 @@ class FamedlySdkHiveDatabase extends DatabaseApi {
     return Event.fromJson(convertToJson(raw), room);
   }
 
-  @override
-  bool eventIsKnown(String eventId, String roomId) =>
-      _eventsBox.keys.contains(MultiKey(roomId, eventId).toString());
-
   /// Loads a whole list of events at once from the store for a specific room
   Future<List<Event>> _getEventsByIds(List<String> eventIds, Room room) =>
       Future.wait(eventIds
diff --git a/lib/src/room.dart b/lib/src/room.dart
index 43c98a16..b674bf81 100644
--- a/lib/src/room.dart
+++ b/lib/src/room.dart
@@ -203,7 +203,8 @@ class Room {
     final prevEvent = getState(state.type, stateKey);
     if (prevEvent != null &&
         prevEvent.eventId != state.eventId &&
-        client.database?.eventIsKnown(state.eventId, roomId) == true) {
+        prevEvent.originServerTs.millisecondsSinceEpoch >
+            state.originServerTs.millisecondsSinceEpoch) {
       return;
     }