diff --git a/lib/encryption/encryption.dart b/lib/encryption/encryption.dart
index f49a175c..d04a5073 100644
--- a/lib/encryption/encryption.dart
+++ b/lib/encryption/encryption.dart
@@ -336,6 +336,12 @@ class Encryption {
   Future<Map<String, dynamic>> encryptGroupMessagePayload(
       String roomId, Map<String, dynamic> payload,
       {String type = EventTypes.Message}) async {
+    final Map<String, dynamic>? mRelatesTo = payload.remove('m.relates_to');
+    // Events which only contain a m.relates_to like reactions don't need to
+    // be encrypted.
+    if (payload.isEmpty && mRelatesTo != null) {
+      return {'m.relates_to': mRelatesTo};
+    }
     final room = client.getRoomById(roomId);
     if (room == null || !room.encrypted || !enabled) {
       return payload;
@@ -357,7 +363,6 @@ class Encryption {
     // we clone the payload as we do not want to remove 'm.relates_to' from the
     // original payload passed into this function
     payload = payload.copy();
-    final Map<String, dynamic>? mRelatesTo = payload.remove('m.relates_to');
     final payloadContent = {
       'content': payload,
       'type': type,
diff --git a/lib/src/client.dart b/lib/src/client.dart
index e607824b..6e163963 100644
--- a/lib/src/client.dart
+++ b/lib/src/client.dart
@@ -190,7 +190,6 @@ class Client extends MatrixApi {
       EventTypes.Message,
       EventTypes.Encrypted,
       EventTypes.Sticker,
-      EventTypes.Reaction,
     ]);
 
     // register all the default commands
diff --git a/lib/src/room.dart b/lib/src/room.dart
index f1142d18..eea53852 100644
--- a/lib/src/room.dart
+++ b/lib/src/room.dart
@@ -769,14 +769,18 @@ class Room {
     String? txid,
   }) async {
     txid ??= client.generateUniqueTransactionId();
+
     final mustEncrypt = encrypted && client.encryptionEnabled;
+
     final sendMessageContent = mustEncrypt
         ? await client.encryption!
             .encryptGroupMessagePayload(id, content, type: type)
         : content;
     return await client.sendMessage(
       id,
-      mustEncrypt ? EventTypes.Encrypted : type,
+      sendMessageContent.containsKey('ciphertext')
+          ? EventTypes.Encrypted
+          : type,
       txid,
       sendMessageContent,
     );
diff --git a/test/room_test.dart b/test/room_test.dart
index 6b67186f..c47ae44d 100644
--- a/test/room_test.dart
+++ b/test/room_test.dart
@@ -277,8 +277,9 @@ void main() {
           stateKey: '',
         ),
       );
-      expect(room.lastEvent?.eventId, '123456');
-      expect(room.lastEvent?.type, EventTypes.Reaction);
+      expect(room.lastEvent?.eventId, '5');
+      expect(room.lastEvent?.body, 'edited cdc');
+      expect(room.lastEvent?.status, EventStatus.sent);
     });
     test('lastEvent when reply parent edited', () async {
       room.setState(