diff --git a/federationapi/routing/events.go b/federationapi/routing/events.go
index 23796edfa..6168912bd 100644
--- a/federationapi/routing/events.go
+++ b/federationapi/routing/events.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/clientapi/jsonerror"
 	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/api"
 	"github.com/matrix-org/gomatrixserverlib"
 	"github.com/matrix-org/util"
@@ -95,7 +96,10 @@ func fetchEvent(ctx context.Context, rsAPI api.FederationRoomserverAPI, eventID
 	}
 
 	if len(eventsResponse.Events) == 0 {
-		return nil, &util.JSONResponse{Code: http.StatusNotFound, JSON: nil}
+		return nil, &util.JSONResponse{
+			Code: http.StatusNotFound,
+			JSON: jsonerror.NotFound("Event not found"),
+		}
 	}
 
 	return eventsResponse.Events[0].Event, nil
diff --git a/federationapi/routing/state.go b/federationapi/routing/state.go
index 5377eb88f..1d08d0a82 100644
--- a/federationapi/routing/state.go
+++ b/federationapi/routing/state.go
@@ -135,23 +135,24 @@ func getState(
 		return nil, nil, &resErr
 	}
 
-	if !response.StateKnown {
+	switch {
+	case !response.RoomExists:
+		return nil, nil, &util.JSONResponse{
+			Code: http.StatusNotFound,
+			JSON: jsonerror.NotFound("Room not found"),
+		}
+	case !response.StateKnown:
 		return nil, nil, &util.JSONResponse{
 			Code: http.StatusNotFound,
 			JSON: jsonerror.NotFound("State not known"),
 		}
-	}
-	if response.IsRejected {
+	case response.IsRejected:
 		return nil, nil, &util.JSONResponse{
 			Code: http.StatusNotFound,
 			JSON: jsonerror.NotFound("Event not found"),
 		}
 	}
 
-	if !response.RoomExists {
-		return nil, nil, &util.JSONResponse{Code: http.StatusNotFound, JSON: nil}
-	}
-
 	return response.StateEvents, response.AuthChainEvents, nil
 }