diff --git a/syweb/webclient/components/matrix/model-service.js b/syweb/webclient/components/matrix/model-service.js
index 578804c994..6e6f741596 100644
--- a/syweb/webclient/components/matrix/model-service.js
+++ b/syweb/webclient/components/matrix/model-service.js
@@ -179,43 +179,6 @@ angular.module('modelService', [])
             return room.current_room_state.members[user_id];
         },
         
-        /**
-         * Get the room_alias & room_display_name which are computed from data 
-         * already retrieved from the server.
-         * @param {Room object} room one element of the array returned by the response
-         *  of rooms() and publicRooms()
-         * @returns {Object} {room_alias: "...", room_display_name: "..."}
-         */
-        getRoomAliasAndDisplayName: function(room) {
-            var result = {
-                room_alias: undefined,
-                room_display_name: undefined
-            };
-            var alias = this.getRoomIdToAliasMapping(room.room_id);
-            if (alias) {
-                // use the existing alias from storage
-                result.room_alias = alias;
-                result.room_display_name = alias;
-            }
-            // XXX: this only lets us learn aliases from our local HS - we should
-            // make the client stop returning this if we can trust m.room.aliases state events
-            else if (room.aliases && room.aliases[0]) {
-                // save the mapping
-                // TODO: select the smarter alias from the array
-                this.createRoomIdToAliasMapping(room.room_id, room.aliases[0]);
-                result.room_display_name = room.aliases[0];
-                result.room_alias = room.aliases[0];
-            }
-            else if (room.membership === "invite" && "inviter" in room) {
-                result.room_display_name = room.inviter + "'s room";
-            }
-            else {
-                // last resort use the room id
-                result.room_display_name = room.room_id;
-            }
-            return result;
-        },
-        
         createRoomIdToAliasMapping: function(roomId, alias) {
             setRoomIdToAliasMapping(roomId, alias);
         },
diff --git a/syweb/webclient/home/home-controller.js b/syweb/webclient/home/home-controller.js
index 467db09b3a..6a3c079295 100644
--- a/syweb/webclient/home/home-controller.js
+++ b/syweb/webclient/home/home-controller.js
@@ -54,10 +54,17 @@ angular.module('HomeController', ['matrixService', 'eventHandlerService', 'Recen
                 $scope.public_rooms = response.data.chunk;
                 for (var i = 0; i < $scope.public_rooms.length; i++) {
                     var room = $scope.public_rooms[i];
-
-                    // Add room_alias & room_display_name members
-                    angular.extend(room, modelService.getRoomAliasAndDisplayName(room));
                     
+                    if (room.aliases && room.aliases.length > 0) {
+                        room.room_display_name = room.aliases[0];
+                        room.room_alias = room.aliases[0];
+                    }
+                    else if (room.name) {
+                        room.room_display_name = room.name;
+                    }
+                    else {
+                        room.room_display_name = room.room_id;
+                    }
                 }
             }
         );