diff --git a/lib/pages/settings_multiple_emotes/settings_multiple_emotes_view.dart b/lib/pages/settings_multiple_emotes/settings_multiple_emotes_view.dart
index 6a61b8df..bfb1431e 100644
--- a/lib/pages/settings_multiple_emotes/settings_multiple_emotes_view.dart
+++ b/lib/pages/settings_multiple_emotes/settings_multiple_emotes_view.dart
@@ -24,8 +24,11 @@ class MultipleEmotesSettingsView extends StatelessWidget {
       body: StreamBuilder(
         stream: room.onUpdate.stream,
         builder: (context, snapshot) {
-          final Map<String, Event?> packs =
-              room.states['im.ponies.room_emotes'] ?? <String, Event>{};
+          final packStateEvents = room.states['im.ponies.room_emotes'];
+          // we need to manually convert the map using Map.of, otherwise assigning null will throw a type error.
+          final Map<String, Event?> packs = packStateEvents != null
+              ? Map<String, Event?>.of(packStateEvents)
+              : <String, Event?>{};
           if (!packs.containsKey('')) {
             packs[''] = null;
           }