diff --git a/synapse/handlers/sliding_sync.py b/synapse/handlers/sliding_sync.py
index 5b834fe9ef..f9ec4f7961 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/sliding_sync.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/sliding_sync.py
@@ -764,6 +764,13 @@ class SlidingSyncHandler:
                 room_id=room_id,
                 # We're going to paginate backwards from the `to_token`
                 from_key=to_token.room_key,
+                # We should always return historical messages (outside token range) in
+                # these cases because clients want to be able to show a basic screen of
+                # information:
+                #  - Initial sync (because no `from_token`)
+                #  - When users newly_join
+                #  - TODO: For incremental sync where we haven't sent it down this
+                #    connection before
                 to_key=from_token.room_key if from_token is not None else None,
                 direction=Direction.BACKWARDS,
                 # We add one so we can determine if there are enough events to saturate
@@ -824,14 +831,23 @@ class SlidingSyncHandler:
 
         required_state = []
         if len(room_sync_config.required_state) > 0:
-            required_state = await self.storage_controllers.state.get_state_at(
+            await self.storage_controllers.state.get_current_state(
                 room_id,
-                to_token,
                 state_filter=StateFilter.from_types(TODO),
+                await_full_state=False,
             )
 
+            # TODO: rewind
+
+            # required_state = await self.storage_controllers.state.get_state_at(
+            #     room_id,
+            #     to_token,
+            #     state_filter=StateFilter.from_types(TODO),
+            # )
+
         return SlidingSyncResult.RoomResult(
             # TODO: Dummy value
+            # TODO: Make this optional because a computed name doesn't make sense for translated cases
             name="TODO",
             # TODO: Dummy value
             avatar=None,
diff --git a/synapse/rest/client/sync.py b/synapse/rest/client/sync.py
index a9be37bbf3..0ae31f23e9 100644
--- a/synapse/rest/client/sync.py
+++ b/synapse/rest/client/sync.py
@@ -1021,6 +1021,7 @@ class SlidingSyncRestServlet(RestServlet):
                 # shared between invite and knock rooms, see
                 # https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/3575#discussion_r1117629919
                 serialized_rooms[room_id]["invite_state"] = room_result.stripped_state
+                # TODO: `knocked_state` but that isn't specced yet
 
         return serialized_rooms