diff --git a/synapse/handlers/events.py b/synapse/handlers/events.py
index f9ca2f8634..891502c04f 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/events.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/events.py
@@ -49,7 +49,12 @@ class EventStreamHandler(BaseHandler):
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     @log_function
     def get_stream(self, auth_user_id, pagin_config, timeout=0,
-                   as_client_event=True, affect_presence=True):
+                   as_client_event=True, affect_presence=True,
+                   only_room_events=False):
+        """Fetches the events stream for a given user.
+
+        If `only_room_events` is `True` only room events will be returned.
+        """
         auth_user = UserID.from_string(auth_user_id)
 
         try:
@@ -89,7 +94,8 @@ class EventStreamHandler(BaseHandler):
                 timeout = random.randint(int(timeout*0.9), int(timeout*1.1))
 
             events, tokens = yield self.notifier.get_events_for(
-                auth_user, room_ids, pagin_config, timeout
+                auth_user, room_ids, pagin_config, timeout,
+                only_room_events=only_room_events
             )
 
             time_now = self.clock.time_msec()
diff --git a/synapse/notifier.py b/synapse/notifier.py
index dbd8efe9fb..f998fc83bf 100644
--- a/synapse/notifier.py
+++ b/synapse/notifier.py
@@ -328,10 +328,13 @@ class Notifier(object):
         defer.returnValue(result)
 
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
-    def get_events_for(self, user, rooms, pagination_config, timeout):
+    def get_events_for(self, user, rooms, pagination_config, timeout,
+                       only_room_events=False):
         """ For the given user and rooms, return any new events for them. If
         there are no new events wait for up to `timeout` milliseconds for any
         new events to happen before returning.
+
+        If `only_room_events` is `True` only room events will be returned.
         """
         from_token = pagination_config.from_token
         if not from_token:
@@ -352,6 +355,8 @@ class Notifier(object):
                 after_id = getattr(after_token, keyname)
                 if before_id == after_id:
                     continue
+                if only_room_events and name != "room":
+                    continue
                 new_events, new_key = yield source.get_new_events_for_user(
                     user, getattr(from_token, keyname), limit,
                 )
diff --git a/synapse/push/__init__.py b/synapse/push/__init__.py
index 13002e0db4..f1952b5a0f 100644
--- a/synapse/push/__init__.py
+++ b/synapse/push/__init__.py
@@ -249,7 +249,9 @@ class Pusher(object):
             # we fail to dispatch the push)
             config = PaginationConfig(from_token=None, limit='1')
             chunk = yield self.evStreamHandler.get_stream(
-                self.user_name, config, timeout=0)
+                self.user_name, config, timeout=0, affect_presence=False,
+                only_room_events=True
+            )
             self.last_token = chunk['end']
             self.store.update_pusher_last_token(
                 self.app_id, self.pushkey, self.user_name, self.last_token
@@ -280,8 +282,8 @@ class Pusher(object):
         config = PaginationConfig(from_token=from_tok, limit='1')
         timeout = (300 + random.randint(-60, 60)) * 1000
         chunk = yield self.evStreamHandler.get_stream(
-            self.user_name, config,
-            timeout=timeout, affect_presence=False
+            self.user_name, config, timeout=timeout, affect_presence=False,
+            only_room_events=True
         )
 
         # limiting to 1 may get 1 event plus 1 presence event, so