diff --git a/src/client.ts b/src/client.ts
index 853d2c7ae..f34044081 100644
--- a/src/client.ts
+++ b/src/client.ts
@@ -2730,7 +2730,7 @@ export class MatrixClient extends EventEmitter {
      * @return {Promise} Resolves: TODO
      * @return {module:http-api.MatrixError} Rejects: with an error response.
      */
-    public setAccountData(eventType: string, content: any, callback?: Callback): Promise<void> {
+    public setAccountData(eventType: EventType | string, content: any, callback?: Callback): Promise<void> {
         const path = utils.encodeUri("/user/$userId/account_data/$type", {
             $userId: this.credentials.userId,
             $type: eventType,
@@ -2749,7 +2749,7 @@ export class MatrixClient extends EventEmitter {
      * @param {string} eventType The event type
      * @return {?object} The contents of the given account data event
      */
-    public getAccountData(eventType: string): any {
+    public getAccountData(eventType: string): MatrixEvent {
         return this.store.getAccountData(eventType);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/models/event.ts b/src/models/event.ts
index 17c6be3ba..9ad43fd97 100644
--- a/src/models/event.ts
+++ b/src/models/event.ts
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ interface IUnsigned {
     redacted_because?: IEvent;
 }
 
-interface IEvent {
+export interface IEvent {
     event_id: string;
     type: string;
     content: IContent;
diff --git a/src/models/user.ts b/src/models/user.ts
index da5c4d78d..5eff5062c 100644
--- a/src/models/user.ts
+++ b/src/models/user.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ export class User extends EventEmitter {
         presence: null,
         profile: null,
     };
+    // eslint-disable-next-line camelcase
     public unstable_statusMessage = "";
 
     /**
@@ -208,7 +209,7 @@ export class User extends EventEmitter {
      * @fires module:client~MatrixClient#event:"User.unstable_statusMessage"
      */
     // eslint-disable-next-line camelcase
-    public _unstable_updateStatusMessage(event: MatrixEvent): void {
+    public unstable_updateStatusMessage(event: MatrixEvent): void {
         if (!event.getContent()) this.unstable_statusMessage = "";
         else this.unstable_statusMessage = event.getContent()["status"];
         this.updateModifiedTime();
diff --git a/src/sync.js b/src/sync.js
index 9929629c2..9d114943f 100644
--- a/src/sync.js
+++ b/src/sync.js
@@ -1272,10 +1272,10 @@ SyncApi.prototype._processSyncResponse = async function(
             if (e.isState() && e.getType() === "im.vector.user_status") {
                 let user = client.store.getUser(e.getStateKey());
                 if (user) {
-                    user._unstable_updateStatusMessage(e);
+                    user.unstable_updateStatusMessage(e);
                 } else {
                     user = createNewUser(client, e.getStateKey());
-                    user._unstable_updateStatusMessage(e);
+                    user.unstable_updateStatusMessage(e);
                     client.store.storeUser(user);
                 }
             }