diff --git a/spec/integ/megolm.spec.js b/spec/integ/megolm.spec.js
index a692cdca6..6909b348e 100644
--- a/spec/integ/megolm.spec.js
+++ b/spec/integ/megolm.spec.js
@@ -349,6 +349,69 @@ describe("megolm", function() {
         }).nodeify(done);
     });
 
+    it("Alice receives a megolm message before the session keys", function(done) {
+        // https://github.com/vector-im/riot-web/issues/2273
+        let roomKeyEncrypted;
+
+        return aliceTestClient.start().then(function() {
+            const p2pSession = createOlmSession(testOlmAccount, aliceTestClient);
+
+            const groupSession = new Olm.OutboundGroupSession();
+            groupSession.create();
+
+            // make the room_key event, but don't send it yet
+            roomKeyEncrypted = encryptGroupSessionKey({
+                senderKey: testSenderKey,
+                recipient: aliceTestClient,
+                p2pSession: p2pSession,
+                groupSession: groupSession,
+                room_id: ROOM_ID,
+            });
+
+            // encrypt a message with the group session
+            const messageEncrypted = encryptMegolmEvent({
+                senderKey: testSenderKey,
+                groupSession: groupSession,
+                room_id: ROOM_ID,
+            });
+
+            // Alice just gets the message event to start with
+            const syncResponse = {
+                next_batch: 1,
+                rooms: {
+                    join: {},
+                },
+            };
+            syncResponse.rooms.join[ROOM_ID] = {
+                timeline: {
+                    events: [messageEncrypted],
+                },
+            };
+
+            aliceTestClient.httpBackend.when("GET", "/sync").respond(200, syncResponse);
+            return aliceTestClient.httpBackend.flush("/sync", 1);
+        }).then(function() {
+            const room = aliceTestClient.client.getRoom(ROOM_ID);
+            const event = room.getLiveTimeline().getEvents()[0];
+            expect(event.getContent().msgtype).toEqual('m.bad.encrypted');
+
+            // now she gets the room_key event
+            const syncResponse = {
+                next_batch: 2,
+                to_device: {
+                    events: [roomKeyEncrypted],
+                },
+            };
+
+            aliceTestClient.httpBackend.when("GET", "/sync").respond(200, syncResponse);
+            return aliceTestClient.httpBackend.flush("/sync", 1);
+        }).then(function() {
+            const room = aliceTestClient.client.getRoom(ROOM_ID);
+            const event = room.getLiveTimeline().getEvents()[0];
+            expect(event.getContent().body).toEqual('42');
+        }).nodeify(done);
+    });
+
     it("Alice gets a second room_key message", function(done) {
         return aliceTestClient.start().then(function() {
             const p2pSession = createOlmSession(testOlmAccount, aliceTestClient);
diff --git a/src/crypto/algorithms/megolm.js b/src/crypto/algorithms/megolm.js
index 762a86459..df4fdb5af 100644
--- a/src/crypto/algorithms/megolm.js
+++ b/src/crypto/algorithms/megolm.js
@@ -595,22 +595,24 @@ MegolmDecryption.prototype._addEventToPendingList = function(event) {
 MegolmDecryption.prototype.onRoomKeyEvent = function(event) {
     console.log("Adding key from ", event);
     const content = event.getContent();
+    const senderKey = event.getSenderKey();
 
     if (!content.room_id ||
         !content.session_id ||
-        !content.session_key
+        !content.session_key ||
+        !senderKey
        ) {
         console.error("key event is missing fields");
         return;
     }
 
     this._olmDevice.addInboundGroupSession(
-        content.room_id, event.getSenderKey(), content.session_id,
+        content.room_id, senderKey, content.session_id,
         content.session_key, event.getKeysClaimed(),
     );
 
     // have another go at decrypting events sent with this session.
-    this._retryDecryption(event.getSenderKey, content.session_id);
+    this._retryDecryption(senderKey, content.session_id);
 };