diff --git a/src/components/views/right_panel/UserInfo.tsx b/src/components/views/right_panel/UserInfo.tsx
index dcf900d8067..e36ce74ae77 100644
--- a/src/components/views/right_panel/UserInfo.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/right_panel/UserInfo.tsx
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ import createRoom, { findDMForUser, privateShouldBeEncrypted } from '../../../cr
 import DMRoomMap from '../../../utils/DMRoomMap';
 import AccessibleButton from '../elements/AccessibleButton';
 import SdkConfig from '../../../SdkConfig';
-import SettingsStore from "../../../settings/SettingsStore";
 import RoomViewStore from "../../../stores/RoomViewStore";
 import MultiInviter from "../../../utils/MultiInviter";
 import GroupStore from "../../../stores/GroupStore";
@@ -76,6 +75,7 @@ import { bulkSpaceBehaviour } from "../../../utils/space";
 import { shouldShowComponent } from "../../../customisations/helpers/UIComponents";
 import { UIComponent } from "../../../settings/UIFeature";
 import { TimelineRenderingType } from "../../../contexts/RoomContext";
+import { useUserStatusMessage } from "../../../hooks/useUserStatusMessage";
 
 export interface IDevice {
     deviceId: string;
@@ -1495,13 +1495,14 @@ const BasicUserInfo: React.FC<{
     </React.Fragment>;
 };
 
-type Member = User | RoomMember | GroupMember;
+export type Member = User | RoomMember | GroupMember;
 
 const UserInfoHeader: React.FC<{
     member: Member;
     e2eStatus: E2EStatus;
 }> = ({ member, e2eStatus }) => {
     const cli = useContext(MatrixClientContext);
+    const statusMessage = useUserStatusMessage(member);
 
     const onMemberAvatarClick = useCallback(() => {
         const avatarUrl = (member as RoomMember).getMxcAvatarUrl
@@ -1539,20 +1540,10 @@ const UserInfoHeader: React.FC<{
     let presenceState;
     let presenceLastActiveAgo;
     let presenceCurrentlyActive;
-    let statusMessage;
-
     if (member instanceof RoomMember && member.user) {
         presenceState = member.user.presence;
         presenceLastActiveAgo = member.user.lastActiveAgo;
         presenceCurrentlyActive = member.user.currentlyActive;
-
-        if (SettingsStore.getValue("feature_custom_status")) {
-            if ((member as RoomMember).user) {
-                statusMessage = member.user.unstable_statusMessage;
-            } else {
-                statusMessage = (member as unknown as User).unstable_statusMessage;
-            }
-        }
     }
 
     const enablePresenceByHsUrl = SdkConfig.get()["enable_presence_by_hs_url"];
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/MemberTile.tsx b/src/components/views/rooms/MemberTile.tsx
index 0df5daad96e..792e4b75ad6 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/MemberTile.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/MemberTile.tsx
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ export default class MemberTile extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
         if (SettingsStore.getValue("feature_custom_status")) {
             const { user } = this.props.member;
             if (user) {
-                user.on("User._unstable_statusMessage", this.onStatusMessageCommitted);
+                user.on("User.unstable_statusMessage", this.onStatusMessageCommitted);
             }
         }
 
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ export default class MemberTile extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
         const { user } = this.props.member;
         if (user) {
             user.removeListener(
-                "User._unstable_statusMessage",
+                "User.unstable_statusMessage",
                 this.onStatusMessageCommitted,
             );
         }
diff --git a/src/hooks/useUserStatusMessage.ts b/src/hooks/useUserStatusMessage.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ca2dbbf6e87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/useUserStatusMessage.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2021 Šimon Brandner <simon.bra.ag@gmail.com>
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+import { MatrixClient } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/client";
+import { User } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/user";
+import { useContext } from "react";
+
+import MatrixClientContext from "../contexts/MatrixClientContext";
+import { useEventEmitterState } from "./useEventEmitter";
+import { Member } from "../components/views/right_panel/UserInfo";
+import { useFeatureEnabled } from "./useSettings";
+
+const getUser = (cli: MatrixClient, user: Member): User => cli.getUser(user?.userId);
+const getStatusMessage = (cli: MatrixClient, user: Member): string => {
+    return getUser(cli, user).unstable_statusMessage;
+};
+
+// Hook to simplify handling Matrix User status
+export const useUserStatusMessage = (user?: Member): string => {
+    const cli = useContext(MatrixClientContext);
+    const enabled = useFeatureEnabled("feature_custom_status");
+    return useEventEmitterState(enabled && getUser(cli, user), "User.unstable_statusMessage", () => {
+        return getStatusMessage(cli, user);
+    });
+};