diff --git a/changelog.d/3986.bugfix b/changelog.d/3986.bugfix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..ce74345365ed0bfa03617c170ec85e47ec675eb8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/3986.bugfix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix lazy loaded sync in the presence of rejected state events
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/sync.py b/synapse/handlers/sync.py
index c7d69d9d805c3ac4aa1e03cb7dd6131d29160682..67b8ca28c7444e6ceb517dab58ed243cf7bef90e 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/sync.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/sync.py
@@ -567,13 +567,13 @@ class SyncHandler(object):
         # be a valid name or canonical_alias - i.e. we're checking that they
         # haven't been "deleted" by blatting {} over the top.
         if name_id:
-            name = yield self.store.get_event(name_id, allow_none=False)
+            name = yield self.store.get_event(name_id, allow_none=True)
             if name and name.content:
                 defer.returnValue(summary)
 
         if canonical_alias_id:
             canonical_alias = yield self.store.get_event(
-                canonical_alias_id, allow_none=False,
+                canonical_alias_id, allow_none=True,
             )
             if canonical_alias and canonical_alias.content:
                 defer.returnValue(summary)