diff --git a/src/app/hooks/useRoomMembers.test.tsx b/src/app/hooks/useRoomMembers.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..162126c2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/hooks/useRoomMembers.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import { renderHook, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import type { MatrixClient, Room, RoomMember } from '$types/matrix-sdk';
+
+const { hydrateAllRoomMembers } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  hydrateAllRoomMembers: vi.fn<() => Promise<void>>().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+}));
+
+vi.mock('$client/roomMemberHydration', () => ({ hydrateAllRoomMembers }));
+
+import { useRoomMembers } from './useRoomMembers';
+
+describe('useRoomMembers', () => {
+  it('does not retry with a full roster request when the SDK member load fails', async () => {
+    const room = {
+      roomId: '!room:example.org',
+      getMembers: () => [] as RoomMember[],
+      loadMembersIfNeeded: vi
+        .fn<() => Promise<void>>()
+        .mockRejectedValue(new Error('NetworkError')),
+    } as unknown as Room;
+    const mx = {
+      getRoom: () => room,
+      on: vi.fn<() => void>(),
+      removeListener: vi.fn<() => void>(),
+    } as unknown as MatrixClient;
+
+    renderHook(() => useRoomMembers(mx, room.roomId));
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(room.loadMembersIfNeeded).toHaveBeenCalledOnce());
+    await Promise.resolve();
+
+    expect(hydrateAllRoomMembers).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/app/hooks/useRoomMembers.ts b/src/app/hooks/useRoomMembers.ts
index 4469680d6..f953e3ea2 100644
--- a/src/app/hooks/useRoomMembers.ts
+++ b/src/app/hooks/useRoomMembers.ts
@@ -28,9 +28,11 @@ export const useRoomMembers = (mx: MatrixClient, roomId: string, enabled = true)
         loadingMembers = false;
         if (disposed) return;
         updateMemberList();
-        void hydrateAllRoomMembers(mx, roomId).then(() => updateMemberList());
       };
-      room.loadMembersIfNeeded().then(stopLoading, stopLoading);
+      room.loadMembersIfNeeded().then(() => {
+        stopLoading();
+        void hydrateAllRoomMembers(mx, roomId).then(() => updateMemberList());
+      }, stopLoading);
     }
 
     const handleStateEvent = (event: MatrixEvent) => {