diff --git a/src/client_server/sync.rs b/src/client_server/sync.rs
index ae4c224..accb199 100644
--- a/src/client_server/sync.rs
+++ b/src/client_server/sync.rs
@@ -149,15 +149,7 @@ pub async fn sync_events_route(
             device_list_updates.extend(
                 db.rooms
                     .room_members(&room_id)
-                    .filter_map(|user_id| {
-                        Some(
-                            UserId::try_from(user_id.ok()?.clone())
-                                .map_err(|_| {
-                                    Error::bad_database("Invalid member event state key in db.")
-                                })
-                                .ok()?,
-                        )
-                    })
+                    .filter_map(|user_id| Some(user_id.ok()?))
                     .filter(|user_id| {
                         // Don't send key updates from the sender to the sender
                         sender_id != user_id
@@ -491,9 +483,7 @@ pub async fn sync_events_route(
     }
 
     for user_id in left_encrypted_users {
-        // If the user doesn't share an encrypted room with the target anymore, we need to tell
-        // them
-        if db
+        let user_target_encrypted = db
             .rooms
             .get_shared_rooms(vec![sender_id.clone(), user_id.clone()])
             .filter_map(|r| r.ok())
@@ -505,8 +495,10 @@ pub async fn sync_events_route(
                         .is_some(),
                 )
             })
-            .all(|encrypted| !encrypted)
-        {
+            .all(|encrypted| !encrypted);
+        // If the user doesn't share an encrypted room with the target anymore, we need to tell
+        // them
+        if user_target_encrypted {
             device_list_left.insert(user_id);
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/database/rooms.rs b/src/database/rooms.rs
index d087d65..575a2bf 100644
--- a/src/database/rooms.rs
+++ b/src/database/rooms.rs
@@ -75,23 +75,23 @@ impl StateStore for Rooms {
             .map_err(|e| e.to_string())?
             .ok_or_else(|| "PDU via room_id and event_id not found in the db.".to_owned())?;
 
-        utils::deserialize(
+        serde_json::from_slice(
             &self
                 .pduid_pdu
                 .get(pid)
                 .map_err(|e| e.to_string())?
                 .ok_or_else(|| "PDU via pduid not found in db.".to_owned())?,
         )
+        .map_err(|e| e.to_string())
         .and_then(|pdu: StateEvent| {
             // conduit's PDU's always contain a room_id but some
             // of ruma's do not so this must be an Option
             if pdu.room_id() == Some(room_id) {
                 Ok(pdu)
             } else {
-                Err(Error::bad_database("Found PDU for incorrect room in db."))
+                Err("Found PDU for incorrect room in db.".into())
             }
         })
-        .map_err(|e| e.to_string())
     }
 }
 
@@ -1207,8 +1207,7 @@ impl Rooms {
                     let roomid_index = key
                         .iter()
                         .enumerate()
-                        .filter(|(_, &b)| b == 0xff)
-                        .nth(0)
+                        .find(|(_, &b)| b == 0xff)
                         .ok_or_else(|| Error::bad_database("Invalid userroomid_joined in db."))?
                         .0
                         + 1; // +1 because the room id starts AFTER the separator
diff --git a/src/utils.rs b/src/utils.rs
index b549153..8cf1b2c 100644
--- a/src/utils.rs
+++ b/src/utils.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-use crate::Error;
 use argon2::{Config, Variant};
 use cmp::Ordering;
 use rand::prelude::*;
@@ -91,8 +90,3 @@ pub fn common_elements(
             .all(|b| b)
     }))
 }
-
-pub fn deserialize<'de, T: serde::Deserialize<'de>>(val: &'de sled::IVec) -> Result<T, Error> {
-    serde_json::from_slice::<T>(val.as_ref())
-        .map_err(|_| Error::bad_database("Found invalid bytes as PDU in db."))
-}