diff --git a/src/matrix/Session.js b/src/matrix/Session.js
index 8fa9ef59..2f4e0f1d 100644
--- a/src/matrix/Session.js
+++ b/src/matrix/Session.js
@@ -795,7 +795,7 @@ export class Session {
         // to-device messages, to help us avoid throwing away one-time-keys that we
         // are about to receive messages for
         // (https://github.com/vector-im/riot-web/issues/2782).
-        if (!isCatchupSync) {
+        if (this._e2eeAccount && !isCatchupSync) {
             const needsToUploadOTKs = await this._e2eeAccount.generateOTKsIfNeeded(this._storage, log);
             if (needsToUploadOTKs) {
                 await log.wrap("uploadKeys", log => this._e2eeAccount.uploadKeys(this._storage, false, log));