diff --git a/src/models/PolicyList.ts b/src/models/PolicyList.ts
index 0009504..6a82e78 100644
--- a/src/models/PolicyList.ts
+++ b/src/models/PolicyList.ts
@@ -659,10 +659,19 @@ export class PolicyListManager {
         if (!permalink.roomIdOrAlias) return null;
 
         let roomId: string;
-        let viaServers;
+        let viaServers: string[];
         if (permalink.roomIdOrAlias.startsWith("!")) {
-            roomId = permalink.roomIdOrAlias
-            viaServers = permalink.viaServers
+            // if we only have a room id, see if there's an alias we can use to get any possible
+            // via servers
+            const alias = await this.mjolnir.client.getPublishedAlias(permalink.roomIdOrAlias)
+            if (alias) {
+                const roomInformation = await this.mjolnir.client.lookupRoomAlias(alias)
+                roomId = permalink.roomIdOrAlias
+                viaServers = roomInformation.residentServers
+            } else {
+                roomId = permalink.roomIdOrAlias
+                viaServers = permalink.viaServers
+            }
         } else {
             const roomInfo = await this.mjolnir.client.lookupRoomAlias(permalink.roomIdOrAlias)
             roomId = roomInfo.roomId
@@ -682,7 +691,8 @@ export class PolicyListManager {
             return null;
         }
 
-        const list = await this.addPolicyList(roomId, roomRef);
+        const newRef = Permalinks.forRoom(roomId, viaServers)
+        const list = await this.addPolicyList(roomId, newRef);
 
         await this.storeWatchedPolicyLists();