diff --git a/synapse/api/filtering.py b/synapse/api/filtering.py
index fb291d7fb..63d5c75f4 100644
--- a/synapse/api/filtering.py
+++ b/synapse/api/filtering.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 from synapse.api.errors import SynapseError
+from synapse.storage.presence import UserPresenceState
 from synapse.types import UserID, RoomID
 
 from twisted.internet import defer
@@ -253,19 +254,30 @@ class Filter(object):
         Returns:
             bool: True if the event matches
         """
-        sender = event.get("sender", None)
-        if not sender:
-            # Presence events have their 'sender' in content.user_id
-            content = event.get("content")
-            # account_data has been allowed to have non-dict content, so check type first
-            if isinstance(content, dict):
-                sender = content.get("user_id")
+        if isinstance(event, UserPresenceState):
+            sender = event.user_id
+            room_id = None
+            ev_type = "m.presence"
+            is_url = False
+        else:
+            sender = event.get("sender", None)
+            if not sender:
+                # Presence events have their 'sender' in content.user_id
+                content = event.get("content")
+                # account_data has been allowed to have non-dict content, so
+                # check type first
+                if isinstance(content, dict):
+                    sender = content.get("user_id")
+
+            room_id = event.get("room_id", None)
+            ev_type = event.get("type", None)
+            is_url = "url" in event.get("content", {})
 
         return self.check_fields(
-            event.get("room_id", None),
+            room_id,
             sender,
-            event.get("type", None),
-            "url" in event.get("content", {})
+            ev_type,
+            is_url,
         )
 
     def check_fields(self, room_id, sender, event_type, contains_url):
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/initial_sync.py b/synapse/handlers/initial_sync.py
index e0ade4c16..10f5f35a6 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/initial_sync.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/initial_sync.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ from synapse.api.constants import EventTypes, Membership
 from synapse.api.errors import AuthError, Codes
 from synapse.events.utils import serialize_event
 from synapse.events.validator import EventValidator
+from synapse.handlers.presence import format_user_presence_state
 from synapse.streams.config import PaginationConfig
 from synapse.types import (
     UserID, StreamToken,
@@ -225,9 +226,17 @@ class InitialSyncHandler(BaseHandler):
                 "content": content,
             })
 
+        now = self.clock.time_msec()
+
         ret = {
             "rooms": rooms_ret,
-            "presence": presence,
+            "presence": [
+                {
+                    "type": "m.presence",
+                    "content": format_user_presence_state(event, now),
+                }
+                for event in presence
+            ],
             "account_data": account_data_events,
             "receipts": receipt,
             "end": now_token.to_string(),
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/presence.py b/synapse/handlers/presence.py
index da610e430..46704c62a 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/presence.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/presence.py
@@ -719,9 +719,7 @@ class PresenceHandler(object):
                 for state in updates
             ])
         else:
-            defer.returnValue([
-                format_user_presence_state(state, now) for state in updates
-            ])
+            defer.returnValue(updates)
 
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def set_state(self, target_user, state, ignore_status_msg=False):
@@ -795,6 +793,9 @@ class PresenceHandler(object):
             as_event=False,
         )
 
+        now = self.clock.time_msec()
+        results[:] = [format_user_presence_state(r, now) for r in results]
+
         is_accepted = {
             row["observed_user_id"]: row["accepted"] for row in presence_list
         }
@@ -847,6 +848,7 @@ class PresenceHandler(object):
             )
 
             state_dict = yield self.get_state(observed_user, as_event=False)
+            state_dict = format_user_presence_state(state_dict, self.clock.time_msec())
 
             self.federation.send_edu(
                 destination=observer_user.domain,
@@ -979,14 +981,15 @@ def should_notify(old_state, new_state):
     return False
 
 
-def format_user_presence_state(state, now):
+def format_user_presence_state(state, now, include_user_id=True):
     """Convert UserPresenceState to a format that can be sent down to clients
     and to other servers.
     """
     content = {
         "presence": state.state,
-        "user_id": state.user_id,
     }
+    if include_user_id:
+        content["user_id"] = state.user_id
     if state.last_active_ts:
         content["last_active_ago"] = now - state.last_active_ts
     if state.status_msg and state.state != PresenceState.OFFLINE:
@@ -1073,16 +1076,13 @@ class PresenceEventSource(object):
 
             updates = yield presence.current_state_for_users(user_ids_changed)
 
-        now = self.clock.time_msec()
-
-        defer.returnValue(([
-            {
-                "type": "m.presence",
-                "content": format_user_presence_state(s, now),
-            }
-            for s in updates.values()
-            if include_offline or s.state != PresenceState.OFFLINE
-        ], max_token))
+        if include_offline:
+            defer.returnValue((updates.values(), max_token))
+        else:
+            defer.returnValue(([
+                s for s in updates.itervalues()
+                if s.state != PresenceState.OFFLINE
+            ], max_token))
 
     def get_current_key(self):
         return self.store.get_current_presence_token()
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/sync.py b/synapse/handlers/sync.py
index 5572cb883..33b7fdfe8 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/sync.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/sync.py
@@ -721,14 +721,14 @@ class SyncHandler(object):
             extra_users_ids.update(users)
         extra_users_ids.discard(user.to_string())
 
-        states = yield self.presence_handler.get_states(
-            extra_users_ids,
-            as_event=True,
-        )
-        presence.extend(states)
+        if extra_users_ids:
+            states = yield self.presence_handler.get_states(
+                extra_users_ids,
+            )
+            presence.extend(states)
 
-        # Deduplicate the presence entries so that there's at most one per user
-        presence = {p["content"]["user_id"]: p for p in presence}.values()
+            # Deduplicate the presence entries so that there's at most one per user
+            presence = {p.user_id: p for p in presence}.values()
 
         presence = sync_config.filter_collection.filter_presence(
             presence
diff --git a/synapse/notifier.py b/synapse/notifier.py
index 2657dcd8d..31f723d94 100644
--- a/synapse/notifier.py
+++ b/synapse/notifier.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 from twisted.internet import defer
 from synapse.api.constants import EventTypes, Membership
 from synapse.api.errors import AuthError
+from synapse.handlers.presence import format_user_presence_state
 
 from synapse.util import DeferredTimedOutError
 from synapse.util.logutils import log_function
@@ -412,6 +413,15 @@ class Notifier(object):
                         new_events,
                         is_peeking=is_peeking,
                     )
+                elif name == "presence":
+                    now = self.clock.time_msec()
+                    new_events[:] = [
+                        {
+                            "type": "m.presence",
+                            "content": format_user_presence_state(event, now),
+                        }
+                        for event in new_events
+                    ]
 
                 events.extend(new_events)
                 end_token = end_token.copy_and_replace(keyname, new_key)
diff --git a/synapse/rest/client/v1/presence.py b/synapse/rest/client/v1/presence.py
index eafdce865..47b2dc45e 100644
--- a/synapse/rest/client/v1/presence.py
+++ b/synapse/rest/client/v1/presence.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ from twisted.internet import defer
 
 from synapse.api.errors import SynapseError, AuthError
 from synapse.types import UserID
+from synapse.handlers.presence import format_user_presence_state
 from synapse.http.servlet import parse_json_object_from_request
 from .base import ClientV1RestServlet, client_path_patterns
 
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ class PresenceStatusRestServlet(ClientV1RestServlet):
     def __init__(self, hs):
         super(PresenceStatusRestServlet, self).__init__(hs)
         self.presence_handler = hs.get_presence_handler()
+        self.clock = hs.get_clock()
 
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def on_GET(self, request, user_id):
@@ -48,6 +50,7 @@ class PresenceStatusRestServlet(ClientV1RestServlet):
                 raise AuthError(403, "You are not allowed to see their presence.")
 
         state = yield self.presence_handler.get_state(target_user=user)
+        state = format_user_presence_state(state, self.clock.time_msec())
 
         defer.returnValue((200, state))
 
diff --git a/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/sync.py b/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/sync.py
index b3d800163..e07b7833a 100644
--- a/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/sync.py
+++ b/synapse/rest/client/v2_alpha/sync.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from twisted.internet import defer
 from synapse.http.servlet import (
     RestServlet, parse_string, parse_integer, parse_boolean
 )
+from synapse.handlers.presence import format_user_presence_state
 from synapse.handlers.sync import SyncConfig
 from synapse.types import StreamToken
 from synapse.events.utils import (
@@ -194,12 +195,18 @@ class SyncRestServlet(RestServlet):
         defer.returnValue((200, response_content))
 
     def encode_presence(self, events, time_now):
-        formatted = []
-        for event in events:
-            event = copy.deepcopy(event)
-            event['sender'] = event['content'].pop('user_id')
-            formatted.append(event)
-        return {"events": formatted}
+        return {
+            "events": [
+                {
+                    "type": "m.presence",
+                    "sender": event.user_id,
+                    "content": format_user_presence_state(
+                        event, time_now, include_user_id=False
+                    ),
+                }
+                for event in events
+            ]
+        }
 
     def encode_joined(self, rooms, time_now, token_id, event_fields):
         """