diff --git a/changelog.d/5497.bugfix b/changelog.d/5497.bugfix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4228ebaafb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/5497.bugfix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+[Subscribing] Blank display name
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/api/session/profile/ProfileService.kt b/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/api/session/profile/ProfileService.kt
index 05fa24946a3..d2c677bb314 100644
--- a/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/api/session/profile/ProfileService.kt
+++ b/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/api/session/profile/ProfileService.kt
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import android.net.Uri
 import androidx.lifecycle.LiveData
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.auth.UserInteractiveAuthInterceptor
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.identity.ThreePid
+import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.user.model.User
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.util.JsonDict
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.util.Optional
 
@@ -118,4 +119,17 @@ interface ProfileService {
      * Remove a 3Pid from the Matrix account.
      */
     suspend fun deleteThreePid(threePid: ThreePid)
+
+    /**
+     * Return a User object from a userId
+     */
+    suspend fun getProfileAsUser(userId: String): User {
+        return getProfile(userId).let { dict ->
+            User(
+                    userId = userId,
+                    displayName = dict[DISPLAY_NAME_KEY] as? String,
+                    avatarUrl = dict[AVATAR_URL_KEY] as? String
+            )
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/SyncTask.kt b/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/SyncTask.kt
index b4da1a02cd9..2136259f22a 100644
--- a/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/SyncTask.kt
+++ b/matrix-sdk-android/src/main/java/org/matrix/android/sdk/internal/session/sync/SyncTask.kt
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package org.matrix.android.sdk.internal.session.sync
 
 import android.os.SystemClock
 import okhttp3.ResponseBody
+import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.extensions.tryOrNull
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.logger.LoggerTag
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.Session
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.initsync.InitSyncStep
@@ -104,7 +105,11 @@ internal class DefaultSyncTask @Inject constructor(
         val isInitialSync = token == null
         if (isInitialSync) {
             // We might want to get the user information in parallel too
-            userStore.createOrUpdate(userId)
+            val user = tryOrNull { session.getProfileAsUser(userId) }
+            userStore.createOrUpdate(
+                    userId = userId,
+                    displayName = user?.displayName,
+                    avatarUrl = user?.avatarUrl)
             defaultSyncStatusService.startRoot(InitSyncStep.ImportingAccount, 100)
         }
         // Maybe refresh the homeserver capabilities data we know
diff --git a/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/roommemberprofile/RoomMemberProfileViewModel.kt b/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/roommemberprofile/RoomMemberProfileViewModel.kt
index a79a9f4c1de..79b839d71ed 100644
--- a/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/roommemberprofile/RoomMemberProfileViewModel.kt
+++ b/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/roommemberprofile/RoomMemberProfileViewModel.kt
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.accountdata.UserAccountDataTypes
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.events.model.EventType
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.events.model.toContent
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.events.model.toModel
-import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.profile.ProfileService
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.room.Room
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.room.members.roomMemberQueryParams
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.room.model.Membership
@@ -329,12 +328,12 @@ class RoomMemberProfileViewModel @AssistedInject constructor(
 
     private suspend fun fetchProfileInfo() {
         val result = runCatchingToAsync {
-            session.getProfile(initialState.userId)
+            session.getProfileAsUser(initialState.userId)
                     .let {
                         MatrixItem.UserItem(
                                 id = initialState.userId,
-                                displayName = it[ProfileService.DISPLAY_NAME_KEY] as? String,
-                                avatarUrl = it[ProfileService.AVATAR_URL_KEY] as? String
+                                displayName = it.displayName,
+                                avatarUrl = it.avatarUrl
                         )
                     }
         }
diff --git a/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/userdirectory/UserListViewModel.kt b/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/userdirectory/UserListViewModel.kt
index 61f8bc35f3c..e36a6411b84 100644
--- a/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/userdirectory/UserListViewModel.kt
+++ b/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/userdirectory/UserListViewModel.kt
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.Session
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.identity.IdentityServiceError
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.identity.IdentityServiceListener
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.identity.ThreePid
-import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.profile.ProfileService
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.session.user.model.User
 import org.matrix.android.sdk.api.util.toMatrixItem
 
@@ -214,14 +213,10 @@ class UserListViewModel @AssistedInject constructor(
                 ThreePidUser(email = search, user = null)
             } else {
                 try {
-                    val json = session.getProfile(foundThreePid.matrixId)
+                    val user = tryOrNull { session.getProfileAsUser(foundThreePid.matrixId) } ?: User(foundThreePid.matrixId)
                     ThreePidUser(
                             email = search,
-                            user = User(
-                                    userId = foundThreePid.matrixId,
-                                    displayName = json[ProfileService.DISPLAY_NAME_KEY] as? String,
-                                    avatarUrl = json[ProfileService.AVATAR_URL_KEY] as? String
-                            )
+                            user = user
                     )
                 } catch (failure: Throwable) {
                     ThreePidUser(email = search, user = User(foundThreePid.matrixId))
@@ -241,11 +236,11 @@ class UserListViewModel @AssistedInject constructor(
                         .searchUsersDirectory(search, 50, state.excludedUserIds.orEmpty())
                         .sortedBy { it.toMatrixItem().firstLetterOfDisplayName() }
                 val userProfile = if (MatrixPatterns.isUserId(search)) {
-                    val json = tryOrNull { session.getProfile(search) }
+                    val user = tryOrNull { session.getProfileAsUser(search) }
                     User(
                             userId = search,
-                            displayName = json?.get(ProfileService.DISPLAY_NAME_KEY) as? String,
-                            avatarUrl = json?.get(ProfileService.AVATAR_URL_KEY) as? String
+                            displayName = user?.displayName,
+                            avatarUrl = user?.avatarUrl
                     )
                 } else {
                     null