diff --git a/CHANGES.rst b/CHANGES.rst
index 23bdac6a8a..813ad364ea 100644
--- a/CHANGES.rst
+++ b/CHANGES.rst
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@ Changes in synapse 0.6.0 (2014-12-16)
 =====================================
 
  * Add new API for media upload and download that supports thumbnailing.
+ * Replicate media uploads over multiple homeservers so media is always served
+   to clients from their local homeserver.  This obsoletes the
+   --content-addr parameter and confusion over accessing content directly
+   from remote homeservers.
+ * Implement exponential backoff when retrying federation requests when
+   sending to remote homeservers which are offline.
  * Implement typing notifications.
  * Fix bugs where we sent events with invalid signatures due to bugs where
    we incorrectly persisted events.
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/directory.py b/synapse/handlers/directory.py
index 66d3b533d9..a907a66e12 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/directory.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/directory.py
@@ -155,4 +155,4 @@ class DirectoryHandler(BaseHandler):
             "room_id": room_id,
             "sender": user_id,
             "content": {"aliases": aliases},
-        })
+        }, ratelimit=False)
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/message.py b/synapse/handlers/message.py
index 49c0e98113..854b2c73c6 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/message.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/message.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ from synapse.api.constants import EventTypes, Membership
 from synapse.api.errors import RoomError
 from synapse.streams.config import PaginationConfig
 from synapse.events.validator import EventValidator
+from synapse.util.logcontext import PreserveLoggingContext
 
 from ._base import BaseHandler
 
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@ class MessageHandler(BaseHandler):
         defer.returnValue(chunk)
 
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
-    def create_and_send_event(self, event_dict):
+    def create_and_send_event(self, event_dict, ratelimit=True):
         """ Given a dict from a client, create and handle a new event.
 
         Creates an FrozenEvent object, filling out auth_events, prev_events,
@@ -123,7 +124,8 @@ class MessageHandler(BaseHandler):
 
         self.validator.validate_new(builder)
 
-        self.ratelimit(builder.user_id)
+        if ratelimit:
+            self.ratelimit(builder.user_id)
         # TODO(paul): Why does 'event' not have a 'user' object?
         user = self.hs.parse_userid(builder.user_id)
         assert self.hs.is_mine(user), "User must be our own: %s" % (user,)
@@ -152,6 +154,11 @@ class MessageHandler(BaseHandler):
                 context=context,
             )
 
+        if event.type == EventTypes.Message:
+            presence = self.hs.get_handlers().presence_handler
+            with PreserveLoggingContext():
+                presence.bump_presence_active_time(user)
+
         defer.returnValue(event)
 
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/profile.py b/synapse/handlers/profile.py
index 33a2c167ec..3f11e2dcf4 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/profile.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/profile.py
@@ -194,6 +194,8 @@ class ProfileHandler(BaseHandler):
         if not self.hs.is_mine(user):
             return
 
+        self.ratelimit(user.to_string())
+
         joins = yield self.store.get_rooms_for_user_where_membership_is(
             user.to_string(),
             [Membership.JOIN],
@@ -214,5 +216,5 @@ class ProfileHandler(BaseHandler):
                 "room_id": j.room_id,
                 "state_key": j.state_key,
                 "content": content,
-                "sender": j.state_key,
-            })
+                "sender": j.state_key
+            }, ratelimit=False)
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/room.py b/synapse/handlers/room.py
index 9644cd3d34..deefc3c11e 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/room.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/room.py
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ class RoomCreationHandler(BaseHandler):
                 "type": EventTypes.Name,
                 "room_id": room_id,
                 "sender": user_id,
+                "state_key": "",
                 "content": {"name": name},
             })
 
@@ -139,6 +140,7 @@ class RoomCreationHandler(BaseHandler):
                 "type": EventTypes.Topic,
                 "room_id": room_id,
                 "sender": user_id,
+                "state_key": "",
                 "content": {"topic": topic},
             })
 
diff --git a/synapse/storage/room.py b/synapse/storage/room.py
index 2378d65943..c20abbfe4d 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/room.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/room.py
@@ -135,26 +135,26 @@ class RoomStore(SQLBaseStore):
         defer.returnValue(ret)
 
     def _store_room_topic_txn(self, txn, event):
-        if hasattr(event, "topic"):
+        if hasattr(event, "content") and "topic" in event.content:
             self._simple_insert_txn(
                 txn,
                 "topics",
                 {
                     "event_id": event.event_id,
                     "room_id": event.room_id,
-                    "topic": event.topic,
+                    "topic": event.content["topic"],
                 }
             )
 
     def _store_room_name_txn(self, txn, event):
-        if hasattr(event, "name"):
+        if hasattr(event, "content") and "name" in event.content:
             self._simple_insert_txn(
                 txn,
                 "room_names",
                 {
                     "event_id": event.event_id,
                     "room_id": event.room_id,
-                    "name": event.name,
+                    "name": event.content["name"],
                 }
             )
 
diff --git a/tests/handlers/test_presencelike.py b/tests/handlers/test_presencelike.py
index 532ecf0f2c..0584e4c8b9 100644
--- a/tests/handlers/test_presencelike.py
+++ b/tests/handlers/test_presencelike.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ presence and profiles; namely, the displayname and avatar_url."""
 from tests import unittest
 from twisted.internet import defer
 
-from mock import Mock, call, ANY
+from mock import Mock, call, ANY, NonCallableMock
 
 from ..utils import MockClock, MockKey
 
@@ -75,8 +75,13 @@ class PresenceProfilelikeDataTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
                 resource_for_federation=Mock(),
                 http_client=None,
                 replication_layer=MockReplication(),
-                config=self.mock_config,
-            )
+                ratelimiter=NonCallableMock(spec_set=[
+                "send_message",
+                ]),
+                config=self.mock_config
+        )
+        self.ratelimiter = hs.get_ratelimiter()
+        self.ratelimiter.send_message.return_value = (True, 0)
         hs.handlers = PresenceAndProfileHandlers(hs)
 
         self.datastore = hs.get_datastore()
diff --git a/tests/handlers/test_profile.py b/tests/handlers/test_profile.py
index 1660e7e928..25b172aa5e 100644
--- a/tests/handlers/test_profile.py
+++ b/tests/handlers/test_profile.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 from tests import unittest
 from twisted.internet import defer
 
-from mock import Mock
+from mock import Mock, NonCallableMock
 
 from synapse.api.errors import AuthError
 from synapse.server import HomeServer
@@ -59,7 +59,14 @@ class ProfileTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
                 resource_for_federation=Mock(),
                 replication_layer=self.mock_federation,
                 config=self.mock_config,
+                ratelimiter=NonCallableMock(spec_set=[
+                    "send_message",
+                ])
             )
+
+        self.ratelimiter = hs.get_ratelimiter()
+        self.ratelimiter.send_message.return_value = (True, 0)
+
         hs.handlers = ProfileHandlers(hs)
 
         self.store = hs.get_datastore()