diff --git a/web/src/api/client.ts b/web/src/api/client.ts
index c31468d..07bf47c 100644
--- a/web/src/api/client.ts
+++ b/web/src/api/client.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 //
 // You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
 // along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+import type { MouseEvent } from "react"
 import { CachedEventDispatcher, NonNullCachedEventDispatcher } from "../util/eventdispatcher.ts"
 import RPCClient, { SendMessageParams } from "./rpc.ts"
 import { RoomStateStore, StateStore } from "./statestore"
@@ -66,8 +67,20 @@ export default class Client {
 		}
 		console.log("Successfully authenticated, connecting to websocket")
 		this.rpc.start()
-		window.Notification?.requestPermission()
-			.then(permission => console.log("Notification permission:", permission))
+		this.requestNotificationPermission()
+	}
+
+	requestNotificationPermission = (evt?: MouseEvent) => {
+		window.Notification?.requestPermission().then(permission => {
+			console.log("Notification permission:", permission)
+			if (evt) {
+				window.alert(`Notification permission: ${permission}`)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+
+	registerURIHandler = () => {
+		navigator.registerProtocolHandler("matrix", "#/uri/%s")
 	}
 
 	start(): () => void {
diff --git a/web/src/api/statestore/hooks.ts b/web/src/api/statestore/hooks.ts
index 3de9ab5..97fc16f 100644
--- a/web/src/api/statestore/hooks.ts
+++ b/web/src/api/statestore/hooks.ts
@@ -37,15 +37,18 @@ export function useRoomState(
 	)
 }
 
+
 export function useRoomMembers(room?: RoomStateStore): MemDBEvent[] {
 	return useSyncExternalStore(
 		room ? room.stateSubs.getSubscriber("m.room.member") : noopSubscribe,
-		room ? room.getMembers : () => [],
+		room ? room.getMembers : returnEmptyArray,
 	)
 }
 
 const noopSubscribe = () => () => {}
 const returnNull = () => null
+const emptyArray: never[] = []
+const returnEmptyArray = () => emptyArray
 
 export function useRoomEvent(room: RoomStateStore, eventID: EventID | null): MemDBEvent | null {
 	return useSyncExternalStore(
diff --git a/web/src/ui/MainScreen.tsx b/web/src/ui/MainScreen.tsx
index 9edecdc..c0071cf 100644
--- a/web/src/ui/MainScreen.tsx
+++ b/web/src/ui/MainScreen.tsx
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import Client from "@/api/client.ts"
 import { RoomStateStore } from "@/api/statestore"
 import type { RoomID } from "@/api/types"
 import { useEventAsState } from "@/util/eventdispatcher.ts"
+import { parseMatrixURI } from "@/util/validation.ts"
 import ClientContext from "./ClientContext.ts"
 import MainScreenContext, { MainScreenContextFields } from "./MainScreenContext.ts"
 import StylePreferences from "./StylePreferences.tsx"
@@ -61,6 +62,9 @@ class ContextFields implements MainScreenContextFields {
 	}
 
 	setRightPanel = (props: RightPanelProps | null, pushState = true) => {
+		if ((props?.type === "members" || props?.type === "pinned-messages") && !this.client.store.activeRoomID) {
+			props = null
+		}
 		const isEqual = objectIsEqual(this.currentRightPanel, props)
 		if (isEqual && !pushState) {
 			return
@@ -145,6 +149,42 @@ class ContextFields implements MainScreenContextFields {
 
 const SYNC_ERROR_HIDE_DELAY = 30 * 1000
 
+const handleURLHash = (client: Client, context: ContextFields) => {
+	if (!location.hash.startsWith("#/uri/")) {
+		return
+	}
+	const decodedURI = decodeURIComponent(location.hash.slice("#/uri/".length))
+	const uri = parseMatrixURI(decodedURI)
+	if (!uri) {
+		console.error("Invalid matrix URI", decodedURI)
+		return
+	}
+	const newURL = new URL(location.href)
+	newURL.hash = ""
+	if (uri.identifier.startsWith("@")) {
+		const right_panel = {
+			type: "user",
+			userID: uri.identifier,
+		} as RightPanelProps
+		history.replaceState({ right_panel }, "", newURL.toString())
+		context.setRightPanel(right_panel, false)
+	} else if (uri.identifier.startsWith("!")) {
+		history.replaceState({ room_id: uri.identifier }, "", newURL.toString())
+		context.setActiveRoom(uri.identifier, false)
+	} else if (uri.identifier.startsWith("#")) {
+		// TODO loading indicator or something for this?
+		client.rpc.resolveAlias(uri.identifier).then(
+			res => {
+				history.replaceState({ room_id: res.room_id }, "", newURL.toString())
+				context.setActiveRoom(res.room_id, false)
+			},
+			err => window.alert(`Failed to resolve room alias ${uri.identifier}: ${err}`),
+		)
+	} else {
+		console.error("Invalid matrix URI", uri)
+	}
+}
+
 const MainScreen = () => {
 	const [activeRoom, directSetActiveRoom] = useState<RoomStateStore | null>(null)
 	const [rightPanel, directSetRightPanel] = useState<RightPanelProps | null>(null)
@@ -166,6 +206,8 @@ const MainScreen = () => {
 			context.setRightPanel(evt.state?.right_panel ?? null, false)
 		}
 		window.addEventListener("popstate", listener)
+		listener({ state: history.state } as PopStateEvent)
+		handleURLHash(client, context)
 		return () => window.removeEventListener("popstate", listener)
 	}, [context, client])
 	useEffect(() => context.keybindings.listen(), [context])
@@ -228,6 +270,7 @@ const MainScreen = () => {
 						rightPanelResizeHandle={resizeHandle2}
 					/>
 					: rightPanel && <>
+						<div className="room-view placeholder"/>
 						{resizeHandle2}
 						{rightPanel && <RightPanel {...rightPanel}/>}
 					</>}
diff --git a/web/src/ui/rightpanel/RightPanel.tsx b/web/src/ui/rightpanel/RightPanel.tsx
index f264181..86ce5d4 100644
--- a/web/src/ui/rightpanel/RightPanel.tsx
+++ b/web/src/ui/rightpanel/RightPanel.tsx
@@ -59,11 +59,12 @@ function renderRightPanelContent(props: RightPanelProps): JSX.Element | null {
 }
 
 const RightPanel = (props: RightPanelProps) => {
+	const mainScreen = use(MainScreenContext)
 	let backButton: JSX.Element | null = null
 	if (props.type === "user") {
 		backButton = <button
 			data-target-panel="members"
-			onClick={use(MainScreenContext).clickRightPanelOpener}
+			onClick={mainScreen.clickRightPanelOpener}
 		><BackIcon/></button>
 	}
 	return <div className="right-panel">
@@ -72,7 +73,7 @@ const RightPanel = (props: RightPanelProps) => {
 				{backButton}
 				<div className="panel-name">{getTitle(props.type)}</div>
 			</div>
-			<button onClick={use(MainScreenContext).closeRightPanel}><CloseIcon/></button>
+			<button onClick={mainScreen.closeRightPanel}><CloseIcon/></button>
 		</div>
 		<div className={`right-panel-content ${props.type}`}>
 			{renderRightPanelContent(props)}
diff --git a/web/src/ui/settings/SettingsView.css b/web/src/ui/settings/SettingsView.css
index 1cda143..b680e22 100644
--- a/web/src/ui/settings/SettingsView.css
+++ b/web/src/ui/settings/SettingsView.css
@@ -88,13 +88,17 @@ div.settings-view {
 		}
 	}
 
-	button.logout {
-		margin-top: 1rem;
+	> div.misc-buttons > button {
 		padding: .5rem 1rem;
+		display: block;
 
-		&:hover, &:focus {
-			background-color: var(--error-color);
-			color: var(--inverted-text-color);
+		&.logout {
+			margin-top: 2rem;
+
+			&:hover, &:focus {
+				background-color: var(--error-color);
+				color: var(--inverted-text-color);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/web/src/ui/settings/SettingsView.tsx b/web/src/ui/settings/SettingsView.tsx
index 131a542..99a8b3e 100644
--- a/web/src/ui/settings/SettingsView.tsx
+++ b/web/src/ui/settings/SettingsView.tsx
@@ -357,7 +357,13 @@ const SettingsView = ({ room }: SettingsViewProps) => {
 		</table>
 		<CustomCSSInput setPref={setPref} room={room} />
 		<AppliedSettingsView room={room} />
-		<button className="logout" onClick={onClickLogout}>Logout</button>
+		<div className="misc-buttons">
+			{window.Notification && <button onClick={client.requestNotificationPermission}>
+				Request notification permission
+			</button>}
+			<button onClick={client.registerURIHandler}>Register <code>matrix:</code> URI handler</button>
+			<button className="logout" onClick={onClickLogout}>Logout</button>
+		</div>
 	</>
 }
 
diff --git a/web/src/ui/timeline/content/TextMessageBody.tsx b/web/src/ui/timeline/content/TextMessageBody.tsx
index 90655bc..e8b0a79 100644
--- a/web/src/ui/timeline/content/TextMessageBody.tsx
+++ b/web/src/ui/timeline/content/TextMessageBody.tsx
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 // You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
 // along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 import { MessageEventContent } from "@/api/types"
-import { getDisplayname } from "@/util/validation.ts"
+import { getDisplayname, parseMatrixURI } from "@/util/validation.ts"
 import EventContentProps from "./props.ts"
 
 function isImageElement(elem: EventTarget): elem is HTMLImageElement {
@@ -26,21 +26,19 @@ function isAnchorElement(elem: EventTarget): elem is HTMLAnchorElement {
 }
 
 function onClickMatrixURI(href: string) {
-	const url = new URL(href)
-	const pathParts = url.pathname.split("/")
-	const decodedPart = decodeURIComponent(pathParts[1])
-	switch (pathParts[0]) {
-	case "u":
+	const  uri = parseMatrixURI(href)
+	switch (uri?.identifier[0]) {
+	case "@":
 		return window.mainScreenContext.setRightPanel({
 			type: "user",
-			userID: `@${decodedPart}`,
+			userID: uri.identifier,
 		})
-	case "roomid":
-		return window.mainScreenContext.setActiveRoom(`!${decodedPart}`)
-	case "r":
-		return window.client.rpc.resolveAlias(`#${decodedPart}`).then(
+	case "!":
+		return window.mainScreenContext.setActiveRoom(uri.identifier)
+	case "#":
+		return window.client.rpc.resolveAlias(uri.identifier).then(
 			res => window.mainScreenContext.setActiveRoom(res.room_id),
-			err => window.alert(`Failed to resolve room alias #${decodedPart}: ${err}`),
+			err => window.alert(`Failed to resolve room alias ${uri.identifier}: ${err}`),
 		)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/web/src/util/validation.ts b/web/src/util/validation.ts
index 0eca5fd..8554282 100644
--- a/web/src/util/validation.ts
+++ b/web/src/util/validation.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,44 @@ export const isRoomID = (roomID: unknown) => isIdentifier<RoomID>(roomID, "!", t
 export const isRoomAlias = (roomAlias: unknown) => isIdentifier<RoomAlias>(roomAlias, "#", true)
 export const isMXC = (mxc: unknown): mxc is ContentURI => typeof mxc === "string" && mediaRegex.test(mxc)
 
+export interface ParsedMatrixURI {
+	identifier: UserID | RoomID | RoomAlias
+	eventID?: EventID
+	params: URLSearchParams
+}
+
+export function parseMatrixURI(uri: unknown): ParsedMatrixURI | undefined {
+	if (typeof uri !== "string") {
+		return
+	}
+	let parsed: URL
+	try {
+		parsed = new URL(uri)
+	} catch {
+		return
+	}
+	if (parsed.protocol !== "matrix:") {
+		return
+	}
+	const [type, ident1, subtype, ident2] = parsed.pathname.split("/")
+	const output: Partial<ParsedMatrixURI> = {
+		params: parsed.searchParams,
+	}
+	if (type === "u") {
+		output.identifier = `@${ident1}`
+	} else if (type === "r") {
+		output.identifier = `#${ident1}`
+	} else if (type === "roomid") {
+		output.identifier = `!${ident1}`
+		if (subtype === "e") {
+			output.eventID = `$${ident2}`
+		}
+	} else {
+		return
+	}
+	return output as ParsedMatrixURI
+}
+
 export function getLocalpart(userID: UserID): string {
 	const idx = userID.indexOf(":")
 	return idx > 0 ? userID.slice(1, idx) : userID.slice(1)