diff --git a/.eslintrc.json b/.eslintrc.json
index a209d3013..6ee6d7407 100644
--- a/.eslintrc.json
+++ b/.eslintrc.json
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@
         "object-curly-newline": "off",
         "object-curly-spacing": "off",
         "object-property-newline": [
-            "error",
+            "off",
             {
                 "allowMultiplePropertiesPerLine": true
             }
diff --git a/spec/muc.js b/spec/muc.js
index 2458e887c..3c994ecf5 100644
--- a/spec/muc.js
+++ b/spec/muc.js
@@ -2907,7 +2907,7 @@
                 done();
             }));
 
-            it("notifies user of role and affiliation changes for members not in the groupchat",
+            it("notifies users of role and affiliation changes for members not currently in the groupchat",
                 mock.initConverse(
                     ['rosterGroupsFetched'], {},
                     async function (done, _converse) {
@@ -2923,14 +2923,14 @@
                 })
                 .c('x', { 'xmlns': 'http://jabber.org/protocol/muc#user'})
                 .c('item', {
-                    'jid': 'annoyingguy@montague.lit',
+                    'jid': 'absentguy@montague.lit',
                     'affiliation': 'member',
                     'role': 'none'
                 });
                 _converse.connection._dataRecv(test_utils.createRequest(message));
                 await u.waitUntil(() => view.model.occupants.length > 1);
                 expect(view.model.occupants.length).toBe(2);
-                expect(view.model.occupants.findWhere({'jid': 'annoyingguy@montague.lit'}).get('affiliation')).toBe('member');
+                expect(view.model.occupants.findWhere({'jid': 'absentguy@montague.lit'}).get('affiliation')).toBe('member');
 
                 message = $msg({
                     from: 'lounge@montague.lit',
@@ -2939,13 +2939,13 @@
                 })
                 .c('x', { 'xmlns': 'http://jabber.org/protocol/muc#user'})
                 .c('item', {
-                    'jid': 'annoyingguy@montague.lit',
+                    'jid': 'absentguy@montague.lit',
                     'affiliation': 'none',
                     'role': 'none'
                 });
                 _converse.connection._dataRecv(test_utils.createRequest(message));
                 expect(view.model.occupants.length).toBe(2);
-                expect(view.model.occupants.findWhere({'jid': 'annoyingguy@montague.lit'}).get('affiliation')).toBe('none');
+                expect(view.model.occupants.findWhere({'jid': 'absentguy@montague.lit'}).get('affiliation')).toBe('none');
 
                 done();
             }));
diff --git a/src/headless/converse-muc.js b/src/headless/converse-muc.js
index b21fdaeb3..6d162ddaf 100644
--- a/src/headless/converse-muc.js
+++ b/src/headless/converse-muc.js
@@ -480,17 +480,41 @@ converse.plugins.add('converse-muc', {
                 return this.occupants.fetched;
             },
 
+            handleAffiliationChangedMessage (stanza) {
+                const item = sizzle(`x[xmlns="${Strophe.NS.MUC_USER}"] item`, stanza).pop();
+                if (item) {
+                    const from = stanza.getAttribute("from");
+                    const type = stanza.getAttribute("type");
+                    const affiliation = item.getAttribute('affiliation');
+                    const jid = item.getAttribute('jid');
+                    const data = {
+                        from, type, affiliation,
+                        'nick': Strophe.getNodeFromJid(jid),
+                        'states': [],
+                        'show': type == 'unavailable' ? 'offline' : 'online',
+                        'role': item.getAttribute('role'),
+                        'jid': Strophe.getBareJidFromJid(jid),
+                        'resource': Strophe.getResourceFromJid(jid)
+                    }
+                    const occupant = this.occupants.findOccupant({'jid': data.jid});
+                    if (occupant) {
+                        occupant.save(data);
+                    } else {
+                        this.occupants.create(data);
+                    }
+                }
+            },
+
             registerHandlers () {
                 // Register presence and message handlers for this groupchat
                 const room_jid = this.get('jid');
                 this.removeHandlers();
-                this.presence_handler = _converse.connection.addHandler(stanza => {
-                        this.onPresence(stanza);
-                        return true;
-                    },
+                this.presence_handler = _converse.connection.addHandler(
+                    stanza => (this.onPresence(stanza) || true),
                     null, 'presence', null, null, room_jid,
                     {'ignoreNamespaceFragment': true, 'matchBareFromJid': true}
                 );
+
                 this.message_handler = _converse.connection.addHandler(stanza => {
                         if (sizzle(`message > result[xmlns="${Strophe.NS.MAM}"]`, stanza).pop()) {
                             // MAM messages are handled in converse-mam.
@@ -504,61 +528,27 @@ converse.plugins.add('converse-muc', {
                     }, null, 'message', 'groupchat', null, room_jid,
                     {'matchBareFromJid': true}
                 );
-                this.muc_notifications_handler = _converse.connection.addHandler(stanza => {
-                    const item = sizzle(`x[xmlns="${Strophe.NS.MUC_USER}"] item`, stanza).pop();
 
-                    if (item) {
-                        const from = stanza.getAttribute("from");
-                        const type = stanza.getAttribute("type");
-                        const affiliation = item.getAttribute('affiliation');
-                        const jid = item.getAttribute('jid');
-
-                        const data = {
-                          'from': from,
-                          'nick': Strophe.getNodeFromJid(jid),
-                          'type': type,
-                          'states': [],
-                          'show': type == 'unavailable' ? 'offline' : 'online',
-                          'affiliation': affiliation,
-                          'role': item.getAttribute('role'),
-                          'jid': Strophe.getBareJidFromJid(jid),
-                          'resource': Strophe.getResourceFromJid(jid)
-                        }
-
-                        const occupant = this.occupants.findOccupant({'jid': data.jid});
-
-                        if (occupant) {
-                          occupant.save(data);
-                        } else {
-                          this.occupants.create(data);
-                        }
-                    }
-                    return true;
-
-                }, Strophe.NS.MUC_USER, 'message', null, null, room_jid);
+                this.affiliation_message_handler = _converse.connection.addHandler(
+                    stanza => (this.handleAffiliationChangedMessage(stanza) || true),
+                    Strophe.NS.MUC_USER, 'message', null, null, room_jid
+                );
             },
 
             removeHandlers () {
                 // Remove the presence and message handlers that were
                 // registered for this groupchat.
                 if (this.message_handler) {
-                    if (_converse.connection) {
-                        _converse.connection.deleteHandler(this.message_handler);
-                    }
+                    _converse.connection && _converse.connection.deleteHandler(this.message_handler);
                     delete this.message_handler;
                 }
                 if (this.presence_handler) {
-                    if (_converse.connection) {
-                        _converse.connection.deleteHandler(this.presence_handler);
-                    }
+                    _converse.connection && _converse.connection.deleteHandler(this.presence_handler);
                     delete this.presence_handler;
                 }
-
-                if (this.muc_notifications_handler) {
-                    if (_converse.connection) {
-                        _converse.connection.deleteHandler(this.muc_notifications_handler);
-                    }
-                  delete this.muc_notifications_handler;
+                if (this.affiliation_message_handler) {
+                    _converse.connection && _converse.connection.deleteHandler(this.affiliation_message_handler);
+                    delete this.affiliation_message_handler;
                 }
                 return this;
             },