diff --git a/docs/source/development.rst b/docs/source/development.rst
index 9a8a715e6..cbd272919 100644
--- a/docs/source/development.rst
+++ b/docs/source/development.rst
@@ -798,6 +798,15 @@ Event Types
 
 Here are the different events that are emitted:
 
+cachedRoster
+~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+The contacts roster has been retrieved from the local cache (`sessionStorage`).
+
+``converse.listen.on('cachedRoster', function (event, items) { ... });``
+
+See also the `roster` event further down.
+
 callButtonClicked
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
@@ -937,10 +946,13 @@ After the user has sent out a direct invitation, to a roster contact, asking the
 roster
 ~~~~~~
 
-When the roster is updated.
+When the roster has been received from the XMPP server.
 
 ``converse.listen.on('roster', function (event, items) { ... });``
 
+See also the `cachedRoster` event further up, which gets called instead of
+`roster` if its already in `sessionStorage`.
+
 rosterPush
 ~~~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/src/converse-core.js b/src/converse-core.js
index d6866b9d6..deb241261 100755
--- a/src/converse-core.js
+++ b/src/converse-core.js
@@ -358,6 +358,8 @@
             }
             if (converse.auto_changed_status === true) {
                 converse.auto_changed_status = false;
+                // XXX: we should really remember the original state here, and
+                // then set it back to that...
                 converse.xmppstatus.setStatus(converse.default_state);
             }
         };
diff --git a/src/converse-rosterview.js b/src/converse-rosterview.js
index b4a30252d..d19d60725 100644
--- a/src/converse-rosterview.js
+++ b/src/converse-rosterview.js
@@ -294,13 +294,16 @@
                                          */
                                         converse.roster.fetchFromServer(
                                                 converse.xmppstatus.sendPresence.bind(converse.xmppstatus));
-                                    } else if (converse.send_initial_presence) {
-                                        /* We're not going to fetch the roster again because we have
-                                         * it already cached in sessionStorage, but we still need to
-                                         * send out a presence stanza because this is a new session.
-                                         * See: https://github.com/jcbrand/converse.js/issues/536
-                                         */
-                                        converse.xmppstatus.sendPresence();
+                                    } else {
+                                        converse.emit('cachedRoster', collection);
+                                        if (converse.send_initial_presence) {
+                                            /* We're not going to fetch the roster again because we have
+                                            * it already cached in sessionStorage, but we still need to
+                                            * send out a presence stanza because this is a new session.
+                                            * See: https://github.com/jcbrand/converse.js/issues/536
+                                            */
+                                            converse.xmppstatus.sendPresence();
+                                        }
                                     }
                                 }
                             });