diff --git a/src/room/InCallView.tsx b/src/room/InCallView.tsx
index cd980234..bad58be3 100644
--- a/src/room/InCallView.tsx
+++ b/src/room/InCallView.tsx
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ import {
 import useMeasure from "react-use-measure";
 import { MatrixRTCSession } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/matrixrtc/MatrixRTCSession";
 import classNames from "classnames";
-import { BehaviorSubject } from "rxjs";
-import { useObservableEagerState } from "observable-hooks";
+import { BehaviorSubject, map } from "rxjs";
+import { useObservable, useObservableEagerState } from "observable-hooks";
 import { logger } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/logger";
 
 import LogoMark from "../icons/LogoMark.svg?react";
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ import { ECConnectionState } from "../livekit/useECConnectionState";
 import { useOpenIDSFU } from "../livekit/openIDSFU";
 import { CallViewModel, GridMode, Layout } from "../state/CallViewModel";
 import { Grid, TileProps } from "../grid/Grid";
-import { useObservable } from "../state/useObservable";
 import { useInitial } from "../useInitial";
 import { SpotlightTile } from "../tile/SpotlightTile";
 import { EncryptionSystem } from "../e2ee/sharedKeyManagement";
@@ -103,7 +102,10 @@ export const ActiveCall: FC<ActiveCallProps> = (props) => {
     sfuConfig,
     props.e2eeSystem,
   );
-  const connStateObservable = useObservable(connState);
+  const connStateObservable = useObservable(
+    (inputs) => inputs.pipe(map(([connState]) => connState)),
+    [connState],
+  );
   const [vm, setVm] = useState<CallViewModel | null>(null);
 
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -308,7 +310,10 @@ export const InCallView: FC<InCallViewProps> = ({
       windowMode,
     ],
   );
-  const gridBoundsObservable = useObservable(gridBounds);
+  const gridBoundsObservable = useObservable(
+    (inputs) => inputs.pipe(map(([gridBounds]) => gridBounds)),
+    [gridBounds],
+  );
 
   const spotlightAlignment = useInitial(
     () => new BehaviorSubject(defaultSpotlightAlignment),
diff --git a/src/state/useObservable.ts b/src/state/useObservable.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 0d53cf40..00000000
--- a/src/state/useObservable.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,34 +0,0 @@
-/*
-Copyright 2023, 2024 New Vector Ltd.
-
-SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
-Please see LICENSE in the repository root for full details.
-*/
-
-import { Ref, useCallback, useRef } from "react";
-import { BehaviorSubject, Observable } from "rxjs";
-
-import { useInitial } from "../useInitial";
-
-/**
- * React hook that creates an Observable from a changing value. The Observable
- * replays its current value upon subscription and emits whenever the value
- * changes.
- */
-export function useObservable<T>(value: T): Observable<T> {
-  const subject = useRef<BehaviorSubject<T>>();
-  subject.current ??= new BehaviorSubject(value);
-  if (value !== subject.current.value) subject.current.next(value);
-  return subject.current;
-}
-
-/**
- * React hook that creates a ref and an Observable that emits any values
- * stored in the ref. The Observable replays the value currently stored in the
- * ref upon subscription.
- */
-export function useObservableRef<T>(initialValue: T): [Observable<T>, Ref<T>] {
-  const subject = useInitial(() => new BehaviorSubject(initialValue));
-  const ref = useCallback((value: T) => subject.next(value), [subject]);
-  return [subject, ref];
-}
diff --git a/src/tile/SpotlightTile.tsx b/src/tile/SpotlightTile.tsx
index 6e1f0d85..64404567 100644
--- a/src/tile/SpotlightTile.tsx
+++ b/src/tile/SpotlightTile.tsx
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import {
 } from "@vector-im/compound-design-tokens/assets/web/icons";
 import { animated } from "@react-spring/web";
 import { Observable, map } from "rxjs";
-import { useObservableEagerState } from "observable-hooks";
+import { useObservableEagerState, useObservableRef } from "observable-hooks";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 import classNames from "classnames";
 import { TrackReferenceOrPlaceholder } from "@livekit/components-core";
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ import {
 } from "../state/MediaViewModel";
 import { useInitial } from "../useInitial";
 import { useMergedRefs } from "../useMergedRefs";
-import { useObservableRef } from "../state/useObservable";
 import { useReactiveState } from "../useReactiveState";
 import { useLatest } from "../useLatest";
 import { SpotlightTileViewModel } from "../state/TileViewModel";
@@ -203,7 +202,7 @@ export const SpotlightTile = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, Props>(
     theirRef,
   ) => {
     const { t } = useTranslation();
-    const [root, ourRef] = useObservableRef<HTMLDivElement | null>(null);
+    const [ourRef, root] = useObservableRef<HTMLDivElement | null>(null);
     const ref = useMergedRefs(ourRef, theirRef);
     const maximised = useObservableEagerState(vm.maximised);
     const media = useObservableEagerState(vm.media);