diff --git a/src/stores/OwnProfileStore.ts b/src/stores/OwnProfileStore.ts
index bae9534846..ce69a8f547 100644
--- a/src/stores/OwnProfileStore.ts
+++ b/src/stores/OwnProfileStore.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import { User, UserEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/user";
 import { RoomStateEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/models/room-state";
 import { throttle } from "lodash";
 import { EventType } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/@types/event";
+import { MatrixError } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/matrix";
 
 import { ActionPayload } from "../dispatcher/payloads";
 import { AsyncStoreWithClient } from "./AsyncStoreWithClient";
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ export class OwnProfileStore extends AsyncStoreWithClient<IState> {
 
     private monitoredUser: User | null = null;
 
-    private constructor() {
+    public constructor() {
         // seed from localstorage because otherwise we won't get these values until a whole network
         // round-trip after the client is ready, and we often load widgets in that time, and we'd
         // and up passing them an incorrect display name
@@ -136,12 +137,32 @@ export class OwnProfileStore extends AsyncStoreWithClient<IState> {
             if (!this.matrixClient) return;
             // We specifically do not use the User object we stored for profile info as it
             // could easily be wrong (such as per-room instead of global profile).
-            const profileInfo = await this.matrixClient.getProfileInfo(this.matrixClient.getSafeUserId());
+
+            let profileInfo: { displayname?: string; avatar_url?: string } = {
+                displayname: undefined,
+                avatar_url: undefined,
+            };
+
+            try {
+                profileInfo = await this.matrixClient.getProfileInfo(this.matrixClient.getSafeUserId());
+            } catch (error: unknown) {
+                if (!(error instanceof MatrixError) || error.errcode !== "M_NOT_FOUND") {
+                    /**
+                     * Raise any other error than M_NOT_FOUND.
+                     * M_NOT_FOUND could occur if there is no user profile.
+                     * {@link https://spec.matrix.org/v1.7/client-server-api/#get_matrixclientv3profileuserid}
+                     * We should then assume an empty profile, emit UPDATE_EVENT etc..
+                     */
+                    throw error;
+                }
+            }
+
             if (profileInfo.displayname) {
                 window.localStorage.setItem(KEY_DISPLAY_NAME, profileInfo.displayname);
             } else {
                 window.localStorage.removeItem(KEY_DISPLAY_NAME);
             }
+
             if (profileInfo.avatar_url) {
                 window.localStorage.setItem(KEY_AVATAR_URL, profileInfo.avatar_url);
             } else {
diff --git a/test/stores/OwnProfileStore-test.ts b/test/stores/OwnProfileStore-test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1e0f8188d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/stores/OwnProfileStore-test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2023 The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+import { MatrixClient, MatrixError } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/matrix";
+import { MockedObject, mocked } from "jest-mock";
+
+import { stubClient } from "../test-utils";
+import { OwnProfileStore } from "../../src/stores/OwnProfileStore";
+import { UPDATE_EVENT } from "../../src/stores/AsyncStore";
+
+describe("OwnProfileStore", () => {
+    let client: MockedObject<MatrixClient>;
+    let ownProfileStore: OwnProfileStore;
+    let onUpdate: ReturnType<typeof jest.fn>;
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+        client = mocked(stubClient());
+        onUpdate = jest.fn();
+        ownProfileStore = new OwnProfileStore();
+        ownProfileStore.addListener(UPDATE_EVENT, onUpdate);
+    });
+
+    afterEach(() => {
+        ownProfileStore.removeListener(UPDATE_EVENT, onUpdate);
+    });
+
+    it("if the client has not yet been started, the displayname and avatar should be null", () => {
+        expect(onUpdate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(ownProfileStore.displayName).toBeNull();
+        expect(ownProfileStore.avatarMxc).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it("if the client has been started and there is a profile, it should return the profile display name and avatar", async () => {
+        client.getProfileInfo.mockResolvedValue({
+            displayname: "Display Name",
+            avatar_url: "mxc://example.com/abc123",
+        });
+        await ownProfileStore.start();
+
+        expect(onUpdate).toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(ownProfileStore.displayName).toBe("Display Name");
+        expect(ownProfileStore.avatarMxc).toBe("mxc://example.com/abc123");
+    });
+
+    it("if there is a M_NOT_FOUND error, it should report ready, displayname = MXID and avatar = null", async () => {
+        client.getProfileInfo.mockRejectedValue(
+            new MatrixError({
+                error: "Not found",
+                errcode: "M_NOT_FOUND",
+            }),
+        );
+        await ownProfileStore.start();
+
+        expect(onUpdate).toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(ownProfileStore.displayName).toBe(client.getSafeUserId());
+        expect(ownProfileStore.avatarMxc).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it("if there is any other error, it should not report ready, displayname = MXID and avatar = null", async () => {
+        client.getProfileInfo.mockRejectedValue(
+            new MatrixError({
+                error: "Forbidden",
+                errcode: "M_FORBIDDEN",
+            }),
+        );
+        try {
+            await ownProfileStore.start();
+        } catch (ignore) {}
+
+        expect(onUpdate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(ownProfileStore.displayName).toBe(client.getSafeUserId());
+        expect(ownProfileStore.avatarMxc).toBeNull();
+    });
+});