diff --git a/src/rust-crypto/KeyClaimManager.ts b/src/rust-crypto/KeyClaimManager.ts
index 0479bfa43c1..9df8f89daf9 100644
--- a/src/rust-crypto/KeyClaimManager.ts
+++ b/src/rust-crypto/KeyClaimManager.ts
@@ -54,7 +54,12 @@ export class KeyClaimManager {
         // The Rust-SDK requires that we only have one getMissingSessions process in flight at once. This little dance
         // ensures that, by only having one call to ensureSessionsForUsersInner active at once (and making them
         // queue up in order).
-        const prom = this.currentClaimPromise.finally(() => this.ensureSessionsForUsersInner(userList));
+        const prom = this.currentClaimPromise
+            .catch(() => {
+                // any errors in the previous claim will have been reported already, so there is nothing to do here.
+                // we just throw away the error and start anew.
+            })
+            .then(() => this.ensureSessionsForUsersInner(userList));
         this.currentClaimPromise = prom;
         return prom;
     }
diff --git a/src/rust-crypto/RoomEncryptor.ts b/src/rust-crypto/RoomEncryptor.ts
index acd0e9ff033..381ea61786f 100644
--- a/src/rust-crypto/RoomEncryptor.ts
+++ b/src/rust-crypto/RoomEncryptor.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import { Room } from "../models/room";
 import { logger, PrefixedLogger } from "../logger";
 import { KeyClaimManager } from "./KeyClaimManager";
 import { RoomMember } from "../models/room-member";
+import { OutgoingRequestProcessor } from "./OutgoingRequestProcessor";
 
 /**
  * RoomEncryptor: responsible for encrypting messages to a given room
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ export class RoomEncryptor {
     public constructor(
         private readonly olmMachine: OlmMachine,
         private readonly keyClaimManager: KeyClaimManager,
+        private readonly outgoingRequestProcessor: OutgoingRequestProcessor,
         private readonly room: Room,
         private encryptionSettings: IContent,
     ) {
@@ -97,10 +99,21 @@ export class RoomEncryptor {
         const userList = members.map((u) => new UserId(u.userId));
         await this.keyClaimManager.ensureSessionsForUsers(userList);
 
+        this.prefixedLogger.debug("Sessions for users are ready; now sharing room key");
+
         const rustEncryptionSettings = new EncryptionSettings();
         /* FIXME historyVisibility, rotation, etc */
 
-        await this.olmMachine.shareRoomKey(new RoomId(this.room.roomId), userList, rustEncryptionSettings);
+        const shareMessages = await this.olmMachine.shareRoomKey(
+            new RoomId(this.room.roomId),
+            userList,
+            rustEncryptionSettings,
+        );
+        if (shareMessages) {
+            for (const m of shareMessages) {
+                await this.outgoingRequestProcessor.makeOutgoingRequest(m);
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/rust-crypto/rust-crypto.ts b/src/rust-crypto/rust-crypto.ts
index 2377b8a2177..8b62e9e6c4a 100644
--- a/src/rust-crypto/rust-crypto.ts
+++ b/src/rust-crypto/rust-crypto.ts
@@ -204,7 +204,13 @@ export class RustCrypto implements CryptoBackend {
         if (existingEncryptor) {
             existingEncryptor.onCryptoEvent(config);
         } else {
-            this.roomEncryptors[room.roomId] = new RoomEncryptor(this.olmMachine, this.keyClaimManager, room, config);
+            this.roomEncryptors[room.roomId] = new RoomEncryptor(
+                this.olmMachine,
+                this.keyClaimManager,
+                this.outgoingRequestProcessor,
+                room,
+                config,
+            );
         }
 
         // start tracking devices for any users already known to be in this room.