diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 1d20819d..0f30c94b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@
     "gemini-scrollbar": "github:matrix-org/gemini-scrollbar#b302279",
     "gfm.css": "^1.1.2",
     "highlight.js": "^9.13.1",
-    "matrix-js-sdk": "1.1.0",
-    "matrix-react-sdk": "1.1.2",
+    "matrix-js-sdk": "1.2.0-rc.1",
+    "matrix-react-sdk": "1.2.0-rc.1",
     "modernizr": "^3.6.0",
     "olm": "https://packages.matrix.org/npm/olm/olm-3.1.0.tgz",
     "prop-types": "^15.6.2",
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 4165d55a..dc3b0484 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -1524,13 +1524,6 @@ balanced-match@^1.0.0:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/balanced-match/-/balanced-match-1.0.0.tgz#89b4d199ab2bee49de164ea02b89ce462d71b767"
   integrity sha1-ibTRmasr7kneFk6gK4nORi1xt2c=
 
-base-x@3.0.4:
-  version "3.0.4"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/base-x/-/base-x-3.0.4.tgz#94c1788736da065edb1d68808869e357c977fa77"
-  integrity sha512-UYOadoSIkEI/VrRGSG6qp93rp2WdokiAiNYDfGW5qURAY8GiAQkvMbwNNSDYiVJopqv4gCna7xqf4rrNGp+5AA==
-  dependencies:
-    safe-buffer "^5.0.1"
-
 base-x@^3.0.2:
   version "3.0.5"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/base-x/-/base-x-3.0.5.tgz#d3ada59afed05b921ab581ec3112e6444ba0795a"
@@ -3144,10 +3137,15 @@ emoji-regex@^7.0.1:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/emoji-regex/-/emoji-regex-7.0.3.tgz#933a04052860c85e83c122479c4748a8e4c72156"
   integrity sha512-CwBLREIQ7LvYFB0WyRvwhq5N5qPhc6PMjD6bYggFlI5YyDgl+0vxq5VHbMOFqLg7hfWzmu8T5Z1QofhmTIhItA==
 
-emojione@2.2.7:
-  version "2.2.7"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/emojione/-/emojione-2.2.7.tgz#46457cf6b9b2f8da13ae8a2e4e547de06ee15e96"
-  integrity sha1-RkV89rmy+NoTroouTlR94G7hXpY=
+emojibase-data@^4.0.0:
+  version "4.0.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/emojibase-data/-/emojibase-data-4.0.0.tgz#3feb3e5bb5e5f2b6373b183b0f038c60889a9e29"
+  integrity sha512-Yi4A1IxB7iZ+09Wqr2BEpHSQfugc5I8G+wckDOhCia0F7oOdErf/85jCwbpRQy7xtBbvlyS3xQrYedSeQot5Og==
+
+emojibase-regex@^3.0.0:
+  version "3.0.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/emojibase-regex/-/emojibase-regex-3.0.0.tgz#fc7a17aa20584df5a73619f06ac236b8a5bb452d"
+  integrity sha512-iNDkbtn8UxKTxjIlvHLqfXovZaIulnuuyo2/emU+ZlPr2OmzxGfiDI+iIQ3WWqdlA6lgjrPNWgpbytt4lnJYrg==
 
 emojis-list@^2.0.0:
   version "2.1.0"
@@ -5744,14 +5742,13 @@ math-random@^1.0.1:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/math-random/-/math-random-1.0.4.tgz#5dd6943c938548267016d4e34f057583080c514c"
   integrity sha512-rUxjysqif/BZQH2yhd5Aaq7vXMSx9NdEsQcyA07uEzIvxgI7zIr33gGsh+RU0/XjmQpCW7RsVof1vlkvQVCK5A==
 
-matrix-js-sdk@1.1.0:
-  version "1.1.0"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/matrix-js-sdk/-/matrix-js-sdk-1.1.0.tgz#f0db49de2aa0b0d50c1fe49da538beb4926ce59c"
-  integrity sha512-ECoMN6DkwPdKiMa/jSoMkSDngFCo6x7oH84rLd1NtD7lBPl3Ejj6ARa0iIELE7u0OUO6J0FzdWh7Hd0ZnVTmww==
+matrix-js-sdk@1.2.0-rc.1:
+  version "1.2.0-rc.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/matrix-js-sdk/-/matrix-js-sdk-1.2.0-rc.1.tgz#3bb495fc5dce9372e420455cd6378ddd85844026"
+  integrity sha512-2/lcL4QP077Du22G1W+k5KAgSreFxKbZW2dmtI5wr9icPACHHxxN/pEvWLiKkW7Q3+uulb05uTilM6zip9ux/g==
   dependencies:
     another-json "^0.2.0"
     babel-runtime "^6.26.0"
-    base-x "3.0.4"
     bluebird "^3.5.0"
     browser-request "^0.3.3"
     bs58 "^4.0.1"
@@ -5769,10 +5766,10 @@ matrix-mock-request@^1.2.3:
     bluebird "^3.5.0"
     expect "^1.20.2"
 
-matrix-react-sdk@1.1.2:
-  version "1.1.2"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/matrix-react-sdk/-/matrix-react-sdk-1.1.2.tgz#bff86db4fc521deb3076467707dcc338bbff0542"
-  integrity sha512-MKALTgxSULFSJZagts9+oMu/SZFNHHfZcMKgDWJELdgTIcHUg/rIOFt2y1ghkbpWJjC2wGM8J5E0TAsL0aeWcQ==
+matrix-react-sdk@1.2.0-rc.1:
+  version "1.2.0-rc.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/matrix-react-sdk/-/matrix-react-sdk-1.2.0-rc.1.tgz#839608feb5454361b8ed7652da933ef5d0cbef9a"
+  integrity sha512-ljO3IDwvcXsqyVH+/srCRCaMJrbLkdfRYotzw9GG7AY7SVtaNfgqP0uGeXi71Ly12Lo3Wd3elLDULUmm4q9OLQ==
   dependencies:
     babel-plugin-syntax-dynamic-import "^6.18.0"
     babel-runtime "^6.26.0"
@@ -5783,7 +5780,8 @@ matrix-react-sdk@1.1.2:
     classnames "^2.1.2"
     commonmark "^0.28.1"
     counterpart "^0.18.0"
-    emojione "2.2.7"
+    emojibase-data "^4.0.0"
+    emojibase-regex "^3.0.0"
     file-saver "^1.3.3"
     filesize "3.5.6"
     flux "2.1.1"
@@ -5798,7 +5796,7 @@ matrix-react-sdk@1.1.2:
     linkifyjs "^2.1.6"
     lodash "^4.13.1"
     lolex "2.3.2"
-    matrix-js-sdk "1.1.0"
+    matrix-js-sdk "1.2.0-rc.1"
     optimist "^0.6.1"
     pako "^1.0.5"
     png-chunks-extract "^1.0.0"