diff --git a/electron_app/src/electron-main.js b/electron_app/src/electron-main.js
index 22538be7..76b8006a 100644
--- a/electron_app/src/electron-main.js
+++ b/electron_app/src/electron-main.js
@@ -252,8 +252,8 @@ ipcMain.on('seshat', async function(ev, payload) {
             break;
 
         case 'initEventIndex':
-            if (args[0] && eventIndex === null) {
-                let p = path.normalize(path.join(eventStorePath, args[0]));
+            if (eventIndex === null) {
+                let p = path.normalize(eventStorePath);
                 try {
                     await makeDir(p);
                     eventIndex = new Seshat(p, {passphrase: "DEFAULT_PASSPHRASE"});
diff --git a/src/vector/platform/ElectronPlatform.js b/src/vector/platform/ElectronPlatform.js
index 14f37442..1d405c76 100644
--- a/src/vector/platform/ElectronPlatform.js
+++ b/src/vector/platform/ElectronPlatform.js
@@ -109,8 +109,8 @@ class SeshatIndexerManager extends BaseEventIndexManager {
         return this._ipcCall('supportsEventIndexing');
     }
 
-    async initEventIndex(userId: string): Promise<> {
-        return this._ipcCall('initEventIndex', userId);
+    async initEventIndex(): Promise<> {
+        return this._ipcCall('initEventIndex');
     }
 
     async addEventToIndex(ev: MatrixEvent, profile: MatrixProfile): Promise<> {