diff --git a/src/controllers/organisms/RoomList.js b/src/controllers/organisms/RoomList.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2602315a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/controllers/organisms/RoomList.js
@@ -0,0 +1,169 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2015 OpenMarket Ltd
+
+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.
+*/
+
+'use strict';
+
+var React = require("react");
+var MatrixClientPeg = require("matrix-react-sdk/lib/MatrixClientPeg");
+var RoomListSorter = require("matrix-react-sdk/lib/RoomListSorter");
+var dis = require("matrix-react-sdk/lib/dispatcher");
+
+var sdk = require('matrix-react-sdk');
+var VectorConferenceHandler = require("../../modules/VectorConferenceHandler");
+var CallHandler = require("matrix-react-sdk/lib/CallHandler");
+
+var HIDE_CONFERENCE_CHANS = true;
+
+module.exports = {
+    componentWillMount: function() {
+        var cli = MatrixClientPeg.get();
+        cli.on("Room", this.onRoom);
+        cli.on("Room.timeline", this.onRoomTimeline);
+        cli.on("Room.name", this.onRoomName);
+
+        var rooms = this.getRoomList();
+        this.setState({
+            roomList: rooms,
+            activityMap: {}
+        });
+    },
+
+    componentDidMount: function() {
+        this.dispatcherRef = dis.register(this.onAction);
+    },
+
+    onAction: function(payload) {
+        switch (payload.action) {
+            // listen for call state changes to prod the render method, which
+            // may hide the global CallView if the call it is tracking is dead
+            case 'call_state':
+                this._recheckCallElement(this.props.selectedRoom);
+                break;
+        }
+    },
+
+    componentWillUnmount: function() {
+        dis.unregister(this.dispatcherRef);
+        if (MatrixClientPeg.get()) {
+            MatrixClientPeg.get().removeListener("Room", this.onRoom);
+            MatrixClientPeg.get().removeListener("Room.timeline", this.onRoomTimeline);
+            MatrixClientPeg.get().removeListener("Room.name", this.onRoomName);
+        }
+    },
+
+    componentWillReceiveProps: function(newProps) {
+        this.state.activityMap[newProps.selectedRoom] = undefined;
+        this._recheckCallElement(newProps.selectedRoom);
+        this.setState({
+            activityMap: this.state.activityMap
+        });
+    },
+
+    onRoom: function(room) {
+        this.refreshRoomList();
+    },
+
+    onRoomTimeline: function(ev, room, toStartOfTimeline) {
+        if (toStartOfTimeline) return;
+
+        var newState = {
+            roomList: this.getRoomList()
+        };
+        if (
+            room.roomId != this.props.selectedRoom &&
+            ev.getSender() != MatrixClientPeg.get().credentials.userId)
+        {
+            var hl = 1;
+
+            var actions = MatrixClientPeg.get().getPushActionsForEvent(ev);
+            if (actions && actions.tweaks && actions.tweaks.highlight) {
+                hl = 2;
+            }
+            // obviously this won't deep copy but this shouldn't be necessary
+            var amap = this.state.activityMap;
+            amap[room.roomId] = Math.max(amap[room.roomId] || 0, hl);
+
+            newState.activityMap = amap;
+        }
+        this.setState(newState);
+    },
+
+    onRoomName: function(room) {
+        this.refreshRoomList();
+    },
+
+    refreshRoomList: function() {
+        var rooms = this.getRoomList();
+        this.setState({
+            roomList: rooms
+        });
+    },
+
+    getRoomList: function() {
+        return RoomListSorter.mostRecentActivityFirst(
+            MatrixClientPeg.get().getRooms().filter(function(room) {
+                var me = room.getMember(MatrixClientPeg.get().credentials.userId);
+                var shouldShowRoom =  (
+                    me && (me.membership == "join" || me.membership == "invite")
+                );
+                // hiding conf rooms only ever toggles shouldShowRoom to false
+                if (shouldShowRoom && HIDE_CONFERENCE_CHANS) {
+                    // we want to hide the 1:1 conf<->user room and not the group chat
+                    var joinedMembers = room.getJoinedMembers();
+                    if (joinedMembers.length === 2) {
+                        var otherMember = joinedMembers.filter(function(m) {
+                            return m.userId !== me.userId
+                        })[0];
+                        if (VectorConferenceHandler.isConferenceUser(otherMember)) {
+                            // console.log("Hiding conference 1:1 room %s", room.roomId);
+                            shouldShowRoom = false;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                return shouldShowRoom;
+            })
+        );
+    },
+
+    _recheckCallElement: function(selectedRoomId) {
+        // if we aren't viewing a room with an ongoing call, but there is an
+        // active call, show the call element - we need to do this to make
+        // audio/video not crap out
+        var activeCall = CallHandler.getAnyActiveCall();
+        var callForRoom = CallHandler.getCallForRoom(selectedRoomId);
+        var showCall = (activeCall && !callForRoom);
+        this.setState({
+            show_call_element: showCall
+        });
+    },
+
+    makeRoomTiles: function() {
+        var self = this;
+        var RoomTile = sdk.getComponent("molecules.RoomTile");
+        return this.state.roomList.map(function(room) {
+            var selected = room.roomId == self.props.selectedRoom;
+            return (
+                <RoomTile
+                    room={room}
+                    key={room.roomId}
+                    selected={selected}
+                    unread={self.state.activityMap[room.roomId] === 1}
+                    highlight={self.state.activityMap[room.roomId] === 2}
+                />
+            );
+        });
+    }
+};
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/views/organisms/RoomList.js b/src/skins/vector/views/organisms/RoomList.js
index 7c992566..779fd1c6 100644
--- a/src/skins/vector/views/organisms/RoomList.js
+++ b/src/skins/vector/views/organisms/RoomList.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 var React = require('react');
 var sdk = require('matrix-react-sdk')
 
-var RoomListController = require('matrix-react-sdk/lib/controllers/organisms/RoomList')
+var RoomListController = require('../../../../controllers/organisms/RoomList')
 
 module.exports = React.createClass({
     displayName: 'RoomList',