diff --git a/fractal-matrix-api/src/backend/room.rs b/fractal-matrix-api/src/backend/room.rs
index 873c25cc..56372d20 100644
--- a/fractal-matrix-api/src/backend/room.rs
+++ b/fractal-matrix-api/src/backend/room.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 extern crate url;
 extern crate urlencoding;
+extern crate serde_json;
 
 use std::fs::File;
 use std::io::prelude::*;
@@ -107,14 +108,10 @@ pub fn get_room_members(bk: &Backend, roomid: String) -> Result<(), Error> {
         |r: JsonValue| {
             let joined = r["joined"].as_object().unwrap();
             let ms: Vec<Member> = joined.iter().map(|(mxid, member_data)| {
-                let alias = &member_data["display_name"];
-                let avatar = &member_data["avatar_url"];
-
-                Member {
-                    alias: alias.as_str().map(String::from),
-                    avatar: avatar.as_str().map(String::from),
-                    uid: mxid.to_string(),
-                }
+                let mut member: Member = serde_json::from_value(
+                    member_data.clone()).unwrap();
+                member.uid = mxid.to_string();
+                member
             }
             ).collect();
             tx.send(BKResponse::RoomMembers(roomid, ms)).unwrap();
diff --git a/fractal-matrix-api/src/backend/user.rs b/fractal-matrix-api/src/backend/user.rs
index ffac5d28..482e45f5 100644
--- a/fractal-matrix-api/src/backend/user.rs
+++ b/fractal-matrix-api/src/backend/user.rs
@@ -436,20 +436,12 @@ pub fn search(bk: &Backend, term: String) -> Result<(), Error> {
             let mut users: Vec<Member> = vec![];
             if let Some(arr) = js["results"].as_array() {
                 for member in arr.iter() {
-                    let alias = match member["display_name"].as_str() {
-                        None => None,
-                        Some(a) => Some(a.to_string()),
-                    };
-                    let avatar = match member["avatar_url"].as_str() {
-                        None => None,
-                        Some(a) => Some(a.to_string()),
-                    };
+                    let mut member_s: Member = serde_json::from_value(
+                        member.clone()).unwrap();
+                    member_s.uid = member["user_id"]
+                        .as_str().unwrap_or_default().to_string();
 
-                    users.push(Member{
-                        alias: alias,
-                        uid: member["user_id"].as_str().unwrap_or_default().to_string(),
-                        avatar: avatar,
-                    });
+                    users.push(member_s);
                 }
             }
             tx.send(BKResponse::UserSearch(users)).unwrap();
diff --git a/fractal-matrix-api/src/model/member.rs b/fractal-matrix-api/src/model/member.rs
index fe2f18e3..c9172d50 100644
--- a/fractal-matrix-api/src/model/member.rs
+++ b/fractal-matrix-api/src/model/member.rs
@@ -2,8 +2,13 @@ use std::collections::HashMap;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct Member {
-    pub alias: Option<String>,
+    // The mxid is either inside the json object, or outside of it.
+    // Since we don't know, we always have to populate it manually
+    #[serde(default)]
     pub uid: String,
+    #[serde(rename = "display_name")]
+    pub alias: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(rename = "avatar_url")]
     pub avatar: Option<String>,
 }