diff --git a/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/common.rs b/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/common.rs
index 431415b48..e307c4b86 100644
--- a/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/common.rs
+++ b/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/common.rs
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ impl Common {
         }
     }
 
-    async fn ensure_members(&self) -> Result<()> {
+    pub(crate) async fn ensure_members(&self) -> Result<()> {
         if !self.are_events_visible() {
             return Ok(());
         }
diff --git a/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/timeline/event_item.rs b/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/timeline/event_item.rs
index 5adcb99fe..54159be76 100644
--- a/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/timeline/event_item.rs
+++ b/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/timeline/event_item.rs
@@ -209,6 +209,18 @@ impl EventTimelineItem {
             }
         }
     }
+
+    /// Clone the current event item, and update its `sender_profile`.
+    pub(super) fn with_sender_profile(&self, sender_profile: TimelineDetails<Profile>) -> Self {
+        match self {
+            EventTimelineItem::Local(item) => {
+                Self::Local(LocalEventTimelineItem { sender_profile, ..item.clone() })
+            }
+            EventTimelineItem::Remote(item) => {
+                Self::Remote(RemoteEventTimelineItem { sender_profile, ..item.clone() })
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 /// This type represents the "send state" of a local event timeline item.
@@ -342,7 +354,7 @@ impl fmt::Debug for RemoteEventTimelineItem {
 }
 
 /// The display name and avatar URL of a room member.
-#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub struct Profile {
     /// The display name, if set.
     pub display_name: Option<String>,
@@ -382,6 +394,17 @@ impl<T> TimelineDetails<T> {
             None => Self::Unavailable,
         }
     }
+
+    pub(crate) fn is_unavailable(&self) -> bool {
+        matches!(self, Self::Unavailable)
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn contains<U>(&self, value: &U) -> bool
+    where
+        T: PartialEq<U>,
+    {
+        matches!(self, Self::Ready(v) if v == value)
+    }
 }
 
 /// The content of an [`EventTimelineItem`].
diff --git a/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/timeline/inner.rs b/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/timeline/inner.rs
index aeb14493f..cb7aa0985 100644
--- a/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/timeline/inner.rs
+++ b/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/timeline/inner.rs
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ use super::{
 use crate::{
     events::SyncTimelineEventWithoutContent,
     room::{self, timeline::event_item::RemoteEventTimelineItem},
-    Result,
+    Error, Result,
 };
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -372,6 +372,66 @@ impl<P: ProfileProvider> TimelineInner<P> {
         }
     }
 
+    pub(super) fn set_sender_profiles_pending(&self) {
+        self.set_non_ready_sender_profiles(TimelineDetails::Pending);
+    }
+
+    pub(super) fn set_sender_profiles_error(&self, error: Arc<Error>) {
+        self.set_non_ready_sender_profiles(TimelineDetails::Error(error));
+    }
+
+    fn set_non_ready_sender_profiles(&self, state: TimelineDetails<Profile>) {
+        let mut timeline_items = self.items.lock_mut();
+        for idx in 0..timeline_items.len() {
+            let Some(event_item) = timeline_items[idx].as_event() else { continue };
+            if !matches!(event_item.sender_profile(), TimelineDetails::Ready(_)) {
+                timeline_items.set_cloned(
+                    idx,
+                    Arc::new(TimelineItem::Event(event_item.with_sender_profile(state.clone()))),
+                );
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub(super) async fn update_sender_profiles(&self) {
+        // Can't lock the timeline items across .await points without making the
+        // resulting future `!Send`. As a (brittle) hack around that, lock the
+        // timeline items in each loop iteration but keep a lock of the metadata
+        // so no event handler runs in parallel and assert the number of items
+        // doesn't change between iterations.
+        let _guard = self.metadata.lock().await;
+        let num_items = self.items().len();
+
+        for idx in 0..num_items {
+            let sender = match self.items()[idx].as_event() {
+                Some(event_item) => event_item.sender().to_owned(),
+                None => continue,
+            };
+            let maybe_profile = self.profile_provider.profile(&sender).await;
+
+            let mut timeline_items = self.items.lock_mut();
+            assert_eq!(timeline_items.len(), num_items);
+
+            let event_item = timeline_items[idx].as_event().unwrap();
+            match maybe_profile {
+                Some(profile) => {
+                    if !event_item.sender_profile().contains(&profile) {
+                        let updated_item =
+                            event_item.with_sender_profile(TimelineDetails::Ready(profile));
+                        timeline_items.set_cloned(idx, Arc::new(TimelineItem::Event(updated_item)));
+                    }
+                }
+                None => {
+                    if !event_item.sender_profile().is_unavailable() {
+                        let updated_item =
+                            event_item.with_sender_profile(TimelineDetails::Unavailable);
+                        timeline_items.set_cloned(idx, Arc::new(TimelineItem::Event(updated_item)));
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     fn update_event_item(&self, index: usize, event_item: EventTimelineItem) {
         self.items.lock_mut().set_cloned(index, Arc::new(TimelineItem::Event(event_item)))
     }
diff --git a/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/timeline/mod.rs b/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/timeline/mod.rs
index 458c54d5a..9921a027b 100644
--- a/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/timeline/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/matrix-sdk/src/room/timeline/mod.rs
@@ -421,6 +421,26 @@ impl Timeline {
 
         Ok(())
     }
+
+    /// Fetch all member events for the room this timeline is displaying.
+    ///
+    /// If the full member list is not known, sender profiles are currently
+    /// likely not going to be available. This will be fixed in the future.
+    ///
+    /// If fetching the members fails, any affected timeline items will have
+    /// the `sender_profile` set to [`TimelineDetails::Error`].
+    #[instrument(skip_all)]
+    pub async fn fetch_members(&self) {
+        self.inner.set_sender_profiles_pending();
+        match self.room().ensure_members().await {
+            Ok(_) => {
+                self.inner.update_sender_profiles().await;
+            }
+            Err(e) => {
+                self.inner.set_sender_profiles_error(Arc::new(e));
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 /// A single entry in timeline.