diff --git a/src/matrix-event-call-answer.vala b/src/matrix-event-call-answer.vala
index cdfc63b..3b621a2 100644
--- a/src/matrix-event-call-answer.vala
+++ b/src/matrix-event-call-answer.vala
@@ -42,12 +42,10 @@ public class Matrix.Event.CallAnswer : Matrix.Event.Call {
             var answer_root = node.get_object();
 
             if ((node = answer_root.get_member("type")) != null) {
-                CallAnswerType? typ = (CallAnswerType?)_g_enum_nick_to_value(
-                        typeof(CallAnswerType), node.get_string());
-
-                if (typ != null) {
-                    _answer_type = typ;
-                } else {
+                try {
+                    _answer_type = (CallAnswerType)_g_enum_nick_to_value(
+                            typeof(CallAnswerType), node.get_string());
+                } catch (Matrix.Error e) {
                     _answer_type = CallAnswerType.UNKNOWN;
 
                     if (Config.DEBUG) {
diff --git a/src/matrix-event-call-invite.vala b/src/matrix-event-call-invite.vala
index 179c44b..fe16b3a 100644
--- a/src/matrix-event-call-invite.vala
+++ b/src/matrix-event-call-invite.vala
@@ -50,12 +50,10 @@ public class Matrix.Event.CallInvite : Matrix.Event.Call {
             var offer_node = node.get_object();
 
             if ((node = offer_node.get_member("type")) != null) {
-                CallOfferType? typ = (CallOfferType?)_g_enum_nick_to_value(
-                        typeof(CallOfferType), node.get_string());
-
-                if (typ != null) {
-                    _offer_type = typ;
-                } else {
+                try {
+                    _offer_type = (CallOfferType)_g_enum_nick_to_value(
+                            typeof(CallOfferType), node.get_string());
+                } catch (Matrix.Error e) {
                     _offer_type = CallOfferType.UNKNOWN;
 
                     if (Config.DEBUG) {
diff --git a/src/matrix-event-presence.vala b/src/matrix-event-presence.vala
index 4a7d083..d731538 100644
--- a/src/matrix-event-presence.vala
+++ b/src/matrix-event-presence.vala
@@ -95,12 +95,10 @@ public class Matrix.Event.Presence : Matrix.Event.Base {
         }
 
         if ((node = content_root.get_member("presence")) != null) {
-            Matrix.Presence? pres = (Matrix.Presence?)_g_enum_nick_to_value(
-                    typeof(Matrix.Presence), node.get_string());
-
-            if (pres != null) {
-                _presence = pres;
-            } else {
+            try {
+                _presence = (Matrix.Presence)_g_enum_nick_to_value(
+                        typeof(Matrix.Presence), node.get_string());
+            } catch (Matrix.Error e) {
                 _presence = Matrix.Presence.UNKNOWN;
 
                 if (Config.DEBUG) {
diff --git a/src/matrix-event-room-guest-access.vala b/src/matrix-event-room-guest-access.vala
index ff86c02..c178838 100644
--- a/src/matrix-event-room-guest-access.vala
+++ b/src/matrix-event-room-guest-access.vala
@@ -48,12 +48,10 @@ public class Matrix.Event.RoomGuestAccess : Matrix.Event.State {
         }
 
         if ((node = content_root.get_member("guest_access")) != null) {
-            GuestAccess? rules = (GuestAccess?)_g_enum_nick_to_value(
-                    typeof(GuestAccess), node.get_string());
-
-            if (rules != null) {
-                _guest_access = rules;
-            } else {
+            try {
+                _guest_access = (GuestAccess)_g_enum_nick_to_value(
+                        typeof(GuestAccess), node.get_string());
+            } catch (Matrix.Error e) {
                 _guest_access = GuestAccess.UNKNOWN;
 
                 if (Config.DEBUG) {
diff --git a/src/matrix-event-room-history-visibility.vala b/src/matrix-event-room-history-visibility.vala
index 2f2f5d0..fbd0502 100644
--- a/src/matrix-event-room-history-visibility.vala
+++ b/src/matrix-event-room-history-visibility.vala
@@ -47,13 +47,10 @@ public class Matrix.Event.RoomHistoryVisibility : Matrix.Event.State {
         }
 
         if ((node = content_root.get_member("history_visibility")) != null) {
-            Matrix.HistoryVisibility? vis = (Matrix.HistoryVisibility?)_g_enum_nick_to_value(
-                    typeof(Matrix.HistoryVisibility),
-                    node.get_string());
-
-            if (vis != null) {
-                _visibility = vis;
-            } else {
+            try {
+                _visibility = (Matrix.HistoryVisibility)_g_enum_nick_to_value(
+                        typeof(Matrix.HistoryVisibility), node.get_string());
+            } catch (Matrix.Error e) {
                 _visibility = Matrix.HistoryVisibility.UNKNOWN;
 
                 if (Config.DEBUG) {
diff --git a/src/matrix-event-room-join-rules.vala b/src/matrix-event-room-join-rules.vala
index eb45eb0..1042a06 100644
--- a/src/matrix-event-room-join-rules.vala
+++ b/src/matrix-event-room-join-rules.vala
@@ -43,12 +43,10 @@ public class Matrix.Event.RoomJoinRules : Matrix.Event.State {
         }
 
         if ((node = content_root.get_member("join_rule")) != null) {
-            Matrix.JoinRules? rules = (Matrix.JoinRules)_g_enum_nick_to_value(
-                    typeof(Matrix.JoinRules), node.get_string());
-
-            if (rules != null) {
-                _join_rules = rules;
-            } else {
+            try {
+                _join_rules = (JoinRules)_g_enum_nick_to_value(
+                        typeof(JoinRules), node.get_string());
+            } catch (Matrix.Error e) {
                 _join_rules = Matrix.JoinRules.UNKNOWN;
 
                 if (Config.DEBUG) {
diff --git a/src/matrix-event-room-member.vala b/src/matrix-event-room-member.vala
index 5d9f5ad..ce2cf00 100644
--- a/src/matrix-event-room-member.vala
+++ b/src/matrix-event-room-member.vala
@@ -138,12 +138,15 @@ public class Matrix.Event.RoomMember : Matrix.Event.State {
         }
 
         if ((node = content_root.get_member("membership")) != null) {
-            Matrix.RoomMembership? mship = (Matrix.RoomMembership?)_g_enum_nick_to_value(
-                    typeof(Matrix.RoomMembership),
-                    node.get_string());
+            try {
+                _membership = (Matrix.RoomMembership)_g_enum_nick_to_value(
+                        typeof(Matrix.RoomMembership), node.get_string());
+            } catch (Matrix.Error e) {
+                _membership = Matrix.RoomMembership.UNKNOWN;
 
-            if (mship != null) {
-                _membership = mship;
+                if (Config.DEBUG) {
+                    warning("Unknown membership value %s", node.get_string());
+                }
             }
         } else if (Config.DEBUG) {
             warning("membership key is missing from the m.room.member event");
diff --git a/src/matrix-types.vala b/src/matrix-types.vala
index 3b772f4..e941a56 100644
--- a/src/matrix-types.vala
+++ b/src/matrix-types.vala
@@ -295,17 +295,4 @@ namespace Matrix {
             return node;
         }
     }
-
-    private int?
-    _g_enum_nick_to_value(Type enum_type, string nick)
-    {
-        EnumClass enum_class = (EnumClass)enum_type.class_ref();
-        unowned EnumValue? enum_val = enum_class.get_value_by_nick(nick);
-
-        if (enum_val != null) {
-            return enum_val.value;
-        } else {
-            return null;
-        }
-    }
 }
diff --git a/src/utils.c b/src/utils.c
index 1a5dd27..f8a5639 100644
--- a/src/utils.c
+++ b/src/utils.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
  */
 
 #include "utils.h"
+#include "matrix-types.h"
 
 // GTK-Doc looking comments in this file intentionally do not begin with a double star, as the
 // functions here are internal
@@ -58,3 +59,50 @@ _matrix_g_enum_to_string(GType enum_type, gint value, gboolean convert_dashes)
 
     return nick;
 }
+
+/*
+ * _matrix_g_enum_nick_to_value:
+ *
+ * @enum_type: a #GEnumType
+ * @nick: a value nick registered in @enum_type
+ * @error: a #GError, or NULL to ignore errors
+ *
+ * Get the integer value of the enum nick @nick from @enum_type.  If the nick contains underscores
+ * (`_`), they will be converted to dashes (`-`) first.
+ *
+ * If @nick cannot be found in @enum_type, this function returns NULL, and sets @error to
+ * #MATRIX_ERROR_UNKNOWN_VALUE.
+ *
+ * Returns: the integer value of @nick, or 0 if not found
+ */
+gint
+_matrix_g_enum_nick_to_value(GType enum_type, const gchar *nick, GError **error)
+{
+    GEnumClass *enum_class = g_type_class_ref(enum_type);
+    GEnumValue *enum_value;
+    gchar *nick_c = NULL;
+    gchar *a;
+    gint ret = 0;
+
+    nick_c = g_strdup(nick);
+
+    for (a = nick_c; *a; a++) {
+        if (*a == '_') {
+            *a = '-';
+        }
+    }
+
+    enum_value = g_enum_get_value_by_nick(enum_class, nick_c);
+    g_free(nick_c);
+
+    if (enum_value) {
+        ret = enum_value->value;
+    } else {
+        g_set_error(error, MATRIX_ERROR, MATRIX_ERROR_UNKNOWN_VALUE,
+                    "Value %s is unknown", nick);
+    }
+
+    g_type_class_unref(enum_class);
+
+    return ret;
+}
diff --git a/src/utils.h b/src/utils.h
index dc3c496..a5a14c5 100644
--- a/src/utils.h
+++ b/src/utils.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
 gchar *_matrix_g_enum_to_string(GType enum_type, gint value, gboolean convert_dashes);
+gint _matrix_g_enum_nick_to_value(GType enum_type, const gchar *nick, GError **error);
 
 G_END_DECLS
 
diff --git a/vapi/c-api.vapi b/vapi/c-api.vapi
index 9046e33..60e1d6d 100644
--- a/vapi/c-api.vapi
+++ b/vapi/c-api.vapi
@@ -208,6 +208,10 @@ namespace Matrix {
     [CCode (cheader_filename = "utils.h", cname = "_matrix_g_enum_to_string")]
     public string? _g_enum_value_to_nick(GLib.Type enum_type, int value, bool convert_dashes = true);
 
+    [CCode (cheader_filename = "utils.h", cname = "_matrix_g_enum_nick_to_value")]
+    public int _g_enum_nick_to_value(GLib.Type enum_type, string nick)
+        throws Matrix.Error;
+
     /**
      * The major version number of the Matrix.org GLib SDK.
      */