diff --git a/src/service/rooms/event_handler/policy_server.rs b/src/service/rooms/event_handler/policy_server.rs
index 80cb40f2..7539c330 100644
--- a/src/service/rooms/event_handler/policy_server.rs
+++ b/src/service/rooms/event_handler/policy_server.rs
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@
 
 use std::time::Duration;
 
-use conduwuit::{Err, Event, PduEvent, Result, debug, implement, warn};
+use conduwuit::{Err, Event, PduEvent, Result, debug, debug_info, implement, trace, warn};
 use ruma::{
-	RoomId, ServerName,
+	CanonicalJsonObject, RoomId, ServerName,
 	api::federation::room::policy::v1::Request as PolicyRequest,
 	events::{StateEventType, room::policy::RoomPolicyEventContent},
 };
@@ -25,7 +25,12 @@ use ruma::{
 /// fail-open operation.
 #[implement(super::Service)]
 #[tracing::instrument(skip_all, level = "debug")]
-pub async fn ask_policy_server(&self, pdu: &PduEvent, room_id: &RoomId) -> Result<bool> {
+pub async fn ask_policy_server(
+	&self,
+	pdu: &PduEvent,
+	pdu_json: &CanonicalJsonObject,
+	room_id: &RoomId,
+) -> Result<bool> {
 	if *pdu.event_type() == StateEventType::RoomPolicy.into() {
 		debug!(
 			room_id = %room_id,
@@ -47,12 +52,12 @@ pub async fn ask_policy_server(&self, pdu: &PduEvent, room_id: &RoomId) -> Resul
 	let via = match policyserver.via {
 		| Some(ref via) => ServerName::parse(via)?,
 		| None => {
-			debug!("No policy server configured for room {room_id}");
+			trace!("No policy server configured for room {room_id}");
 			return Ok(true);
 		},
 	};
 	if via.is_empty() {
-		debug!("Policy server is empty for room {room_id}, skipping spam check");
+		trace!("Policy server is empty for room {room_id}, skipping spam check");
 		return Ok(true);
 	}
 	if !self.services.state_cache.server_in_room(via, room_id).await {
@@ -66,12 +71,12 @@ pub async fn ask_policy_server(&self, pdu: &PduEvent, room_id: &RoomId) -> Resul
 	let outgoing = self
 		.services
 		.sending
-		.convert_to_outgoing_federation_event(pdu.to_canonical_object())
+		.convert_to_outgoing_federation_event(pdu_json.clone())
 		.await;
-	debug!(
+	debug_info!(
 		room_id = %room_id,
 		via = %via,
-		outgoing = ?outgoing,
+		outgoing = ?pdu_json,
 		"Checking event for spam with policy server"
 	);
 	let response = tokio::time::timeout(
@@ -85,7 +90,10 @@ pub async fn ask_policy_server(&self, pdu: &PduEvent, room_id: &RoomId) -> Resul
 	)
 	.await;
 	let response = match response {
-		| Ok(Ok(response)) => response,
+		| Ok(Ok(response)) => {
+			debug!("Response from policy server: {:?}", response);
+			response
+		},
 		| Ok(Err(e)) => {
 			warn!(
 				via = %via,
@@ -97,16 +105,18 @@ pub async fn ask_policy_server(&self, pdu: &PduEvent, room_id: &RoomId) -> Resul
 			// default.
 			return Err(e);
 		},
-		| Err(_) => {
+		| Err(elapsed) => {
 			warn!(
-				via = %via,
+				%via,
 				event_id = %pdu.event_id(),
-				room_id = %room_id,
+				%room_id,
+				%elapsed,
 				"Policy server request timed out after 10 seconds"
 			);
 			return Err!("Request to policy server timed out");
 		},
 	};
+	trace!("Recommendation from policy server was {}", response.recommendation);
 	if response.recommendation == "spam" {
 		warn!(
 			via = %via,
diff --git a/src/service/rooms/event_handler/upgrade_outlier_pdu.rs b/src/service/rooms/event_handler/upgrade_outlier_pdu.rs
index 10d4dfd5..42f8354b 100644
--- a/src/service/rooms/event_handler/upgrade_outlier_pdu.rs
+++ b/src/service/rooms/event_handler/upgrade_outlier_pdu.rs
@@ -255,7 +255,10 @@ where
 		// 14-pre. If the event is not a state event, ask the policy server about it
 		if incoming_pdu.state_key.is_none() {
 			debug!(event_id = %incoming_pdu.event_id, "Checking policy server for event");
-			match self.ask_policy_server(&incoming_pdu, room_id).await {
+			match self
+				.ask_policy_server(&incoming_pdu, &incoming_pdu.to_canonical_object(), room_id)
+				.await
+			{
 				| Ok(false) => {
 					warn!(
 						event_id = %incoming_pdu.event_id,
diff --git a/src/service/rooms/timeline/create.rs b/src/service/rooms/timeline/create.rs
index 386e1f02..204e16ad 100644
--- a/src/service/rooms/timeline/create.rs
+++ b/src/service/rooms/timeline/create.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ use conduwuit_core::{
 		state_res::{self, RoomVersion},
 	},
 	utils::{self, IterStream, ReadyExt, stream::TryIgnore},
+	warn,
 };
 use futures::{StreamExt, TryStreamExt, future, future::ready};
 use ruma::{
@@ -19,7 +20,6 @@ use ruma::{
 	uint,
 };
 use serde_json::value::{RawValue, to_raw_value};
-use tracing::warn;
 
 use super::RoomMutexGuard;
 
@@ -267,11 +267,33 @@ pub async fn create_hash_and_sign_event(
 			| _ => Err!(Request(Unknown(warn!("Signing event failed: {e}")))),
 		};
 	}
-
+	// Check with the policy server
 	// Generate event id
 	pdu.event_id = gen_event_id(&pdu_json, &room_version_id)?;
-
 	pdu_json.insert("event_id".into(), CanonicalJsonValue::String(pdu.event_id.clone().into()));
+	if room_id.is_some() {
+		trace!(
+			"Checking event in room {} with policy server",
+			pdu.room_id.as_ref().map_or("None", |id| id.as_str())
+		);
+		match self
+			.services
+			.event_handler
+			.ask_policy_server(&pdu, &pdu_json, pdu.room_id().expect("has room ID"))
+			.await
+		{
+			| Ok(true) => {},
+			| Ok(false) => {
+				return Err!(Request(Forbidden(debug_warn!(
+					"Policy server marked this event as spam"
+				))));
+			},
+			| Err(e) => {
+				// fail open
+				warn!("Failed to check event with policy server: {e}");
+			},
+		}
+	}
 
 	// Check with the policy server
 	if room_id.is_some() {
@@ -283,7 +305,7 @@ pub async fn create_hash_and_sign_event(
 		match self
 			.services
 			.event_handler
-			.ask_policy_server(&pdu, &pdu.room_id_or_hash())
+			.ask_policy_server(&pdu, &pdu_json, &pdu.room_id_or_hash())
 			.await
 		{
 			| Ok(true) => {},