diff --git a/scripts/backfill.js b/scripts/backfill.js
index 27600f0..c0c440e 100644
--- a/scripts/backfill.js
+++ b/scripts/backfill.js
@@ -38,12 +38,8 @@ passthrough.select = orm.select
 
 /** @type {import("../src/d2m/event-dispatcher")}*/
 const eventDispatcher = sync.require("../src/d2m/event-dispatcher")
-
-const roomID = passthrough.select("channel_room", "room_id", {channel_id: channelID}).pluck().get()
-if (!roomID) {
-	console.error("Please choose a channel that's already bridged.")
-	process.exit(1)
-}
+/** @type {import("../src/d2m/actions/create-room")} */
+const createRoom = sync.require("../src/d2m/actions/create-room")
 
 ;(async () => {
 	await discord.cloud.connect()
@@ -60,6 +56,18 @@ async function event(event) {
 	if (!channel) return
 	const guild_id = event.d.id
 
+	let roomID = passthrough.select("channel_room", "room_id", {channel_id: channelID}).pluck().get()
+	if (!roomID) {
+		console.log(`Channel #${channel.name} is not bridged yet. Attempting to auto-create...`)
+		try {
+			roomID = await createRoom.syncRoom(channelID)
+			console.log(`Successfully bridged to new room: ${roomID}`)
+		} catch (e) {
+			console.error(`Failed to auto-create room: ${e.message}`)
+			process.exit(1)
+		}
+	}
+
 	let last = backfill.prepare("SELECT cast(max(message_id) as TEXT) FROM backfill WHERE channel_id = ?").pluck().get(channelID) || "0"
 	console.log(`OK, processing messages for #${channel.name}, continuing from ${last}`)
 
diff --git a/src/d2m/converters/message-to-event.js b/src/d2m/converters/message-to-event.js
index 7f77b81..4ec28c2 100644
--- a/src/d2m/converters/message-to-event.js
+++ b/src/d2m/converters/message-to-event.js
@@ -769,7 +769,21 @@ async function messageToEvent(message, guild, options = {}, di) {
 	// Then scheduled events
 	if (message.content && di?.snow) {
 		for (const match of [...message.content.matchAll(/discord\.gg\/([A-Za-z0-9]+)\?event=([0-9]{18,})/g)]) { // snowflake has minimum 18 because the events feature is at least that old
-			const invite = await di.snow.invite.getInvite(match[1], {guild_scheduled_event_id: match[2]})
+			let invite
+			try {
+				invite = await di.snow.invite.getInvite(match[1], {guild_scheduled_event_id: match[2]})
+			} catch (e) {
+				// Skip expired events and invites
+				if (e.code === 10006 || e.httpStatus === 404) {
+					console.warn(`[Backfill] Skipped expired scheduled event: ${match[0]}`)
+					const fallbackBody = `[Expired Scheduled Event: ${match[0]}]`
+					const fallbackHtml = `<blockquote>Expired Scheduled Event: <a href="https://${match[0]}">${match[0]}</a></blockquote>`
+					await addTextEvent(fallbackBody, fallbackHtml, "m.notice")
+					continue
+				}
+				throw e
+			}
+
 			const event = invite.guild_scheduled_event
 			if (!event) continue // the event ID provided was not valid
 
diff --git a/src/d2m/converters/message-to-event.test.js b/src/d2m/converters/message-to-event.test.js
index 1a73aea..166c3d7 100644
--- a/src/d2m/converters/message-to-event.test.js
+++ b/src/d2m/converters/message-to-event.test.js
@@ -1538,6 +1538,38 @@ test("message2event: vc invite event renders embed with room link", async t => {
 	])
 })
 
+test("message2event: expired event invite renders fallback notice", async t => {
+	const events = await messageToEvent({content: "https://discord.gg/placeholder?event=1381190945646710824"}, {}, {}, {
+		snow: {
+			invite: {
+				getInvite: async () => {
+					const error = new Error("Unknown Invite")
+					error.code = 10006
+					throw error
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	})
+	t.deepEqual(events, [
+		{
+			$type: "m.room.message",
+			body: "https://discord.gg/placeholder?event=1381190945646710824",
+			format: "org.matrix.custom.html",
+			formatted_body: "<a href=\"https://discord.gg/placeholder?event=1381190945646710824\">https://discord.gg/placeholder?event=1381190945646710824</a>",
+			"m.mentions": {},
+			msgtype: "m.text",
+		},
+		{
+			$type: "m.room.message",
+			msgtype: "m.notice",
+			body: "[Expired Scheduled Event: discord.gg/placeholder?event=1381190945646710824]",
+			format: "org.matrix.custom.html",
+			formatted_body: "<blockquote>Expired Scheduled Event: <a href=\"https://discord.gg/placeholder?event=1381190945646710824\">discord.gg/placeholder?event=1381190945646710824</a></blockquote>",
+			"m.mentions": {}
+		}
+	])
+})
+
 test("message2event: channel links are converted even inside lists (parser post-processer descends into list items)", async t => {
 	let called = 0
 	const events = await messageToEvent({
diff --git a/test/test.js b/test/test.js
index e05b687..ee8c333 100644
--- a/test/test.js
+++ b/test/test.js
@@ -13,7 +13,10 @@ const {green} = require("ansi-colors")
 const passthrough = require("../src/passthrough")
 const db = new sqlite(":memory:")
 
-const {reg} = require("../src/matrix/read-registration")
+const readReg = require("../src/matrix/read-registration")
+readReg.reg = readReg.getTemplateRegistration("cadence.moe")
+const {reg} = readReg
+reg.url = "http://localhost:6693"
 reg.ooye.discord_token = "Njg0MjgwMTkyNTUzODQ0NzQ3.Xl3zlw.baby"
 reg.ooye.server_origin = "https://matrix.cadence.moe" // so that tests will pass even when hard-coded
 reg.ooye.server_name = "cadence.moe"