diff --git a/src/secret-storage.ts b/src/secret-storage.ts
index 52a8aad998..a82f32dfee 100644
--- a/src/secret-storage.ts
+++ b/src/secret-storage.ts
@@ -318,6 +318,7 @@ export interface ServerSideSecretStorage {
 
     /**
      * Set the default key ID for encrypting secrets.
+     *
      * If keyId is `null`, the default key id value in the account data will be set to an empty object.
      * This is considered as "disabling" the default key.
      *
@@ -367,19 +368,26 @@ export class ServerSideSecretStorageImpl implements ServerSideSecretStorage {
     public setDefaultKeyId(keyId: string | null): Promise<void> {
         return new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
             const listener = (ev: MatrixEvent): void => {
+                if (ev.getType() === "m.secret_storage.default_key") {
+                    //  Different account data item
+                    return;
+                }
+
                 const content = ev.getContent();
+                // If keyId === null, the content should be an empty object.
+                // Otherwise, keyId should be returned in the content object.
                 const isSameKey = keyId === null ? !Object.keys(content).length : content.key === keyId;
-                if (ev.getType() === "m.secret_storage.default_key" && isSameKey) {
+                if (isSameKey) {
                     this.accountDataAdapter.removeListener(ClientEvent.AccountData, listener);
                     resolve();
                 }
             };
             this.accountDataAdapter.on(ClientEvent.AccountData, listener);
 
-            // The spec says that the key should be an object with a `key` property
-            // https://spec.matrix.org/v1.13/client-server-api/#key-storage
-            // To delete the default key, we send an empty object like the rust sdk does
-            // (see https://docs.rs/matrix-sdk/latest/matrix_sdk/encryption/recovery/struct.Recovery.html#method.reset_identity)
+            // The spec [1] says that the value of the account data entry should be an object with a `key` property.
+            // It doesn't specify how to delete the default key; we do it by setting the account data to an empty object.
+            //
+            // [1]: https://spec.matrix.org/v1.13/client-server-api/#key-storage
             const newValue: Record<string, never> | { key: string } = keyId === null ? {} : { key: keyId };
             this.accountDataAdapter.setAccountData("m.secret_storage.default_key", newValue).catch((e) => {
                 this.accountDataAdapter.removeListener(ClientEvent.AccountData, listener);