diff --git a/crates/ruma-common/CHANGELOG.md b/crates/ruma-common/CHANGELOG.md
index 6587bc02..e9fc781a 100644
--- a/crates/ruma-common/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/crates/ruma-common/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ Breaking changes:
   * Remove `events::reaction::Relation` and use `events::relation::Annotation` instead
   * Remove `events::key::verification::Relation` and use `events::relation::Reference` instead
 * Rename `events::relation::Relations` to `BundledRelations`
+* Make the `redacted_because` field in `UnsignedRedacted` non-optional and replace parameterless
+  `new` constructor by one that takes a redaction event (like `new_because` previously, which is
+  now removed)
 
 Improvements:
 
diff --git a/crates/ruma-common/src/events/unsigned.rs b/crates/ruma-common/src/events/unsigned.rs
index 4b730ced..dd927bc9 100644
--- a/crates/ruma-common/src/events/unsigned.rs
+++ b/crates/ruma-common/src/events/unsigned.rs
@@ -143,33 +143,16 @@ impl<C: StateEventContent> Default for StateUnsigned<C> {
 }
 
 /// Extra information about a redacted event that is not incorporated into the event's hash.
-#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, Deserialize)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Deserialize)]
 #[cfg_attr(not(feature = "unstable-exhaustive-types"), non_exhaustive)]
 pub struct RedactedUnsigned {
     /// The event that redacted this event, if any.
-    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
-    pub redacted_because: Option<Box<SyncRoomRedactionEvent>>,
+    pub redacted_because: Box<SyncRoomRedactionEvent>,
 }
 
 impl RedactedUnsigned {
-    /// Create a new `RedactedUnsigned` with field set to `None`.
-    pub fn new() -> Self {
-        Self::default()
-    }
-
-    /// Create a new `RedactedUnsigned` with the given redacted because.
-    pub fn new_because(redacted_because: Box<SyncRoomRedactionEvent>) -> Self {
-        Self { redacted_because: Some(redacted_because) }
-    }
-}
-
-impl CanBeEmpty for RedactedUnsigned {
-    /// Whether this unsigned data is empty (`redacted_because` is `None`).
-    ///
-    /// This method is used to determine whether to skip serializing the `unsigned` field in
-    /// redacted room events. Do not use it to determine whether an incoming `unsigned` field
-    /// was present - it could still have been present but contained none of the known fields.
-    fn is_empty(&self) -> bool {
-        self.redacted_because.is_none()
+    /// Create a new `RedactedUnsigned` with the given redaction event.
+    pub fn new(redacted_because: Box<SyncRoomRedactionEvent>) -> Self {
+        Self { redacted_because }
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/ruma-common/tests/events/redacted.rs b/crates/ruma-common/tests/events/redacted.rs
index 6eb109cc..20fa4533 100644
--- a/crates/ruma-common/tests/events/redacted.rs
+++ b/crates/ruma-common/tests/events/redacted.rs
@@ -139,7 +139,6 @@ fn deserialize_redacted_state_event() {
         ))) => redacted
     );
     assert_eq!(redacted.event_id, "$h29iv0s8:example.com");
-    assert!(redacted.unsigned.redacted_because.is_some());
     assert_eq!(redacted.content.creator, "@carl:example.com");
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/ruma-macros/src/events/event.rs b/crates/ruma-macros/src/events/event.rs
index 6fb5c060..83eadea5 100644
--- a/crates/ruma-macros/src/events/event.rs
+++ b/crates/ruma-macros/src/events/event.rs
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ fn expand_deserialize_event(
                         )?;
                     }
                 }
-            } else if name == "unsigned" {
+            } else if name == "unsigned" && !var.is_redacted() {
                 if has_prev_content(kind, var) {
                     quote! {
                         let unsigned = unsigned.map(|json| {