diff --git a/actions/showstream.php b/actions/showstream.php
index dcb78a4626..d6a460b297 100644
--- a/actions/showstream.php
+++ b/actions/showstream.php
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ class ShowstreamAction extends StreamAction {
 
 		$avatar = $profile->getAvatar(AVATAR_PROFILE_SIZE);
 		common_element_start('div', array('id' => 'profile_avatar'));
-		common_element('img', array('src' => ($avatar) ? $avatar->url : common_default_avatar(AVATAR_PROFILE_SIZE),
+		common_element('img', array('src' => ($avatar) ? common_avatar_display_url($avatar) : common_default_avatar(AVATAR_PROFILE_SIZE),
 									'class' => 'avatar profile',
 									'width' => AVATAR_PROFILE_SIZE,
 									'height' => AVATAR_PROFILE_SIZE,
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ class ShowstreamAction extends StreamAction {
 												'href' => $other->profileurl,
 												'class' => 'subscription'));
 				$avatar = $other->getAvatar(AVATAR_MINI_SIZE);
-				common_element('img', array('src' => (($avatar) ? $avatar->url :  common_default_avatar(AVATAR_MINI_SIZE)),
+				common_element('img', array('src' => (($avatar) ? common_avatar_display_url($avatar) :  common_default_avatar(AVATAR_MINI_SIZE)),
 											'width' => AVATAR_MINI_SIZE,
 											'height' => AVATAR_MINI_SIZE,
 											'class' => 'avatar mini',
diff --git a/lib/gallery.php b/lib/gallery.php
index 4bc7baf5d4..f227c93d29 100644
--- a/lib/gallery.php
+++ b/lib/gallery.php
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ class GalleryAction extends Action {
 			$avatar = $other->getAvatar(AVATAR_STREAM_SIZE);
 			common_element('img', 
 						   array('src' => 
-								 (($avatar) ? $avatar->url : 
+								 (($avatar) ? common_avatar_display_url($avatar) : 
 								  common_default_avatar(AVATAR_STREAM_SIZE)),
 								 'width' => AVATAR_STREAM_SIZE,
 								 'height' => AVATAR_STREAM_SIZE,
diff --git a/lib/stream.php b/lib/stream.php
index b2f57fab3e..a37e4dfa32 100644
--- a/lib/stream.php
+++ b/lib/stream.php
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class StreamAction extends Action {
 										  'id' => 'notice-' . $notice->id));
 		$avatar = $profile->getAvatar(AVATAR_STREAM_SIZE);
 		common_element_start('a', array('href' => $profile->profileurl));
-		common_element('img', array('src' => ($avatar) ? $avatar->url : common_default_avatar(AVATAR_STREAM_SIZE),
+		common_element('img', array('src' => ($avatar) ? common_avatar_display_url($avatar) : common_default_avatar(AVATAR_STREAM_SIZE),
 									'class' => 'avatar stream',
 									'width' => AVATAR_STREAM_SIZE,
 									'height' => AVATAR_STREAM_SIZE,
diff --git a/lib/util.php b/lib/util.php
index 7b821e6351..4d1abe51a7 100644
--- a/lib/util.php
+++ b/lib/util.php
@@ -625,12 +625,16 @@ function common_avatar_path($filename) {
 }
 
 function common_avatar_url($filename) {
-    $server = common_config('avatar', 'server');
-    if ($server) {
-	return 'http://'.$server.'/'.$filename;
-    } else {
 	return common_path('avatar/'.$filename);
-    }
+}
+
+function common_avatar_display_url($avatar) {
+	$server = common_config('avatar', 'server');
+	if ($server) {
+		return 'http://'.$server.'/'.$avatar->filename;
+	} else {
+		return $avatar->url;
+	}
 }
 
 function common_default_avatar($size) {