diff --git a/README b/README
index 8fb4a941cf..5b6b847c89 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -1008,6 +1008,12 @@ avatar
 
 For configuring avatar access.
 
+dir:    Directory to look for avatar files and to put them into.
+	Defaults to avatar subdirectory of install directory; if
+	you change it, make sure to change path, too.
+path:	Path to avatars. Defaults to path for avatar subdirectory,
+	but you can change it if you wish. Note that this will
+	be included with the avatar server, too.
 server: If set, defines another server where avatars are stored in the
 	root directory. Note that the 'avatar' subdir still has to be
 	writeable. You'd typically use this to split HTTP requests on
diff --git a/classes/Avatar.php b/classes/Avatar.php
index db9d78e47f..5e8b315fe6 100644
--- a/classes/Avatar.php
+++ b/classes/Avatar.php
@@ -55,19 +55,43 @@ class Avatar extends Memcached_DataObject
 
     static function path($filename)
     {
-        return INSTALLDIR . '/avatar/' . $filename;
+        $dir = common_config('avatar', 'dir');
+
+        if ($dir[strlen($dir)-1] != '/') {
+            $dir .= '/';
+        }
+
+        return $dir . $filename;
     }
 
     static function url($filename)
     {
-        return common_path('avatar/'.$filename);
+        $path = common_config('avatar', 'path');
+
+        if ($path[strlen($path)-1] != '/') {
+            $path .= '/';
+        }
+
+        if ($path[0] != '/') {
+            $path = '/'.$path;
+        }
+
+        $server = common_config('avatar', 'server');
+
+        if (empty($server)) {
+            $server = common_config('site', 'server');
+        }
+
+        // XXX: protocol
+
+        return 'http://'.$server.$path.$filename;
     }
 
     function displayUrl()
     {
         $server = common_config('avatar', 'server');
         if ($server) {
-            return 'http://'.$server.'/'.$this->filename;
+            return Avatar::url($this->filename);
         } else {
             return $this->url;
         }
diff --git a/lib/common.php b/lib/common.php
index b4e87445e6..ab61c812f5 100644
--- a/lib/common.php
+++ b/lib/common.php
@@ -108,7 +108,9 @@ $config =
         'profile' =>
         array('banned' => array()),
         'avatar' =>
-        array('server' => null),
+        array('server' => null,
+              'dir' => INSTALLDIR . '/avatar/',
+              'path' => $_path . '/avatar/'),
         'public' =>
         array('localonly' => true,
               'blacklist' => array(),