diff --git a/tools/chatgui/src/avatars/avatarmanager.cpp b/tools/chatgui/src/avatars/avatarmanager.cpp
index 11ed43a4..6f6c0801 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/src/avatars/avatarmanager.cpp
+++ b/tools/chatgui/src/avatars/avatarmanager.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ void AvatarManager::initialize() {
     const QString base = m_db->dbPath().isEmpty() ? QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::AppLocalDataLocation) : m_db->dbPath();
     m_directory = base + QStringLiteral("/avatar_cache/") + QString::number(m_db->myNodeId(), 16);
     m_defaultServer = m_db->getUiState("avatar_default_server").toULongLong(nullptr, 16);
+    m_defaultConfigured = m_db->getUiStateInt("avatar_default_configured", 0) != 0;
     const QString file = m_db->getUiState("avatar_default_file");
     if (mf_avatar_file_valid(file.toLatin1().constData())) m_defaultHash = file.left(64);
     const QString directory = m_directory;
@@ -164,9 +165,10 @@ void AvatarManager::loadCache(const QString& hash) {
 }
 
 void AvatarManager::saveDefault() {
-    const char* keys[] = {"avatar_default_server", "avatar_default_file"};
-    const QString values[] = {QString::number(m_defaultServer, 16), m_defaultHash.isEmpty() ? QString() : m_defaultHash + ".png"};
-    for (int i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
+    m_defaultConfigured = true;
+    const char* keys[] = {"avatar_default_server", "avatar_default_file", "avatar_default_configured"};
+    const QString values[] = {QString::number(m_defaultServer, 16), m_defaultHash.isEmpty() ? QString() : m_defaultHash + ".png", "1"};
+    for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
         auto* q = (save_ui_state_arg*)u_calloc(1, sizeof(save_ui_state_arg));
         if (!q) { DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_MEDIA, "avatar: preference allocation failed"); return; }
         q->inst = gui_bridge_get_inst(); const QByteArray value = values[i].toLatin1();
@@ -208,7 +210,7 @@ void AvatarManager::cancelUploads() {
 void AvatarManager::clearDefault() {
     if (!m_ready || !gui_bridge_is_uasync_ready()) return;
     ++m_generation; cancelUploads(); m_defaultHash.clear(); m_defaultServer = 0; saveDefault();
-    for (const auto& ref : m_refs) if (ref.owner == m_db->myNodeId() && ref.server) {
+    for (const auto& ref : m_refs) if (ref.owner == m_db->myNodeId()) {
         Job job; job.ref = ref; job.ref.server = 0; job.ref.hash.clear(); job.upload = true; job.generation = m_generation;
         enqueue(job);
     }
@@ -216,10 +218,14 @@ void AvatarManager::clearDefault() {
 }
 
 void AvatarManager::scheduleOwn(quint64 group) {
+    const QString context = key(group, m_db->myNodeId());
+    if (m_ready && m_defaultConfigured && !m_defaultServer && m_refs.value(context).server &&
+        m_retry.value(context) <= QDateTime::currentMSecsSinceEpoch()) {
+        Job job; job.ref = {group, m_db->myNodeId(), 0, {}}; job.upload = true; job.generation = m_generation; enqueue(job); return;
+    }
     if (!m_ready || m_preparing || !m_defaultServer || m_defaultHash.isEmpty() || !m_servers.value(group).contains(m_defaultServer) ||
         m_missing.contains(m_defaultHash)) return;
     if (!m_images.contains(m_defaultHash)) { loadCache(m_defaultHash); return; }
-    const QString context = key(group, m_db->myNodeId());
     if (!m_refs.contains(context) || m_retry.value(context) > QDateTime::currentMSecsSinceEpoch()) return;
     const Ref old = m_refs.value(context);
     if (old.server == m_defaultServer && old.hash == m_defaultHash) return;
@@ -232,7 +238,7 @@ void AvatarManager::enqueue(const Job& job) {
         (!job.upload && !old.upload && old.ref.hash == job.ref.hash)) return;
     for (const auto& old : m_queue) if ((old.ref.group == job.ref.group && old.ref.owner == job.ref.owner) ||
         (!job.upload && !old.upload && old.ref.hash == job.ref.hash)) return;
-    m_queue.enqueue(job);
+    if (job.upload) m_queue.prepend(job); else m_queue.enqueue(job);
 }
 
 void AvatarManager::pump() {
diff --git a/tools/chatgui/src/avatars/avatarmanager.h b/tools/chatgui/src/avatars/avatarmanager.h
index ae4f3ded..bd3111b6 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/src/avatars/avatarmanager.h
+++ b/tools/chatgui/src/avatars/avatarmanager.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ private:
     DbManager* m_db;
     QString m_directory, m_defaultHash;
     quint64 m_defaultServer = 0, m_generation = 1;
-    bool m_ready = false, m_preparing = false;
+    bool m_ready = false, m_preparing = false, m_defaultConfigured = false;
     QHash<QString, Ref> m_refs;
     QHash<quint64, QMap<quint64, QString>> m_servers;
     QCache<QString, QImage> m_images{32 * 1024};
diff --git a/tools/chatgui/tests/test_avatars.cpp b/tools/chatgui/tests/test_avatars.cpp
index cbba7ee8..d73717b1 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/tests/test_avatars.cpp
+++ b/tools/chatgui/tests/test_avatars.cpp
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ private slots:
                 QVERIFY(QFile::exists(directory.path() + "/storage/" + channel.channelId + '/' + QString::number(testInstance->node_id) +
                     "/avatars/" + member.avatar_file));
                 QVERIFY(!manager.image(channel.channelId, testInstance->node_id).isNull());
+                QVERIFY(!manager.image("pm:test", testInstance->node_id).isNull());
                 cached = directory.path() + "/avatar_cache/" + QString::number(testInstance->node_id, 16) + '/' + member.avatar_file;
             }
             chat_core_update_my_name(testInstance, "quote\"\\name"); chat_core_sync_my_addresses(testInstance);