diff --git a/tools/chatgui/src/avatars/avatarmanager.cpp b/tools/chatgui/src/avatars/avatarmanager.cpp
index c6f184fc..11ed43a4 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/src/avatars/avatarmanager.cpp
+++ b/tools/chatgui/src/avatars/avatarmanager.cpp
@@ -118,6 +118,12 @@ QMap<quint64, QString> AvatarManager::servers() const {
 }
 
 QImage AvatarManager::image(const QString& channel, quint64 owner) {
+    if (!channel.toULongLong()) {
+        quint64 selected = 0;
+        for (const auto& ref : m_refs) if (ref.owner == owner && ref.server && !ref.hash.isEmpty() && (!selected || ref.group < selected))
+            selected = ref.group;
+        return selected ? image(QString::number(selected), owner) : QImage();
+    }
     const QString context = key(channel.toULongLong(), owner); const Ref ref = m_refs.value(context);
     if (!m_ready || !ref.server || ref.hash.isEmpty()) return {};
     m_wanted.insert(context);
diff --git a/tools/chatgui/src/messagelist.cpp b/tools/chatgui/src/messagelist.cpp
index a7d49a8b..df9f88ab 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/src/messagelist.cpp
+++ b/tools/chatgui/src/messagelist.cpp
@@ -339,8 +339,8 @@ MessageList::MessageList(DbManager* db, AudioRecorder* recorder, QWidget *parent
     auto *layout = new QVBoxLayout(this);
     if (auto* manager = AvatarManager::instance()) connect(manager, &AvatarManager::changed, this,
         [this, manager](const QString& channel, quint64 owner) {
-            if (channel != m_currentChannelId) return;
-            const QImage image = manager->image(channel, owner);
+            if (channel != m_currentChannelId && !isDmChannel(m_currentChannelId)) return;
+            const QImage image = manager->image(m_currentChannelId, owner);
             for (int row = 0; row < m_model->rowCount(); row++) {
                 auto* item = m_model->item(row);
                 if (item->data(MsgAuthorNodeIdRole).toULongLong() != owner) continue;
@@ -1205,6 +1205,10 @@ void MessageList::onDmMessages(const uint8_t* data, int len) {
         if (!m_avatarCache.contains(author))
             m_avatarCache[author] = color;
         auto avatar = makeAvatar(color, letter);
+        if (auto* manager = AvatarManager::instance()) {
+            const QImage image = manager->image(m_currentChannelId, author);
+            if (!image.isNull()) avatar = QPixmap::fromImage(image);
+        }
         auto time = QDateTime::fromMSecsSinceEpoch((qint64)ts).toString("HH:mm");
         if (!file && !status.isEmpty()) time += QStringLiteral(" · ") + status;