diff --git a/tools/chatgui/tests/test_channel_settings.cpp b/tools/chatgui/tests/test_channel_settings.cpp
index 4e6082bf..47bee51a 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/tests/test_channel_settings.cpp
+++ b/tools/chatgui/tests/test_channel_settings.cpp
@@ -331,13 +331,18 @@ private slots:
     void avatarBlobTypesAndLimits() {
         QFETCH(QByteArray, value); QFETCH(bool, valid); QFETCH(int, bytes);
         SettingsCore core; QVERIFY(core.start());
-        const QByteArray sql = "UPDATE channels SET avatar_data=" + value;
+        const QByteArray sql = "UPDATE channels SET avatar_version=1,avatar_data=" + value;
         QCOMPARE(sqlite3_exec(core.inst->topo_sqlite_db, sql.constData(), nullptr, nullptr, nullptr), SQLITE_OK);
         bool ok = !valid; const QByteArray result = core.db.getChannelAvatar(core.channel, &ok);
         QCOMPARE(ok, valid); QCOMPARE(result.size(), bytes);
         QVERIFY(core.db.getChannelAvatar("missing", &ok).isEmpty()); QVERIFY(!ok);
     }
 
+    void unpublishedAvatarIsAnEmptyRead() {
+        SettingsCore core; QVERIFY(core.start());
+        bool ok = false; QVERIFY(core.db.getChannelAvatar(core.channel, &ok).isEmpty()); QVERIFY(ok);
+    }
+
 #ifdef UTUN_TEST_SETTINGS_ALLOC_FAILURES
     void avatarAllocationFailure_data() {
         QTest::addColumn<QByteArray>("source");