diff --git a/app/main.go b/app/main.go
index 16b5ed2d..eeb591b3 100644
--- a/app/main.go
+++ b/app/main.go
@@ -43,8 +43,9 @@ var opts struct {
 		FacebookCID  string `long:"facebook-cid" env:"REMARK_FACEBOOK_CID" description:"Facebook OAuth client ID"`
 		FacebookCSEC string `long:"facebook-csec" env:"REMARK_FACEBOOK_CSEC" description:"Facebook OAuth client secret"`
 
-		AvatarStore string `long:"avatars" env:"AVATAR_STORE" default:"./var/avatars" description:"path to avatars directory"`
-		Port        int    `long:"port" env:"REMARK_PORT" default:"8080" description:"port"`
+		AvatarStore   string `long:"avatars" env:"AVATAR_STORE" default:"./var/avatars" description:"path to avatars directory"`
+		DefaultAvatar string `long:"avatar-def" env:"AVATAR_DEF" default:"./var/avatars/remark.image" description:"default avatar"`
+		Port          int    `long:"port" env:"REMARK_PORT" default:"8080" description:"port"`
 	} `command:"server" description:"run server"`
 
 	ImportCommand struct {
@@ -106,7 +107,11 @@ func main() {
 		Exporter:      &exporter,
 		AuthProviders: makeAuthProviders(sessionStore),
 		Cache:         common.NewLoadingCache(4*time.Hour, 15*time.Minute, postFlushFn),
-		AvatarProxy:   avatar.Proxy{StorePath: opts.ServerCommand.AvatarStore, RoutePath: "/api/v1/avatar"},
+		AvatarProxy: avatar.Proxy{
+			StorePath:     opts.ServerCommand.AvatarStore,
+			RoutePath:     "/api/v1/avatar",
+			DefaultAvatar: opts.ServerCommand.DefaultAvatar,
+		},
 	}
 
 	if opts.DevMode {
diff --git a/app/rest/avatar/avatar.go b/app/rest/avatar/avatar.go
index 68a2c382..f070932e 100644
--- a/app/rest/avatar/avatar.go
+++ b/app/rest/avatar/avatar.go
@@ -34,7 +34,11 @@ type Proxy struct {
 
 // Put gets original avatar url from user info and returns proxied
 func (p *Proxy) Put(u store.User) (avatarURL string, err error) {
+
 	if u.Picture == "" {
+		if p.DefaultAvatar != "" {
+			return p.RoutePath + "/" + p.DefaultAvatar, nil
+		}
 		return "", errors.Errorf("no picture for %s", u.ID)
 	}
 
@@ -82,8 +86,14 @@ func (p *Proxy) Routes() chi.Router {
 		avFile := path.Join(location, avatar)
 		fh, err := os.Open(avFile)
 		if err != nil {
-			common.SendErrorJSON(w, r, http.StatusBadRequest, err, "can't load avatar")
-			return
+			if p.DefaultAvatar == "" {
+				common.SendErrorJSON(w, r, http.StatusBadRequest, err, "can't load avatar")
+				return
+			}
+			if fh, err = os.Open(path.Join(p.StorePath, p.DefaultAvatar)); err != nil {
+				common.SendErrorJSON(w, r, http.StatusBadRequest, err, "can't load default avatar")
+				return
+			}
 		}
 
 		defer func() {