diff --git a/backend/app/rest/api/admin.go b/backend/app/rest/api/admin.go
index e61924b2..34e32387 100644
--- a/backend/app/rest/api/admin.go
+++ b/backend/app/rest/api/admin.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"path"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/go-pkgz/auth/v2"
@@ -122,10 +123,14 @@ func (a *admin) deleteMeRequestCtrl(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	}
 
 	if claims.User.Picture != "" && a.authenticator.AvatarProxy() != nil {
-		avatarStore := a.authenticator.AvatarProxy().Store
-		if err = avatarStore.Remove(path.Base(claims.User.Picture)); err != nil {
-			rest.SendErrorJSON(w, r, http.StatusBadRequest, err, "can't delete user's avatar", rest.ErrInternal)
-			return
+		if avatarID := avatarIDFromPicture(claims.User.Picture); avatarID != "" {
+			// best-effort removal: the user's data is already gone and the avatar store gives no way to tell
+			// an already-removed avatar from a real failure, so a missing avatar must not fail the deletion
+			if err = a.authenticator.AvatarProxy().Store.Remove(avatarID); err != nil {
+				log.Printf("[WARN] can't delete avatar for user %s on site %s: %v", claims.User.ID, audience, err)
+			}
+		} else {
+			log.Printf("[WARN] unexpected avatar picture %q for user %s on site %s, skipping removal", claims.User.Picture, claims.User.ID, audience)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -133,6 +138,17 @@ func (a *admin) deleteMeRequestCtrl(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	R.RenderJSON(w, R.JSON{"user_id": claims.User.ID, "site_id": claims.Audience})
 }
 
+// avatarIDFromPicture returns the avatar-store object id for a user picture, or "" if the picture
+// does not resolve to a well-formed id (the store names its objects "<hash>.image"). Guarding on the
+// id shape keeps a malformed picture, e.g. a path sentinel, from making a filesystem-backed store
+// target an unexpected path.
+func avatarIDFromPicture(picture string) string {
+	if id := path.Base(picture); strings.HasSuffix(id, ".image") {
+		return id
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
 // PUT /user/{userid}?site=side-id&block=1&ttl=7d - block or unblock user
 func (a *admin) setBlockCtrl(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	userID := r.PathValue("userid")
diff --git a/backend/app/rest/api/admin_test.go b/backend/app/rest/api/admin_test.go
index 4e48f2e1..ec733e4b 100644
--- a/backend/app/rest/api/admin_test.go
+++ b/backend/app/rest/api/admin_test.go
@@ -717,7 +717,7 @@ func TestAdmin_DeleteMeRequest(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		User: &token.User{
 			ID:      "user1",
-			Picture: "pic.image",
+			Picture: "https://demo.remark42.com/api/v1/avatar/pic.image", // production-shaped URL: removal must path.Base it to the avatar id
 			Attributes: map[string]any{
 				"delete_me": true,
 			},
@@ -747,6 +747,76 @@ func TestAdmin_DeleteMeRequest(t *testing.T) {
 	email, err = srv.DataService.GetUserEmail("remark42", "user1")
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Empty(t, email, "user1 email was deleted")
+
+	assert.NoFileExists(t, os.TempDir()+"/ava-remark42/42/pic.image", "user's avatar should be removed on deleteme")
+}
+
+// a delete_me request whose token carries a picture must still succeed when the avatar is
+// already gone from the store: the user data is deleted and a missing avatar is tolerated
+func TestAdmin_DeleteMeRequestMissingAvatar(t *testing.T) {
+	ts, srv, teardown := startupT(t)
+	defer teardown()
+
+	c1 := store.Comment{Text: "test test #1", Locator: store.Locator{SiteID: "remark42",
+		URL: "https://radio-t.com/blah"}, User: store.User{Name: "user3 name", ID: "user3"}}
+	_, err := srv.DataService.Create(c1)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	claims := token.Claims{
+		SessionOnly: true,
+		RegisteredClaims: jwt.RegisteredClaims{
+			Audience:  jwt.ClaimStrings{"remark42"},
+			ID:        "2345678",
+			Issuer:    "remark42",
+			NotBefore: jwt.NewNumericDate(time.Now().Add(-1 * time.Minute)),
+			ExpiresAt: jwt.NewNumericDate(time.Now().Add(30 * time.Minute)),
+		},
+		User: &token.User{
+			ID:      "user3",
+			Picture: "missing.image", // no avatar file exists for this picture in the store
+			Attributes: map[string]any{
+				"delete_me": true,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	tkn, err := srv.Authenticator.TokenService().Token(claims)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	client := http.Client{}
+	defer client.CloseIdleConnections()
+	req, err := http.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, fmt.Sprintf("%s/api/v1/admin/deleteme?token=%s", ts.URL, tkn), http.NoBody)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	req.SetBasicAuth("admin", "password")
+	resp, err := client.Do(req)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, resp.Body.Close())
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, resp.StatusCode, "a missing avatar must not fail the deletion")
+
+	_, err = srv.DataService.User("remark42", "user3", 0, 0, store.User{})
+	assert.EqualError(t, err, "no comments for user user3 in store", "user3 comments should be deleted")
+}
+
+func TestAvatarIDFromPicture(t *testing.T) {
+	tbl := []struct {
+		name    string
+		picture string
+		want    string
+	}{
+		{"local avatar url", "https://demo.remark42.com/api/v1/avatar/cb42ff493ade696d88a3a590f136ae9e34de7c1b.image", "cb42ff493ade696d88a3a590f136ae9e34de7c1b.image"},
+		{"bare avatar id", "pic.image", "pic.image"},
+		{"parent sentinel", "https://demo.remark42.com/api/v1/avatar/..", ""},
+		{"trailing slash", "https://demo.remark42.com/api/v1/avatar/", ""},
+		{"root", "/", ""},
+		{"dotdot", "..", ""},
+		{"empty", "", ""},
+		{"provider url without image suffix", "https://example.com/pic.png", ""},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tbl {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.want, avatarIDFromPicture(tc.picture))
+		})
+	}
 }
 
 func TestAdmin_DeleteMeRequestFailed(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/backend/app/rest/api/rest_private.go b/backend/app/rest/api/rest_private.go
index 60569bc6..3f511195 100644
--- a/backend/app/rest/api/rest_private.go
+++ b/backend/app/rest/api/rest_private.go
@@ -708,8 +708,9 @@ func (s *private) deleteMeCtrl(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			NotBefore: jwt.NewNumericDate(time.Now().Add(-1 * time.Minute)),
 		},
 		User: &token.User{
-			ID:   user.ID,
-			Name: user.Name,
+			ID:      user.ID,
+			Name:    user.Name,
+			Picture: user.Picture, // carried so the avatar can be removed when the request is processed
 			Attributes: map[string]any{
 				"delete_me": true, // prevents this token from being used for login
 			},
diff --git a/backend/app/rest/api/rest_private_test.go b/backend/app/rest/api/rest_private_test.go
index 307bfdb1..fc6276d1 100644
--- a/backend/app/rest/api/rest_private_test.go
+++ b/backend/app/rest/api/rest_private_test.go
@@ -1512,6 +1512,8 @@ func TestRest_DeleteMe(t *testing.T) {
 	claims, err := srv.Authenticator.TokenService().Parse(tkn)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, "provider1_dev", claims.User.ID)
+	assert.Equal(t, "http://example.com/pic.png", claims.User.Picture,
+		"delete_me token must carry the user's picture so the avatar can be removed when the request is processed")
 	assert.Equal(t, "https://demo.remark42.com/web/deleteme.html?token="+tkn, m["link"])
 
 	req, err = http.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, fmt.Sprintf("%s/api/v1/deleteme?site=remark42", ts.URL), http.NoBody)