diff --git a/toxcore/Messenger.c b/toxcore/Messenger.c
index 99b95f67..3fc2cc63 100644
--- a/toxcore/Messenger.c
+++ b/toxcore/Messenger.c
@@ -574,33 +574,48 @@ int m_set_userstatus(Messenger *m, uint8_t status)
     return 0;
 }
 
+int m_unset_avatar(Messenger *m)
+{
+    if (m->avatar_data != NULL)
+        free(m->avatar_data);
+
+    m->avatar_data = NULL;
+    m->avatar_data_length = 0;
+    m->avatar_format = AVATAR_FORMAT_NONE;
+    memset(m->avatar_hash, 0, AVATAR_HASH_LENGTH);
+
+    uint32_t i;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < m->numfriends; ++i)
+        m->friendlist[i].avatar_info_sent = 0;
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 int m_set_avatar(Messenger *m, uint8_t format, const uint8_t *data, uint32_t length)
 {
-    if (length > AVATAR_MAX_DATA_LENGTH)
+    if (format == AVATAR_FORMAT_NONE) {
+        m_unset_avatar(m);
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    if (length > AVATAR_MAX_DATA_LENGTH || length == 0)
         return -1;
 
-    if (format == AVATAR_FORMAT_NONE) {
-        free(m->avatar_data);
-        m->avatar_data = NULL;
-        m->avatar_data_length = 0;
-        m->avatar_format = format;
-        memset(m->avatar_hash, 0, AVATAR_HASH_LENGTH);
-    } else {
-        if (length == 0 || data == NULL)
-            return -1;
+    if (data == NULL)
+        return -1;
 
-        uint8_t *tmp = realloc(m->avatar_data, length);
+    uint8_t *tmp = realloc(m->avatar_data, length);
 
-        if (tmp == NULL)
-            return -1;
+    if (tmp == NULL)
+        return -1;
 
-        m->avatar_format = format;
-        m->avatar_data = tmp;
-        m->avatar_data_length = length;
-        memcpy(m->avatar_data, data, length);
+    m->avatar_format = format;
+    m->avatar_data = tmp;
+    m->avatar_data_length = length;
+    memcpy(m->avatar_data, data, length);
 
-        m_avatar_hash(m->avatar_hash, m->avatar_data, m->avatar_data_length);
-    }
+    m_avatar_hash(m->avatar_hash, m->avatar_data, m->avatar_data_length);
 
     uint32_t i;
 
diff --git a/toxcore/Messenger.h b/toxcore/Messenger.h
index e6877002..4a806e8c 100644
--- a/toxcore/Messenger.h
+++ b/toxcore/Messenger.h
@@ -518,6 +518,11 @@ uint8_t m_get_self_userstatus(const Messenger *m);
  */
 int m_set_avatar(Messenger *m, uint8_t format, const uint8_t *data, uint32_t length);
 
+/* Unsets the user avatar.
+
+   returns 0 on success (currently always returns 0) */
+int m_unset_avatar(Messenger *m);
+
 /* Get avatar data from the current user.
  * Copies the current user avatar data to the destination buffer and sets the image format
  * accordingly.
diff --git a/toxcore/tox.c b/toxcore/tox.c
index e8ec593b..a0873a4c 100644
--- a/toxcore/tox.c
+++ b/toxcore/tox.c
@@ -820,6 +820,12 @@ int tox_set_avatar(Tox *tox, uint8_t format, const uint8_t *data, uint32_t lengt
     return m_set_avatar(m, format, data, length);
 }
 
+int tox_unset_avatar(Tox *tox)
+{
+    Messenger *m = tox;
+    return m_unset_avatar(m);
+}
+
 int tox_get_self_avatar(const Tox *tox, uint8_t *format, uint8_t *buf, uint32_t *length, uint32_t maxlen, uint8_t *hash)
 {
     const Messenger *m = tox;
diff --git a/toxcore/tox.h b/toxcore/tox.h
index 61cfdf70..af6f282c 100644
--- a/toxcore/tox.h
+++ b/toxcore/tox.h
@@ -586,6 +586,10 @@ void tox_callback_avatar_data(Tox *tox, void (*function)(Tox *tox, int32_t, uint
  */
 int tox_set_avatar(Tox *tox, uint8_t format, const uint8_t *data, uint32_t length);
 
+/* Unsets the user avatar.
+
+   returns 0 on success (currently always returns 0) */
+int tox_unset_avatar(Tox *tox);
 
 /* Get avatar data from the current user.
  * Copies the current user avatar data to the destination buffer and sets the image format