diff --git a/backends/libpurple/main.cpp b/backends/libpurple/main.cpp
index 739382928c3de5e3d8af3379e45977e141514d9a..5ee59372c26ae6de30c84a47bf5dd2436a80ba3b 100644
--- a/backends/libpurple/main.cpp
+++ b/backends/libpurple/main.cpp
@@ -181,15 +181,21 @@ class SpectrumNetworkPlugin : public NetworkPlugin {
 			m_sessions[user] = account;
 
 			// Default avatar
-			if (!CONFIG_STRING(config, "backend.default_avatar").empty()) {
-				char* contents;
-				gsize length;
-
-				gboolean ret = g_file_get_contents (CONFIG_STRING(config, "backend.default_avatar").c_str(),
-													&contents, &length, NULL);
-				if (ret) {
-					purple_buddy_icons_set_account_icon(account, (guchar *) contents, length);
-				}
+			char* contents;
+			gsize length;
+			gboolean ret;
+			if (!CONFIG_STRING(config, "backend.avatars_directory").empty()) {
+				std::string f = CONFIG_STRING(config, "backend.avatars_directory") + "/" + legacyName;
+				ret = g_file_get_contents (f.c_str(), &contents, &length, NULL);
+			}
+
+			if (!CONFIG_STRING(config, "backend.default_avatar").empty() && !ret) {
+				ret = g_file_get_contents (CONFIG_STRING(config, "backend.default_avatar").c_str(),
+											&contents, &length, NULL);
+			}
+
+			if (ret) {
+				purple_buddy_icons_set_account_icon(account, (guchar *) contents, length);
 			}
 
 			purple_account_set_password(account, password.c_str());