diff --git a/www/common/common-ui-elements.js b/www/common/common-ui-elements.js
index 8315768f1..a4d84796d 100644
--- a/www/common/common-ui-elements.js
+++ b/www/common/common-ui-elements.js
@@ -1993,9 +1993,11 @@ define([
         var loadingAvatar;
         var to;
         var oldUrl = '';
+        var oldUid = undefined;
         var updateButton = function () {
             var myData = metadataMgr.getUserData();
             var privateData = metadataMgr.getPrivateData();
+            var uid = myData.uid;
             if (!priv.plan && privateData.plan) {
                 config.$initBlock.empty();
                 metadataMgr.off('change', updateButton);
@@ -2013,15 +2015,16 @@ define([
             var newName = myData.name;
             var url = myData.avatar;
             $displayName.text(newName || Messages.anonymous);
-            if (accountName && oldUrl !== url) {
+            if ((accountName && oldUrl !== url) || !accountName && uid !== oldUid) {
                 $avatar.html('');
                 Common.displayAvatar($avatar, url,
                         newName || Messages.anonymous, function ($img) {
                     oldUrl = url;
+                    oldUid = uid;
                     $userAdmin.find('> button').removeClass('cp-avatar');
                     if ($img) { $userAdmin.find('> button').addClass('cp-avatar'); }
                     loadingAvatar = false;
-                });
+                }, uid);
                 return;
             }
             loadingAvatar = false;
diff --git a/www/common/inner/common-mediatag.js b/www/common/inner/common-mediatag.js
index 3d4e82caf..bceb314b8 100644
--- a/www/common/inner/common-mediatag.js
+++ b/www/common/inner/common-mediatag.js
@@ -94,6 +94,21 @@ define([
         return ANIMALS[seed % ANIMALS.length];
     };
 
+    var getPrettyInitials = function (name) {
+        var parts = name.split(/\s+/);
+        var text;
+        if (parts.length > 1) {
+            text = parts.slice(0, 2).map(Util.getFirstCharacter).join('');
+        } else {
+            text = Util.getFirstCharacter(name);
+            var second = Util.getFirstCharacter(name.replace(text, ''));
+            if (second && second !== '?') {
+                text += second;
+            }
+        }
+        return text;
+    };
+
     var animal_avatars = {};
     MT.displayAvatar = function (common, $container, href, name, _cb, uid) {
         var cb = Util.once(Util.mkAsync(_cb || function () {}));
@@ -105,20 +120,16 @@ define([
             var animal = false;
 
             name = (name || "").trim() || Messages.anonymous;
-            var parts = name.split(/\s+/);
             var text;
-            if (name === Messages.anonymous) {
+            if (name === Messages.anonymous && uid) {
                 if (animal_avatar) {
                     text = animal_avatar;
                 } else {
                     text = animal_avatar = getPseudorandomAnimal(uid);
                 }
                 animal = true;
-            } else if (parts.length > 1) {
-                text = parts.slice(0, 2).map(Util.getFirstCharacter).join('');
             } else {
-                text = Util.getFirstCharacter(name);
-                text += Util.getFirstCharacter(name.replace(text, ''));
+                text = getPrettyInitials(name);
             }
 
             var $avatar = $('<span>', {'class': 'cp-avatar-default' + (animal? ' animal': '')}).text(text);
diff --git a/www/common/toolbar.js b/www/common/toolbar.js
index 791857049..7493d9996 100644
--- a/www/common/toolbar.js
+++ b/www/common/toolbar.js
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ MessengerUI, Messages, Pages) {
                 });
             }
             console.error("AVATAR", $span, data.uid);
-            Common.displayAvatar($span, data.avatar, name, function () { // XXX pass a little more info so we can display better (pseudo-random) defaults
+            Common.displayAvatar($span, data.avatar, name, function () {
                 $span.append($rightCol);
             }, data.uid);
             $span.data('uid', data.uid);