diff --git a/src/converse-chatview.js b/src/converse-chatview.js
index 3d34bb71b..c2ece792a 100644
--- a/src/converse-chatview.js
+++ b/src/converse-chatview.js
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@
             _converse.ChatBoxHeading = Backbone.View.extend({
 
                 initialize () {
-                    this.model.on('change:image', this.setAvatar, this);
+                    this.model.on('change:image', this.render, this);
                     this.model.on('change:status', this.onStatusMessageChanged, this);
                     this.model.on('change:fullname', this.render, this);
                 },
@@ -287,7 +287,6 @@
                         _.extend(this.model.toJSON(), {
                                 label_personal_message: __('Personal message'),
                                 label_send: __('Send'),
-                                show_avatar: true,
                                 show_send_button: _converse.show_send_button,
                                 show_textarea: true,
                                 show_toolbar: _converse.show_toolbar,
diff --git a/src/templates/chatbox_head.html b/src/templates/chatbox_head.html
index 8eb2da0ad..5f35668a1 100644
--- a/src/templates/chatbox_head.html
+++ b/src/templates/chatbox_head.html
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 <div class="chat-head chat-head-chatbox">
     <a class="chatbox-btn close-chatbox-button icon-close" title="{{{o.info_close}}}"></a>
-    {[ if (o.show_avatar) { ]}
     <img alt="User Avatar"
          class="avatar"
          height="{{{o.avatar_height}}}px" width="{{{o.avatar_width}}}px"
          src="data:{{{o.image_type}}};base64,{{{o.image}}}"/>
-    {[ } ]}
     <div class="chat-title">
         {[ if (o.url) { ]}
             <a href="{{{o.url}}}" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="user">