diff --git a/cmd/drone-server/static/scripts/views/layout.html b/cmd/drone-server/static/scripts/views/layout.html
index 337f3d3d3..d59af71a6 100644
--- a/cmd/drone-server/static/scripts/views/layout.html
+++ b/cmd/drone-server/static/scripts/views/layout.html
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
   <ul>
     <li>
-      <img ng-src="{{ user.gravatar_id | gravatar }}" />
+      <img ng-src="{{ user.avatar }}" />
     </li>
     <li ng-init="show=false">
       <a href="#" ng-click="show=true">
diff --git a/cmd/drone-server/static/scripts/views/users/content.html b/cmd/drone-server/static/scripts/views/users/content.html
index 89d8b9414..b6c134c6d 100644
--- a/cmd/drone-server/static/scripts/views/users/content.html
+++ b/cmd/drone-server/static/scripts/views/users/content.html
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
     <ul class="list cozy user-list">
       <li class="row row-user" ng-repeat="user in users | orderBy:'login' | filter: search_text">
         <div class="column-avatar">
-          <img ng-src="{{ user.gravatar_id | gravatar }}" />
+          <img ng-src="{{ user.avatar || 'https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/00000000000000000000000000000000?d=mm&f=y' }}" />
         </div>
         <div class="column-fill">
           <h2>{{ user.login }} <small ng-if="user.admin" class="label label-success">Admin</small></h2>
diff --git a/doc/samples/user.json b/doc/samples/user.json
index d9b33dd48..7f0a7eed1 100644
--- a/doc/samples/user.json
+++ b/doc/samples/user.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "Octocat",
   "email": "octocat@github.com",
-  "gravatar_id": "7194e8d48fa1d2b689f99443b767316c",
+  "avatar": "https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/7194e8d48fa1d2b689f99443b767316c",
   "admin": false,
   "active": true
 }
diff --git a/doc/samples/users.json b/doc/samples/users.json
index 1725214df..4f6f339f3 100644
--- a/doc/samples/users.json
+++ b/doc/samples/users.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   {
     "name": "Octocat",
     "email": "octocat@github.com",
-    "gravatar_id": "7194e8d48fa1d2b689f99443b767316c",
+    "avatar": "https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/7194e8d48fa1d2b689f99443b767316c",
     "admin": false,
     "active": true
   }
diff --git a/doc/swagger.yml b/doc/swagger.yml
index db54008a6..4d443ebee 100644
--- a/doc/swagger.yml
+++ b/doc/swagger.yml
@@ -769,7 +769,7 @@ definitions:
         type: string
       email:
         type: string
-      gravatar_id:
+      avatar:
         type: string
       admin:
         type: boolean
diff --git a/pkg/remote/builtin/github/github.go b/pkg/remote/builtin/github/github.go
index 796619ce6..a656550e2 100644
--- a/pkg/remote/builtin/github/github.go
+++ b/pkg/remote/builtin/github/github.go
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ func (g *GitHub) Login(token, secret string) (*common.User, error) {
 	user.Email = *login.Email
 	user.Token = token
 	user.Secret = secret
+	user.Avatar = *login.AvatarURL
 	return &user, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/server/login.go b/pkg/server/login.go
index 366ed5605..a85a668c3 100644
--- a/pkg/server/login.go
+++ b/pkg/server/login.go
@@ -81,7 +81,13 @@ func GetLogin(c *gin.Context) {
 		u.Token = login.Token
 		u.Secret = login.Secret
 		u.Email = login.Email
-		u.Avatar = gravatar.Hash(u.Email)
+		u.Avatar = login.Avatar
+
+		// TODO: remove this once gitlab implements setting
+		// avatar in the remote package, similar to github
+		if len(u.Avatar) == 0 {
+			u.Avatar = gravatar.Hash(u.Email)
+		}
 
 		// insert the user into the database
 		if err := store.AddUser(u); err != nil {
@@ -102,7 +108,13 @@ func GetLogin(c *gin.Context) {
 	u.Token = login.Token
 	u.Secret = login.Secret
 	u.Email = login.Email
-	u.Avatar = gravatar.Hash(u.Email)
+	u.Avatar = login.Avatar
+
+	// TODO: remove this once gitlab implements setting
+	// avatar in the remote package, similar to github
+	if len(u.Avatar) == 0 {
+		u.Avatar = gravatar.Hash(u.Email)
+	}
 
 	if err := store.SetUser(u); err != nil {
 		log.Errorf("cannot update %s. %s", u.Login, err)
diff --git a/pkg/server/user.go b/pkg/server/user.go
index 9b20157bc..67d4d4787 100644
--- a/pkg/server/user.go
+++ b/pkg/server/user.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ func PutUserCurr(c *gin.Context) {
 	if !c.BindWith(in, binding.JSON) {
 		return
 	}
+	// TODO: we are no longer auto-generating avatar
 	user.Email = in.Email
 	user.Avatar = gravatar.Hash(in.Email)
 	err := store.SetUser(user)
diff --git a/pkg/types/user.go b/pkg/types/user.go
index 41ea7402b..4ba79597c 100644
--- a/pkg/types/user.go
+++ b/pkg/types/user.go
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 package types
 
 type User struct {
-	ID     int64  `meddler:"user_id,pk"    json:"id"`
-	Login  string `meddler:"user_login"    json:"login,omitempty" sql:"unique:ux_user_login"`
-	Token  string `meddler:"user_token"    json:"-"`
-	Secret string `meddler:"user_secret"   json:"-"`
-	Email  string `meddler:"user_email"    json:"email,omitempty"`
-	Avatar string `meddler:"user_gravatar" json:"gravatar_id,omitempty"`
-	Active bool   `meddler:"user_active"   json:"active,omitempty"`
-	Admin  bool   `meddler:"user_admin"    json:"admin,omitempty"`
+	ID     int64  `json:"id"`
+	Login  string `json:"login,omitempty" sql:"unique:ux_user_login"`
+	Token  string `json:"-"`
+	Secret string `json:"-"`
+	Email  string `json:"email,omitempty"`
+	Avatar string `json:"avatar,omitempty"`
+	Active bool   `json:"active,omitempty"`
+	Admin  bool   `json:"admin,omitempty"`
 }