diff --git a/core/classes/Avatar.class.php b/core/classes/Avatar.class.php
index aa35518922..a7a088c3fb 100644
--- a/core/classes/Avatar.class.php
+++ b/core/classes/Avatar.class.php
@@ -65,15 +65,15 @@ public static function get( $p_user_id, $p_size = 80 ) {
         	$t_avatar = event_signal(
         	    'EVENT_USER_AVATAR',
         	    array( $p_user_id, $p_size ) );
-        }
 
-        if( $t_avatar === null ) {
-            $t_avatar = new Avatar();
-        }
+            if( $t_avatar === null ) {
+                $t_avatar = new Avatar();
+            }
 
-        $t_avatar->normalize( $p_user_id );
+            $t_avatar->normalize( $p_user_id );
+        }
 
-    	return $t_avatar;
+        return $t_avatar;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/core/classes/TimelineEvent.class.php b/core/classes/TimelineEvent.class.php
index 374d20f83d..0db5577b72 100644
--- a/core/classes/TimelineEvent.class.php
+++ b/core/classes/TimelineEvent.class.php
@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@ public function format_timestamp( $p_timestamp ) {
 	 */
 	public function html_start() {
 		$t_avatar = Avatar::get( $this->user_id, 32 );
+		if( $t_avatar === null ) {
+			return sprintf(
+				'<div class="entry"><div class="timestamp">%s</div>', $this->format_timestamp( $this->timestamp ) );
+		}
 
 		return sprintf(
 			'<div class="entry"><div class="avatar"><a href="%s"><img class="avatar" src="%s" alt="%s" width="32" height="32" /></a></div><div class="timestamp">%s</div>',
diff --git a/core/print_api.php b/core/print_api.php
index b4c4cf08a4..b12d70ef8a 100644
--- a/core/print_api.php
+++ b/core/print_api.php
@@ -187,6 +187,9 @@ function print_successful_redirect( $p_redirect_to ) {
  */
 function print_avatar( $p_user_id, $p_size = 80 ) {
 	$t_avatar = Avatar::get( $p_user_id, $p_size );
+	if( $t_avatar === null ) {
+		return;
+	}
 
 	$t_image = htmlspecialchars( $t_avatar->image );
 	$t_link = htmlspecialchars( $t_avatar->link );