diff --git a/src/component-index.js b/src/component-index.js
index 7ae15ba12c..5fcf8e1ce0 100644
--- a/src/component-index.js
+++ b/src/component-index.js
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ module.exports.components['structures.RoomView'] = require('./components/structu
 module.exports.components['structures.ScrollPanel'] = require('./components/structures/ScrollPanel');
 module.exports.components['structures.UploadBar'] = require('./components/structures/UploadBar');
 module.exports.components['structures.UserSettings'] = require('./components/structures/UserSettings');
+module.exports.components['views.avatars.BaseAvatar'] = require('./components/views/avatars/BaseAvatar');
 module.exports.components['views.avatars.MemberAvatar'] = require('./components/views/avatars/MemberAvatar');
 module.exports.components['views.avatars.RoomAvatar'] = require('./components/views/avatars/RoomAvatar');
 module.exports.components['views.create_room.CreateRoomButton'] = require('./components/views/create_room/CreateRoomButton');
diff --git a/src/components/views/avatars/BaseAvatar.js b/src/components/views/avatars/BaseAvatar.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0472b1c651
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/views/avatars/BaseAvatar.js
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2015, 2016 OpenMarket Ltd
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+'use strict';
+
+var React = require('react');
+var AvatarLogic = require("../../../Avatar");
+
+module.exports = React.createClass({
+    displayName: 'BaseAvatar',
+
+    propTypes: {
+        name: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+        idName: React.PropTypes.string, // ID for generating hash colours
+        title: React.PropTypes.string,
+        url: React.PropTypes.string, // highest priority of them all
+        urls: React.PropTypes.array, // [highest_priority, ... , lowest_priority]
+        width: React.PropTypes.number,
+        height: React.PropTypes.number,
+        resizeMethod: React.PropTypes.string,
+        defaultToInitialLetter: React.PropTypes.bool
+    },
+
+    getDefaultProps: function() {
+        return {
+            width: 40,
+            height: 40,
+            resizeMethod: 'crop',
+            defaultToInitialLetter: true
+        }
+    },
+
+    getInitialState: function() {
+        var defaultImageUrl = null;
+        if (this.props.defaultToInitialLetter) {
+            defaultImageUrl = AvatarLogic.defaultAvatarUrlForString(
+                this.props.idName || this.props.name
+            );
+        }
+        return {
+            imageUrl: this.props.url || (this.props.urls ? this.props.urls[0] : null),
+            defaultImageUrl: defaultImageUrl,
+            urlsIndex: 0
+        };
+    },
+
+    componentWillReceiveProps: function(nextProps) {
+        // retry all the urls again, they may have changed.
+        if (this.props.urls && this.state.urlsIndex > 0) {
+            this.setState({
+                urlsIndex: 0,
+                imageUrl: this.props.urls[0]
+            });
+        }
+    },
+
+    onError: function(ev) {
+        var failedUrl = ev.target.src;
+
+        if (this.props.urls) {
+            var nextIndex = this.state.urlsIndex + 1;
+            if (nextIndex < this.props.urls.length) {
+                // try another
+                this.setState({
+                    urlsIndex: nextIndex,
+                    imageUrl: this.props.urls[nextIndex]
+                });
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+
+        // either no urls array or we've reached the end of it, we may have a default
+        // we can use...
+        if (this.props.defaultToInitialLetter) {
+            if (failedUrl === this.state.defaultImageUrl) {
+                return; // don't tightloop if the browser can't load the default URL
+            }
+            this.setState({ imageUrl: this.state.defaultImageUrl })
+        }
+    },
+
+    _getInitialLetter: function() {
+        var name = this.props.name;
+        var initial = name[0];
+        if (initial === '@' && name[1]) {
+            initial = name[1];
+        }
+        return initial.toUpperCase();
+    },
+
+    render: function() {
+        var name = this.props.name;
+
+        if (this.state.imageUrl === this.state.defaultImageUrl) {
+            var initialLetter = this._getInitialLetter();
+            return (
+                <span className="mx_MemberAvatar" {...this.props}>
+                    <span className="mx_MemberAvatar_initial" aria-hidden="true"
+                            style={{ fontSize: (this.props.width * 0.65) + "px",
+                                    width: this.props.width + "px",
+                                    lineHeight: this.props.height + "px" }}>
+                        { initialLetter }
+                    </span>
+                    <img className="mx_MemberAvatar_image" src={this.state.imageUrl}
+                        title={this.props.title} onError={this.onError}
+                        width={this.props.width} height={this.props.height} />
+                </span>
+            );            
+        }
+        return (
+            <img className="mx_MemberAvatar mx_MemberAvatar_image" src={this.state.imageUrl}
+                onError={this.onError}
+                width={this.props.width} height={this.props.height}
+                title={this.props.title}
+                {...this.props} />
+        );
+    }
+});
diff --git a/src/components/views/avatars/MemberAvatar.js b/src/components/views/avatars/MemberAvatar.js
index f209006b1c..5e2dbbb23a 100644
--- a/src/components/views/avatars/MemberAvatar.js
+++ b/src/components/views/avatars/MemberAvatar.js
@@ -18,22 +18,16 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 var React = require('react');
 var Avatar = require('../../../Avatar');
-var MatrixClientPeg = require('../../../MatrixClientPeg');
+var sdk = require("../../../index");
 
 module.exports = React.createClass({
     displayName: 'MemberAvatar',
 
     propTypes: {
-        member: React.PropTypes.object,
+        member: React.PropTypes.object.isRequired,
         width: React.PropTypes.number,
         height: React.PropTypes.number,
-        resizeMethod: React.PropTypes.string,
-        /**
-         * The custom display name to use for this member. This can serve as a
-         * drop in replacement for RoomMember objects, or as a clobber name on
-         * an existing RoomMember. Used for 3pid invites.
-         */
-        customDisplayName: React.PropTypes.string
+        resizeMethod: React.PropTypes.string
     },
 
     getDefaultProps: function() {
@@ -45,77 +39,29 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     },
 
     getInitialState: function() {
-        var defaultImageUrl = Avatar.defaultAvatarUrlForString(
-            this.props.customDisplayName || this.props.member.userId
-        )
-        return {
-            imageUrl: this._getMemberImageUrl() || defaultImageUrl,
-            defaultImageUrl: defaultImageUrl
-        };
+        return this._getState(this.props);
     },
 
     componentWillReceiveProps: function(nextProps) {
-        this.refreshUrl();
+        this.setState(this._getState(nextProps));
     },
 
-    onError: function(ev) {
-        // don't tightloop if the browser can't load a data url
-        if (ev.target.src == this.state.defaultImageUrl) {
-            return;
-        }
-        this.setState({
-            imageUrl: this.state.defaultImageUrl
-        });
-    },
-
-    _getMemberImageUrl: function() {
-        if (!this.props.member) { return null; }
-
-        return Avatar.avatarUrlForMember(this.props.member,
-                                         this.props.width,
-                                         this.props.height,
-                                         this.props.resizeMethod);
-    },
-
-    _getInitialLetter: function() {
-        var name = this.props.customDisplayName || this.props.member.name;
-        var initial = name[0];
-        if (initial === '@' && name[1]) {
-            initial = name[1];
-        }
-        return initial.toUpperCase();
-    },
-
-    refreshUrl: function() {
-        var newUrl = this._getMemberImageUrl();
-        if (newUrl != this.currentUrl) {
-            this.currentUrl = newUrl;
-            this.setState({imageUrl: newUrl});
+    _getState: function(props) {
+        return {
+            name: props.member.name,
+            title: props.member.userId,
+            imageUrl: Avatar.avatarUrlForMember(props.member,
+                                         props.width,
+                                         props.height,
+                                         props.resizeMethod)
         }
     },
 
     render: function() {
-        var name = this.props.customDisplayName || this.props.member.name;
-
-        if (this.state.imageUrl === this.state.defaultImageUrl) {
-            var initialLetter = this._getInitialLetter();
-            return (
-                <span className="mx_MemberAvatar" {...this.props}>
-                    <span className="mx_MemberAvatar_initial" aria-hidden="true"
-                          style={{ fontSize: (this.props.width * 0.65) + "px",
-                                   width: this.props.width + "px",
-                                   lineHeight: this.props.height + "px" }}>{ initialLetter }</span>
-                    <img className="mx_MemberAvatar_image" src={this.state.imageUrl} title={name}
-                         onError={this.onError} width={this.props.width} height={this.props.height} />
-                </span>
-            );            
-        }
+        var BaseAvatar = sdk.getComponent("avatars.BaseAvatar");
         return (
-            <img className="mx_MemberAvatar mx_MemberAvatar_image" src={this.state.imageUrl}
-                onError={this.onError}
-                width={this.props.width} height={this.props.height}
-                title={name}
-                {...this.props} />
+            <BaseAvatar {...this.props} name={this.state.name} title={this.state.title}
+                idName={this.props.member.userId} url={this.state.imageUrl} />
         );
     }
 });