diff --git a/src/Avatar.js b/src/Avatar.js
index 02025a9384..c919630f96 100644
--- a/src/Avatar.js
+++ b/src/Avatar.js
@@ -24,7 +24,9 @@ module.exports = {
             MatrixClientPeg.get().getHomeserverUrl(),
             width,
             height,
-            resizeMethod
+            resizeMethod,
+            false,
+            false
         );
         if (!url) {
             // member can be null here currently since on invites, the JS SDK
@@ -36,18 +38,12 @@ module.exports = {
     },
 
     defaultAvatarUrlForString: function(s) {
+        var images = [ '76cfa6', '50e2c2', 'f4c371' ];
         var total = 0;
         for (var i = 0; i < s.length; ++i) {
             total += s.charCodeAt(i);
         }
-        switch (total % 3) {
-            case 0:
-                return "data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACgAAAAoCAIAAAADnC86AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAADRJREFUeNrszQENADAIACB9QjNbxSKP4eagAFnTseHFErFYLBaLxWKxWCwWi8Vi8cX4CzAABSwCRWJw31gAAAAASUVORK5CYII=";
-            case 1:
-                return "data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACgAAAAoCAIAAAADnC86AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAADRJREFUeNrszQENADAIACB9chOaxgCP4eagAFk9seHFErFYLBaLxWKxWCwWi8Vi8cX4CzAAtKMCks/JG8MAAAAASUVORK5CYII=";
-            case 2:
-                return "data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACgAAAAoCAIAAAADnC86AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAADRJREFUeNrszQENADAIACB9YzNayQCP4eagADldseHFErFYLBaLxWKxWCwWi8Vi8cX4CzAAyiACeHwPiu4AAAAASUVORK5CYII=";
-        }
+        return 'img/' + images[total % images.length] + '.png';
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/components/views/avatars/MemberAvatar.js b/src/components/views/avatars/MemberAvatar.js
index f65f11256b..4a6c9fb92e 100644
--- a/src/components/views/avatars/MemberAvatar.js
+++ b/src/components/views/avatars/MemberAvatar.js
@@ -43,10 +43,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     },
 
     defaultAvatarUrl: function(member, width, height, resizeMethod) {
-        if (this.skinnedDefaultAvatarUrl) {
-            return this.skinnedDefaultAvatarUrl(member, width, height, resizeMethod);
-        }
-        return "data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACgAAAAoCAIAAAADnC86AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAADRJREFUeNrszQENADAIACB9QjNbxSKP4eagAFnTseHFErFYLBaLxWKxWCwWi8Vi8cX4CzAABSwCRWJw31gAAAAASUVORK5CYII=";
+        return Avatar.defaultAvatarUrlForString(member.userId);
     },
 
     onError: function(ev) {
@@ -60,22 +57,10 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     },
 
     _computeUrl: function() {
-        var url = this.props.member.getAvatarUrl(
-            MatrixClientPeg.get().getHomeserverUrl(),
-            this.props.width,
-            this.props.height,
-            this.props.resizeMethod,
-            false
-        );
-        if (!url) {
-            url = this.defaultAvatarUrl(
-                this.props.member,
-                this.props.width,
-                this.props.height,
-                this.props.resizeMethod
-            );
-        }
-        return url;
+        return Avatar.avatarUrlForMember(this.props.member,
+                                         this.props.width,
+                                         this.props.height,
+                                         this.props.resizeMethod);
     },
 
     refreshUrl: function() {
@@ -95,21 +80,6 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
     ///////////////
 
-
-    avatarUrlForMember: function(member) {
-        return Avatar.avatarUrlForMember(
-            member,
-            this.props.member,
-            this.props.width,
-            this.props.height,
-            this.props.resizeMethod
-        );
-    },
-
-    skinnedDefaultAvatarUrl: function(member, width, height, resizeMethod) {
-        return Avatar.defaultAvatarUrlForString(member.userId);
-    },
-
     render: function() {
         // XXX: recalculates default avatar url constantly
         if (this.state.imageUrl === this.defaultAvatarUrl(this.props.member)) {
diff --git a/src/components/views/avatars/RoomAvatar.js b/src/components/views/avatars/RoomAvatar.js
index 55f0e92cc1..95ec39de2e 100644
--- a/src/components/views/avatars/RoomAvatar.js
+++ b/src/components/views/avatars/RoomAvatar.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 */
 var React = require('react');
 var MatrixClientPeg = require('../../../MatrixClientPeg');
+var Avatar = require('../../../Avatar');
 
 module.exports = React.createClass({
     displayName: 'RoomAvatar',
@@ -134,12 +135,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     },
 
     getFallbackAvatar: function() {
-        var images = [ '76cfa6', '50e2c2', 'f4c371' ];
-        var total = 0;
-        for (var i = 0; i < this.props.room.roomId.length; ++i) {
-            total += this.props.room.roomId.charCodeAt(i);
-        }
-        return 'img/' + images[total % images.length] + '.png';
+        return Avatar.defaultAvatarUrlForString(this.props.room.roomId);
     },
 
     render: function() {