diff --git a/mod/message.php b/mod/message.php
index 06542bbaf..2705708ea 100644
--- a/mod/message.php
+++ b/mod/message.php
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ function message_content(App $a)
 			$to_name_e = $message['name'];
 
 			$contact = Contact::getByURL($message['from-url'], false, ['thumb', 'addr', 'id', 'avatar']);
-			$from_photo = Contact::getThumb($contact, $message['from-photo']);
+			$from_photo = Contact::getThumb($contact);
 
 			$mails[] = [
 				'id' => $message['id'],
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ function render_messages(array $msg, $t)
 		}
 
 		$contact = Contact::getByURL($rr['url'], false, ['thumb', 'addr', 'id', 'avatar']);
-		$from_photo = Contact::getThumb($contact, $rr['thumb'] ?: $rr['from-photo']);
+		$from_photo = Contact::getThumb($contact);
 
 		$rslt .= Renderer::replaceMacros($tpl, [
 			'$id' => $rr['id'],
diff --git a/src/Model/Contact.php b/src/Model/Contact.php
index 5fc234d60..c65837bd9 100644
--- a/src/Model/Contact.php
+++ b/src/Model/Contact.php
@@ -1497,67 +1497,46 @@ class Contact
 	 * @param bool  $no_update Don't perfom an update if no cached avatar was found
 	 * @return string photo path
 	 */
-	private static function getAvatarPath(array $contact, string $field, string $size, string $avatar, $no_update = false)
+	private static function getAvatarPath(array $contact, string $size, $no_update = false)
 	{
-		if (!empty($contact)) {
-			$contact = self::checkAvatarCacheByArray($contact, $no_update);
-			if (!empty($contact['id'])) {
-				return self::getAvatarUrlForId($contact['id'], $size, $contact['updated'] ?? '');
-			} elseif (!empty($contact[$field])) {
-				return $contact[$field];
-			} elseif (!empty($contact['avatar'])) {
-				$avatar = $contact['avatar'];
-			}
-		}
-
-		if (empty($avatar)) {
-			$avatar = self::getDefaultAvatar([], $size);
-		}
-
-		if (Proxy::isLocalImage($avatar)) {
-			return $avatar;
-		} else {
-			return Proxy::proxifyUrl($avatar, $size);
-		}
+		$contact = self::checkAvatarCacheByArray($contact, $no_update);
+		return self::getAvatarUrlForId($contact['id'], $size, $contact['updated'] ?? '');
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Return the photo path for a given contact array
 	 *
 	 * @param array  $contact   Contact array
-	 * @param string $avatar    Avatar path that is displayed when no photo had been found
 	 * @param bool   $no_update Don't perfom an update if no cached avatar was found
 	 * @return string photo path
 	 */
-	public static function getPhoto(array $contact, string $avatar = '', bool $no_update = false)
+	public static function getPhoto(array $contact, bool $no_update = false)
 	{
-		return self::getAvatarPath($contact, 'photo', Proxy::SIZE_SMALL, $avatar, $no_update);
+		return self::getAvatarPath($contact, Proxy::SIZE_SMALL, $no_update);
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Return the photo path (thumb size) for a given contact array
 	 *
 	 * @param array  $contact   Contact array
-	 * @param string $avatar    Avatar path that is displayed when no photo had been found
 	 * @param bool   $no_update Don't perfom an update if no cached avatar was found
 	 * @return string photo path
 	 */
-	public static function getThumb(array $contact, string $avatar = '', bool $no_update = false)
+	public static function getThumb(array $contact, bool $no_update = false)
 	{
-		return self::getAvatarPath($contact, 'thumb', Proxy::SIZE_THUMB, $avatar, $no_update);
+		return self::getAvatarPath($contact, Proxy::SIZE_THUMB, $no_update);
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Return the photo path (micro size) for a given contact array
 	 *
 	 * @param array  $contact   Contact array
-	 * @param string $avatar    Avatar path that is displayed when no photo had been found
 	 * @param bool   $no_update Don't perfom an update if no cached avatar was found
 	 * @return string photo path
 	 */
-	public static function getMicro(array $contact, string $avatar = '', bool $no_update = false)
+	public static function getMicro(array $contact, bool $no_update = false)
 	{
-		return self::getAvatarPath($contact, 'micro', Proxy::SIZE_MICRO, $avatar, $no_update);
+		return self::getAvatarPath($contact, Proxy::SIZE_MICRO, $no_update);
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/src/Module/Contact.php b/src/Module/Contact.php
index cc6cc7e05..a00b0c702 100644
--- a/src/Module/Contact.php
+++ b/src/Module/Contact.php
@@ -1111,7 +1111,7 @@ class Contact extends BaseModule
 			'url'          => $url,
 			'img_hover'    => DI::l10n()->t('Visit %s\'s profile [%s]', $contact['name'], $contact['url']),
 			'photo_menu'   => Model\Contact::photoMenu($contact),
-			'thumb'        => Model\Contact::getThumb($contact, '', true),
+			'thumb'        => Model\Contact::getThumb($contact, true),
 			'alt_text'     => $alt_text,
 			'name'         => $contact['name'],
 			'nick'         => $contact['nick'],
diff --git a/src/Module/Search/Acl.php b/src/Module/Search/Acl.php
index ab031f9cb..aa5a0e367 100644
--- a/src/Module/Search/Acl.php
+++ b/src/Module/Search/Acl.php
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ class Acl extends BaseModule
 		$contacts = [];
 		foreach ($result as $contact) {
 			$contacts[] = [
-				'photo'   => Contact::getMicro($contact, '', true),
+				'photo'   => Contact::getMicro($contact, true),
 				'name'    => htmlspecialchars($contact['name']),
 				'nick'    => $contact['addr'] ?: $contact['url'],
 				'network' => $contact['network'],