diff --git a/src/chat/p3chatservice.cc b/src/chat/p3chatservice.cc
index e585327402..bf99d687e2 100644
--- a/src/chat/p3chatservice.cc
+++ b/src/chat/p3chatservice.cc
@@ -1501,6 +1501,27 @@ std::string p3ChatService::getCustomStateString(const RsPeerId& peer_id)
 	return std::string() ;
 }
 
+void p3ChatService::locked_requestAvatar(const RsPeerId& peer_id)
+{
+	/* Create placeholder to store request time */
+	std::map<RsPeerId,AvatarInfo *>::const_iterator it = _avatars.find(peer_id) ;
+
+	if(it == _avatars.end())
+	{
+		_avatars[peer_id] = new AvatarInfo();
+		it = _avatars.find(peer_id);
+	}
+
+	time_t now = time(NULL);
+	if (now - it->second->_last_request_time > 60) {
+#ifdef AVATAR_DEBUG
+		RsDbg() << "AVATAR p3ChatService::locked_requestAvatar: No avatar for peer " << peer_id << ". Requesting it (throttled).";
+#endif
+		it->second->_last_request_time = now;
+		sendAvatarRequest(peer_id);
+	}
+}
+
 void p3ChatService::getAvatarData(const RsPeerId& peer_id,unsigned char *& data,int& size)
 {
 	{
@@ -1525,24 +1546,60 @@ void p3ChatService::getAvatarData(const RsPeerId& peer_id,unsigned char *& data,
 #endif
 			return ;
 		} else {
-            /* Create placeholder to store request time */
-            if (it == _avatars.end()) {
-                 _avatars[peer_id] = new AvatarInfo();
-                 it = _avatars.find(peer_id);
-            }
+			data = NULL ;
+			size = 0 ;
 
-            time_t now = time(NULL);
-            if (now - it->second->_last_request_time > 60) {
-#ifdef AVATAR_DEBUG
-			    RsDbg() << "AVATAR p3ChatService::getAvatarData: No avatar for peer " << peer_id << ". Requesting it (throttled).";
-#endif
-                it->second->_last_request_time = now;
-                sendAvatarRequest(peer_id);
-            }
+			locked_requestAvatar(peer_id);
 		}
 	}
 }
 
+bool p3ChatService::getAvatar(const RsPeerId& pid, RsGxsImage& avatar)
+{
+	RS_STACK_MUTEX(mChatMtx);
+
+	avatar.clear();
+
+	std::map<RsPeerId,AvatarInfo *>::const_iterator it = _avatars.find(pid) ;
+
+	if(it != _avatars.end() && it->second->_image_size > 0)
+	{
+		unsigned char* data = NULL ;
+		uint32_t size = 0 ;
+		it->second->toUnsignedChar(data,size) ;
+
+		/* AvatarInfo::toUnsignedChar allocates with rs_malloc, and RsGxsImage
+		 * releases with free, so the buffer ownership can be handed over
+		 * without an extra copy. */
+		avatar.take(data,size);
+
+		it->second->_peer_is_new = false ;
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	/* Not available (yet): ask the peer for it, so that a later call may
+	 * succeed. */
+	locked_requestAvatar(pid);
+	return false;
+}
+
+bool p3ChatService::getOwnAvatar(RsGxsImage& avatar)
+{
+	RS_STACK_MUTEX(mChatMtx);
+
+	avatar.clear();
+
+	if(_own_avatar == NULL || _own_avatar->_image_size == 0)
+		return false;
+
+	unsigned char* data = NULL ;
+	uint32_t size = 0 ;
+	_own_avatar->toUnsignedChar(data,size) ;
+	avatar.take(data,size);
+
+	return true;
+}
+
 void p3ChatService::sendAvatarRequest(const RsPeerId& peer_id)
 {
 	if(!isOnline(peer_id))
diff --git a/src/chat/p3chatservice.h b/src/chat/p3chatservice.h
index ac0be8f50f..4e12add0b6 100644
--- a/src/chat/p3chatservice.h
+++ b/src/chat/p3chatservice.h
@@ -174,6 +174,12 @@ class p3ChatService :
 		*/
     void getAvatarData(const RsPeerId& peer_id,unsigned char *& data,int& size) override;
 
+	/// @see RsChats
+	bool getAvatar(const RsPeerId& pid, RsGxsImage& avatar) override;
+
+	/// @see RsChats
+	bool getOwnAvatar(RsGxsImage& avatar) override;
+
 	/*!
 		 * Sets the avatar data and size for client's account
 		 * @param data is copied, so should be destroyed by the caller
@@ -276,6 +282,11 @@ class p3ChatService :
 	/// Sends a request for an avatar to the peer of given id
 	void sendAvatarRequest(const RsPeerId& peer_id) ;
 
+	/*! Create the avatar bookkeeping entry for the given peer if needed, then
+	 * ask the peer for its avatar, at most once per minute.
+	 * The caller MUST hold mChatMtx before calling this. */
+	void locked_requestAvatar(const RsPeerId& peer_id) ;
+
 	/// Send a request for custom status string
 	void sendCustomStateRequest(const RsPeerId& peer_id);
 
diff --git a/src/retroshare/rschats.h b/src/retroshare/rschats.h
index f15efc5133..109c2f2195 100644
--- a/src/retroshare/rschats.h
+++ b/src/retroshare/rschats.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 #include "retroshare/rstypes.h"
 #include "retroshare/rsevents.h"
+#include "retroshare/rsgxscommon.h"
 
 #define RS_CHAT_LOBBY_EVENT_PEER_LEFT   			0x01
 #define RS_CHAT_LOBBY_EVENT_PEER_STATUS 			0x02
@@ -464,6 +465,25 @@ class RsChats
     virtual void setOwnNodeAvatarData(const unsigned char *data,int size) = 0 ;
     virtual void getOwnNodeAvatarData(unsigned char *& data,int& size) = 0 ;
 
+    /**
+     * @brief getAvatar get the avatar of the given peer, in JPEG format
+     * @jsonapi{development}
+     * When the avatar of the peer is not known yet, this returns false and
+     * asks the peer to send it, so calling this again a bit later may succeed.
+     * @param[in] pid peer id
+     * @param[out] avatar peer avatar, left empty when not available
+     * @return true if an avatar was available, false otherwise
+     */
+    virtual bool getAvatar(const RsPeerId& pid, RsGxsImage& avatar) = 0;
+
+    /**
+     * @brief getOwnAvatar get the avatar of our own node, in JPEG format
+     * @jsonapi{development}
+     * @param[out] avatar own avatar, left empty when none has been set
+     * @return true if an avatar was set, false otherwise
+     */
+    virtual bool getOwnAvatar(RsGxsImage& avatar) = 0;
+
     /****************************************/
     /*            Chat lobbies              */
     /****************************************/