diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/message_list.js b/zephyr/static/js/message_list.js
index 9bb6e9a12d..ee69f6266d 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/message_list.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/message_list.js
@@ -327,9 +327,7 @@ MessageList.prototype = {
 
             message.dom_id = table_name + message.id;
 
-            if (message.sender_email === page_params.email) {
-                message.stamp = ui.get_gravatar_stamp();
-            }
+            message.small_avatar_url = ui.small_avatar_url(message);
 
             if (message.is_stream) {
                 message.background_color = subs.get_color(message.stream);
diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/notifications.js b/zephyr/static/js/notifications.js
index 2aa88fcf68..c0317b73a1 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/notifications.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/notifications.js
@@ -107,11 +107,6 @@ exports.window_has_focus = function () {
     return window_has_focus;
 };
 
-function gravatar_url(message) {
-    return "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/" + message.gravatar_hash +
-           "?d=identicon&s=30?stamp=" + ui.get_gravatar_stamp();
-}
-
 function process_desktop_notification(message) {
     var i, notification_object, key;
     var title = message.sender_full_name;
@@ -166,9 +161,10 @@ function process_desktop_notification(message) {
     }
 
     if (window.bridge === undefined) {
+        var icon_url = ui.small_avatar_url(message);
         notice_memory[key] = {
             obj: window.webkitNotifications.createNotification(
-                    gravatar_url(message), title, content),
+                    icon_url, title, content),
             msg_count: msg_count
         };
         notification_object = notice_memory[key].obj;
diff --git a/zephyr/static/js/ui.js b/zephyr/static/js/ui.js
index f6dfa16247..15c230b12f 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/js/ui.js
+++ b/zephyr/static/js/ui.js
@@ -607,8 +607,21 @@ function poll_for_gravatar_update(start_time, url) {
 
 }
 
-exports.get_gravatar_stamp = function () {
-    return gravatar_stamp;
+exports.small_avatar_url = function (message) {
+    // Try to call this function in all places where we need size-30
+    // quality gravatar images, so that the browser can help
+    // us avoid unnecessary network trips.  (For user-uploaded avatars,
+    // the s=30 parameter is essentially ignored, but it's harmless.)
+    //
+    if (message.avatar_url) {
+        var url = message.avatar_url + "&s=30";
+        if (message.sender_email === page_params.email) {
+            url += "&stamp=" + gravatar_stamp;
+        }
+        return url;
+    } else {
+        return "";
+    }
 };
 
 exports.wait_for_gravatar = function () {
diff --git a/zephyr/static/templates/message.handlebars b/zephyr/static/templates/message.handlebars
index 932eb05563..4922015930 100644
--- a/zephyr/static/templates/message.handlebars
+++ b/zephyr/static/templates/message.handlebars
@@ -58,8 +58,9 @@
         <div class="message_top_line">
         {{#include_sender}}
         <span class="message_sender actions_hover">
+            {{! See ../js/notifications.js for another user of avatar_url. }}
             <div class="inline_profile_picture"
-                 style="background-image: url('{{avatar_url}}&s=30&stamp={{stamp}}');"/>
+                 style="background-image: url('{{small_avatar_url}}');"/>
             <span class="sender_name">{{sender_full_name}}</span>
         </span>
         {{/include_sender}}