diff --git a/zerver/lib/events.py b/zerver/lib/events.py
index ddf713b679..713a84bd44 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/events.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/events.py
@@ -84,9 +84,9 @@ def always_want(msg_type):
 # all event types.  Whenever you add new code to this function, you
 # should also add corresponding events for changes in the data
 # structures and new code to apply_events (and add a test in EventsRegisterTest).
-def fetch_initial_state_data(user_profile, event_types, queue_id,
+def fetch_initial_state_data(user_profile, event_types, queue_id, client_gravatar,
                              include_subscribers=True):
-    # type: (UserProfile, Optional[Iterable[str]], str, bool) -> Dict[str, Any]
+    # type: (UserProfile, Optional[Iterable[str]], str, bool, bool) -> Dict[str, Any]
     state = {'queue_id': queue_id}  # type: Dict[str, Any]
 
     if event_types is None:
@@ -171,8 +171,16 @@ def fetch_initial_state_data(user_profile, event_types, queue_id,
     if want('realm_user'):
         state['raw_users'] = get_raw_user_data(user_profile.realm_id)
         state['avatar_source'] = user_profile.avatar_source
-        state['avatar_url_medium'] = avatar_url(user_profile, medium=True)
-        state['avatar_url'] = avatar_url(user_profile)
+        state['avatar_url_medium'] = avatar_url(
+            user_profile,
+            medium=True,
+            client_gravatar=client_gravatar,
+        )
+        state['avatar_url'] = avatar_url(
+            user_profile,
+            medium=False,
+            client_gravatar=client_gravatar,
+        )
         state['can_create_streams'] = user_profile.can_create_streams()
         state['cross_realm_bots'] = list(get_cross_realm_dicts())
         state['is_admin'] = user_profile.is_realm_admin
@@ -549,6 +557,7 @@ def do_events_register(user_profile, user_client, apply_markdown=True, client_gr
     maybe_catch_up_soft_deactivated_user(user_profile)
 
     ret = fetch_initial_state_data(user_profile, event_types_set, queue_id,
+                                   client_gravatar=client_gravatar,
                                    include_subscribers=include_subscribers)
 
     # Apply events that came in while we were fetching initial data
diff --git a/zerver/tests/test_events.py b/zerver/tests/test_events.py
index de89788087..37991d0f04 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/test_events.py
+++ b/zerver/tests/test_events.py
@@ -481,7 +481,11 @@ class EventsRegisterTest(ZulipTestCase):
         )
         # hybrid_state = initial fetch state + re-applying events triggered by our action
         # normal_state = do action then fetch at the end (the "normal" code path)
-        hybrid_state = fetch_initial_state_data(self.user_profile, event_types, "", include_subscribers=include_subscribers)
+        hybrid_state = fetch_initial_state_data(
+            self.user_profile, event_types, "",
+            client_gravatar=True,
+            include_subscribers=include_subscribers
+        )
         action()
         events = client.event_queue.contents()
         self.assertTrue(len(events) == num_events)
@@ -498,7 +502,11 @@ class EventsRegisterTest(ZulipTestCase):
             if before != after:
                 raise AssertionError('Test is invalid--state actually does change here.')
 
-        normal_state = fetch_initial_state_data(self.user_profile, event_types, "", include_subscribers=include_subscribers)
+        normal_state = fetch_initial_state_data(
+            self.user_profile, event_types, "",
+            client_gravatar=True,
+            include_subscribers=include_subscribers
+        )
         self.match_states(hybrid_state, normal_state, events)
         return events
 
@@ -1757,7 +1765,7 @@ class EventsRegisterTest(ZulipTestCase):
             lambda: do_delete_message(self.user_profile, message),
             state_change_expected=True,
         )
-        result = fetch_initial_state_data(user_profile, None, "")
+        result = fetch_initial_state_data(user_profile, None, "", client_gravatar=False)
         self.assertEqual(result['max_message_id'], -1)
 
 class FetchInitialStateDataTest(ZulipTestCase):
@@ -1766,7 +1774,7 @@ class FetchInitialStateDataTest(ZulipTestCase):
         # type: () -> None
         user_profile = self.example_user('cordelia')
         self.assertFalse(user_profile.is_realm_admin)
-        result = fetch_initial_state_data(user_profile, None, "")
+        result = fetch_initial_state_data(user_profile, None, "", client_gravatar=False)
         self.assert_length(result['realm_bots'], 0)
 
         # additionally the API key for a random bot is not present in the data
@@ -1779,7 +1787,7 @@ class FetchInitialStateDataTest(ZulipTestCase):
         user_profile = self.example_user('hamlet')
         do_change_is_admin(user_profile, True)
         self.assertTrue(user_profile.is_realm_admin)
-        result = fetch_initial_state_data(user_profile, None, "")
+        result = fetch_initial_state_data(user_profile, None, "", client_gravatar=False)
         self.assertTrue(len(result['realm_bots']) > 5)
 
     def test_max_message_id_with_no_history(self):
@@ -1787,7 +1795,7 @@ class FetchInitialStateDataTest(ZulipTestCase):
         user_profile = self.example_user('aaron')
         # Delete all historical messages for this user
         UserMessage.objects.filter(user_profile=user_profile).delete()
-        result = fetch_initial_state_data(user_profile, None, "")
+        result = fetch_initial_state_data(user_profile, None, "", client_gravatar=False)
         self.assertEqual(result['max_message_id'], -1)
 
     def test_unread_msgs(self):
@@ -2339,6 +2347,7 @@ class FetchQueriesTest(ZulipTestCase):
                     user_profile=user,
                     event_types=None,
                     queue_id='x',
+                    client_gravatar=False,
                 )
 
         self.assert_length(queries, 28)
@@ -2390,6 +2399,7 @@ class FetchQueriesTest(ZulipTestCase):
                     user_profile=user,
                     event_types=event_types,
                     queue_id='x',
+                    client_gravatar=False,
                 )
             self.assert_length(queries, count)