diff --git a/app/views/admin/users/show.html.haml b/app/views/admin/users/show.html.haml
index a383ea57384..231bcb0426f 100644
--- a/app/views/admin/users/show.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/admin/users/show.html.haml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
         = @user.name
       %ul.well-list
         %li
-          = image_tag avatar_icon(@user.email, 60), class: "avatar s60"
+          = image_tag avatar_icon(@user, 60), class: "avatar s60"
         %li
           %span.light Profile page:
           %strong
diff --git a/app/views/dashboard/milestones/_issue.html.haml b/app/views/dashboard/milestones/_issue.html.haml
index f689b9698eb..1408ebdd5dc 100644
--- a/app/views/dashboard/milestones/_issue.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/dashboard/milestones/_issue.html.haml
@@ -7,4 +7,4 @@
     = link_to_gfm issue.title, [project.namespace.becomes(Namespace), project, issue], title: issue.title
   .pull-right.assignee-icon
     - if issue.assignee
-      = image_tag avatar_icon(issue.assignee.email, 16), class: "avatar s16"
+      = image_tag avatar_icon(issue.assignee, 16), class: "avatar s16"
diff --git a/app/views/dashboard/milestones/_merge_request.html.haml b/app/views/dashboard/milestones/_merge_request.html.haml
index 8f5c4cce529..77c46de030b 100644
--- a/app/views/dashboard/milestones/_merge_request.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/dashboard/milestones/_merge_request.html.haml
@@ -7,4 +7,4 @@
     = link_to_gfm merge_request.title, [project.namespace.becomes(Namespace), project, merge_request], title: merge_request.title
   .pull-right.assignee-icon
     - if merge_request.assignee
-      = image_tag avatar_icon(merge_request.assignee.email, 16), class: "avatar s16"
+      = image_tag avatar_icon(merge_request.assignee, 16), class: "avatar s16"
diff --git a/app/views/dashboard/milestones/show.html.haml b/app/views/dashboard/milestones/show.html.haml
index 0d204ced7ea..d5c4a44fef6 100644
--- a/app/views/dashboard/milestones/show.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/dashboard/milestones/show.html.haml
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
       - @dashboard_milestone.participants.each do |user|
         %li
           = link_to user, title: user.name, class: "darken" do
-            = image_tag avatar_icon(user.email, 32), class: "avatar s32"
+            = image_tag avatar_icon(user, 32), class: "avatar s32"
             %strong= truncate(user.name, lenght: 40)
             %br
             %small.cgray= user.username
diff --git a/app/views/groups/group_members/_group_member.html.haml b/app/views/groups/group_members/_group_member.html.haml
index b5f359279d5..3c19381321a 100644
--- a/app/views/groups/group_members/_group_member.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/groups/group_members/_group_member.html.haml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 %li{class: "#{dom_class(member)} js-toggle-container", id: dom_id(member)}
   %span{class: ("list-item-name" if show_controls)}
     - if member.user
-      = image_tag avatar_icon(user.email, 16), class: "avatar s16", alt: ''
+      = image_tag avatar_icon(user, 16), class: "avatar s16", alt: ''
       %strong
         = link_to user.name, user_path(user)
       %span.cgray= user.username
diff --git a/app/views/groups/milestones/_issue.html.haml b/app/views/groups/milestones/_issue.html.haml
index 09f9b4b8969..9b85d83d6d8 100644
--- a/app/views/groups/milestones/_issue.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/groups/milestones/_issue.html.haml
@@ -7,4 +7,4 @@
     = link_to_gfm issue.title, [project.namespace.becomes(Namespace), project, issue], title: issue.title
   .pull-right.assignee-icon
     - if issue.assignee
-      = image_tag avatar_icon(issue.assignee.email, 16), class: "avatar s16", alt: ''
+      = image_tag avatar_icon(issue.assignee, 16), class: "avatar s16", alt: ''
diff --git a/app/views/groups/milestones/_merge_request.html.haml b/app/views/groups/milestones/_merge_request.html.haml
index d0d1426762b..e3aa4aad198 100644
--- a/app/views/groups/milestones/_merge_request.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/groups/milestones/_merge_request.html.haml
@@ -7,4 +7,4 @@
     = link_to_gfm merge_request.title, [project.namespace.becomes(Namespace), project, merge_request], title: merge_request.title
   .pull-right.assignee-icon
     - if merge_request.assignee
-      = image_tag avatar_icon(merge_request.assignee.email, 16), class: "avatar s16", alt: ''
+      = image_tag avatar_icon(merge_request.assignee, 16), class: "avatar s16", alt: ''
diff --git a/app/views/groups/milestones/show.html.haml b/app/views/groups/milestones/show.html.haml
index 0c213f42186..c6cde97c585 100644
--- a/app/views/groups/milestones/show.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/groups/milestones/show.html.haml
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@
       - @group_milestone.participants.each do |user|
         %li
           = link_to user, title: user.name, class: "darken" do
-            = image_tag avatar_icon(user.email, 32), class: "avatar s32"
+            = image_tag avatar_icon(user, 32), class: "avatar s32"
             %strong= truncate(user.name, lenght: 40)
             %br
             %small.cgray= user.username
diff --git a/app/views/layouts/_page.html.haml b/app/views/layouts/_page.html.haml
index 1a883e20e89..352b8040cf4 100644
--- a/app/views/layouts/_page.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/layouts/_page.html.haml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
       = render partial: 'layouts/collapse_button'
     - if current_user
       = link_to current_user, class: 'sidebar-user' do
-        = image_tag avatar_icon(current_user.email, 60), alt: 'User activity', class: 'avatar avatar s36'
+        = image_tag avatar_icon(current_user, 60), alt: 'User activity', class: 'avatar avatar s36'
         .username
           = current_user.username
   .content-wrapper
diff --git a/app/views/layouts/ci/_page.html.haml b/app/views/layouts/ci/_page.html.haml
index bb5ec727bff..ab3e29c3f42 100644
--- a/app/views/layouts/ci/_page.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/layouts/ci/_page.html.haml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
       = render partial: 'layouts/collapse_button'
     - if current_user
       = link_to current_user, class: 'sidebar-user' do
-        = image_tag avatar_icon(current_user.email, 60), alt: 'User activity', class: 'avatar avatar s36'
+        = image_tag avatar_icon(current_user, 60), alt: 'User activity', class: 'avatar avatar s36'
         .username
           = current_user.username
   .content-wrapper
diff --git a/app/views/profiles/show.html.haml b/app/views/profiles/show.html.haml
index 47412e2ef0c..ac7355dde1f 100644
--- a/app/views/profiles/show.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/profiles/show.html.haml
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
 
     .col-md-5
       .light-well
-        = image_tag avatar_icon(@user.email, 160), alt: '', class: 'avatar s160'
+        = image_tag avatar_icon(@user, 160), alt: '', class: 'avatar s160'
 
         .clearfix
           .profile-avatar-form-option
diff --git a/app/views/projects/milestones/_issue.html.haml b/app/views/projects/milestones/_issue.html.haml
index 88fccfe4981..133d802aaca 100644
--- a/app/views/projects/milestones/_issue.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/projects/milestones/_issue.html.haml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 %li{ id: dom_id(issue, 'sortable'), class: 'issue-row', 'data-iid' => issue.iid, 'data-url' => issue_path(issue) }
   .pull-right.assignee-icon
     - if issue.assignee
-      = image_tag avatar_icon(issue.assignee.email, 16), class: "avatar s16", alt: ''
+      = image_tag avatar_icon(issue.assignee, 16), class: "avatar s16", alt: ''
   %span
     = link_to [@project.namespace.becomes(Namespace), @project, issue] do
       %span.cgray ##{issue.iid}
diff --git a/app/views/projects/milestones/_merge_request.html.haml b/app/views/projects/milestones/_merge_request.html.haml
index 0d7a118569a..a1033607c5d 100644
--- a/app/views/projects/milestones/_merge_request.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/projects/milestones/_merge_request.html.haml
@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@
     = link_to_gfm merge_request.title, [@project.namespace.becomes(Namespace), @project, merge_request], title: merge_request.title
   .pull-right.assignee-icon
     - if merge_request.assignee
-      = image_tag avatar_icon(merge_request.assignee.email, 16), class: "avatar s16", alt: ''
+      = image_tag avatar_icon(merge_request.assignee, 16), class: "avatar s16", alt: ''
diff --git a/app/views/projects/milestones/show.html.haml b/app/views/projects/milestones/show.html.haml
index 4eeb0621e52..3a898dfbcfd 100644
--- a/app/views/projects/milestones/show.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/projects/milestones/show.html.haml
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@
       - @users.each do |user|
         %li
           = link_to user, title: user.name, class: "darken" do
-            = image_tag avatar_icon(user.email, 32), class: "avatar s32"
+            = image_tag avatar_icon(user, 32), class: "avatar s32"
             %strong= truncate(user.name, lenght: 40)
             %br
             %small.cgray= user.username
diff --git a/app/views/projects/project_members/_project_member.html.haml b/app/views/projects/project_members/_project_member.html.haml
index 860a997cff8..76c46d1d806 100644
--- a/app/views/projects/project_members/_project_member.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/projects/project_members/_project_member.html.haml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 %li{class: "#{dom_class(member)} js-toggle-container project_member_row access-#{member.human_access.downcase}", id: dom_id(member)}
   %span.list-item-name
     - if member.user
-      = image_tag avatar_icon(user.email, 16), class: "avatar s16", alt: ''
+      = image_tag avatar_icon(user, 16), class: "avatar s16", alt: ''
       %strong
         = link_to user.name, user_path(user)
       %span.cgray= user.username
diff --git a/app/views/users/show.html.haml b/app/views/users/show.html.haml
index 11beb3e3239..2a64708d07c 100644
--- a/app/views/users/show.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/users/show.html.haml
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@
 .row
   %section.col-md-7
     .header-with-avatar
-      = link_to avatar_icon(@user.email, 400), target: '_blank' do
-        = image_tag avatar_icon(@user.email, 90), class: "avatar avatar-tile s90", alt: ''
+      = link_to avatar_icon(@user, 400), target: '_blank' do
+        = image_tag avatar_icon(@user, 90), class: "avatar avatar-tile s90", alt: ''
       %h3
         = @user.name
         - if @user == current_user