diff --git a/src/components/structures/UserSettings.js b/src/components/structures/UserSettings.js
index d83434f5a8..d24ff5ad4c 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/UserSettings.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/UserSettings.js
@@ -423,6 +423,11 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         });
     },
 
+    onAvatarRemoveClick: function() {
+        MatrixClientPeg.get().setAvatarUrl(null);
+        this.setState({avatarUrl: null}); // the avatar update will complete async for us
+    },
+
     onLogoutClicked: function(ev) {
         const QuestionDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.QuestionDialog");
         Modal.createTrackedDialog('Logout E2E Export', '', QuestionDialog, {
@@ -1318,7 +1323,11 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                     </div>
 
                     <div className="mx_UserSettings_avatarPicker">
-                        <div onClick={this.onAvatarPickerClick}>
+                        <div className="mx_UserSettings_avatarPicker_remove" onClick={this.onAvatarRemoveClick}>
+                            <img src="img/cancel.svg" width="15"
+                                 alt={_t("Remove avatar")} title={_t("Remove avatar")} />
+                        </div>
+                        <div onClick={this.onAvatarPickerClick} className="mx_UserSettings_avatarPicker_imgContainer">
                             <ChangeAvatar ref="changeAvatar" initialAvatarUrl={avatarUrl}
                                 showUploadSection={false} className="mx_UserSettings_avatarPicker_img" />
                         </div>
diff --git a/src/components/views/settings/ChangeAvatar.js b/src/components/views/settings/ChangeAvatar.js
index 7d8b1d9534..a363dc2c60 100644
--- a/src/components/views/settings/ChangeAvatar.js
+++ b/src/components/views/settings/ChangeAvatar.js
@@ -74,6 +74,10 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     },
 
     onRoomStateEvents: function(ev) {
+        if (!this.props.room) {
+            return;
+        }
+
         if (ev.getRoomId() !== this.props.room.roomId || ev.getType() !== 'm.room.avatar'
             || ev.getSender() !== MatrixClientPeg.get().getUserId()) {
             return;