diff --git a/css/preview.css b/css/preview.css
index 1de5220..c72e96e 100644
--- a/css/preview.css
+++ b/css/preview.css
@@ -21,6 +21,15 @@
     height: 64px;
 }
 
+.PreviewView .defaultAvatar {
+    width: 64px;
+    height: 64px;
+    background-image: url('../images/chat-icon.svg');
+    background-repeat: no-repeat;
+    background-position: center;
+    background-size: 85%;
+}
+
 .PreviewView .spinner {
     width: 32px;
     height: 32px;
diff --git a/src/preview/PreviewView.js b/src/preview/PreviewView.js
index 2cee062..4d16075 100644
--- a/src/preview/PreviewView.js
+++ b/src/preview/PreviewView.js
@@ -44,8 +44,15 @@ class LoadingPreviewView extends TemplateView {
 
 class LoadedPreviewView extends TemplateView {
 	render(t, vm) {
+        const avatar = t.mapView(vm => vm.avatarUrl, avatarUrl => {
+            if (avatarUrl) {
+                return new TemplateView(avatarUrl, (t, src) => t.img({className: "avatar", src}));
+            } else {
+                return new TemplateView(null, t => t.div({className: "defaultAvatar"}));
+            }
+        });
 		return t.div([
-			t.div({className: "avatarContainer"}, t.img({className: "avatar", src: vm => vm.avatarUrl})),
+			t.div({className: "avatarContainer"}, avatar),
 			t.h1(vm => vm.name),
 			t.p({className: {identifier: true, hidden: vm => !vm.identifier}}, vm => vm.identifier),
 			t.div({className: {memberCount: true, hidden: vm => !vm.memberCount}}, t.p([vm => vm.memberCount, " members"])),
diff --git a/src/preview/PreviewViewModel.js b/src/preview/PreviewViewModel.js
index 5c340eb..50843e6 100644
--- a/src/preview/PreviewViewModel.js
+++ b/src/preview/PreviewViewModel.js
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ import {resolveServer} from "./HomeServer.js";
 import {ClientListViewModel} from "../open/ClientListViewModel.js";
 import {ClientViewModel} from "../open/ClientViewModel.js";
 
-const DEFAULT_AVATAR = "images/chat-icon.svg";
-
 export class PreviewViewModel extends ViewModel {
 	constructor(options) {
 		super(options);
@@ -84,7 +82,7 @@ export class PreviewViewModel extends ViewModel {
 		this.name = profile.displayname || userId;
 		this.avatarUrl = profile.avatar_url ?
 			homeserver.mxcUrlThumbnail(profile.avatar_url, 64, 64, "crop") :
-			DEFAULT_AVATAR;
+			null;
 		this.identifier = userId;
 	}
 
@@ -101,7 +99,7 @@ export class PreviewViewModel extends ViewModel {
 		this.name = publicRoom?.name || publicRoom?.canonical_alias || link.identifier;
 		this.avatarUrl = publicRoom?.avatar_url ? 
 			homeserver.mxcUrlThumbnail(publicRoom.avatar_url, 64, 64, "crop") :
-			DEFAULT_AVATAR;
+			null;
 		this.memberCount = publicRoom?.num_joined_members;
 		this.topic = publicRoom?.topic;
 		this.identifier = publicRoom?.canonical_alias || link.identifier;
@@ -113,6 +111,6 @@ export class PreviewViewModel extends ViewModel {
     _setNoPreview(link) {
         this.name = link.identifier;
         this.identifier = null;
-        this.avatarUrl = DEFAULT_AVATAR;
+        this.avatarUrl = null;
     }
 }