diff --git a/src/Contact/Avatar.php b/src/Contact/Avatar.php
index f4e5b71afe..18f63b07b2 100644
--- a/src/Contact/Avatar.php
+++ b/src/Contact/Avatar.php
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ class Avatar
 	 * @param string $avatar
 	 * @return boolean
 	 */
-	public static function isCacheFile(string $avatar): bool
+	private static function isCacheFile(string $avatar): bool
 	{
 		return !empty(self::getCacheFile($avatar));
 	}
diff --git a/src/Model/Contact.php b/src/Model/Contact.php
index c83bf1f416..6a98286994 100644
--- a/src/Model/Contact.php
+++ b/src/Model/Contact.php
@@ -1581,10 +1581,14 @@ class Contact
 				self::updateAvatar($cid, $contact['avatar'], true);
 				return;
 			}
-		} elseif (!Avatar::isCacheFile($contact['photo']) || !Avatar::isCacheFile($contact['thumb']) || !Avatar::isCacheFile($contact['micro'])) {
-			Logger::info('Removing/replacing avatar cache', ['id' => $cid, 'contact' => $contact]);
+		} elseif (Photo::isPhotoURI($contact['photo']) || Photo::isPhotoURI($contact['thumb']) || Photo::isPhotoURI($contact['micro'])) {
+			Logger::info('Replacing legacy avatar cache', ['id' => $cid, 'contact' => $contact]);
 			self::updateAvatar($cid, $contact['avatar'], true);
 			return;
+		} elseif (DI::config()->get('system', 'avatar_cache') && (empty($contact['photo']) || empty($contact['thumb']) || empty($contact['micro']))) {
+			Logger::info('Adding avatar cache file', ['id' => $cid, 'contact' => $contact]);
+			self::updateAvatar($cid, $contact['avatar'], true);
+		return;
 		}
 	}