diff --git a/src/Worker/Cron.php b/src/Worker/Cron.php
index be102bca8c..1901766d3a 100644
--- a/src/Worker/Cron.php
+++ b/src/Worker/Cron.php
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ class Cron
 
 			Worker::add(PRIORITY_LOW, 'RemoveUnusedContacts');
 
+			Worker::add(PRIORITY_LOW, 'RemoveUnusedAvatars');
+
 			// check upstream version?
 			Worker::add(PRIORITY_LOW, 'CheckVersion');
 
diff --git a/src/Worker/RemoveUnusedAvatars.php b/src/Worker/RemoveUnusedAvatars.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0d9c0f6fb4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Worker/RemoveUnusedAvatars.php
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * @copyright Copyright (C) 2020, Friendica
+ *
+ * @license GNU AGPL version 3 or any later version
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
+ * License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ */
+
+namespace Friendica\Worker;
+
+use Friendica\Core\Logger;
+use Friendica\Core\Protocol;
+use Friendica\Core\Worker;
+use Friendica\Database\DBA;
+use Friendica\Model\Photo;
+
+/**
+ * Removes cached avatars from public contacts that aren't in use
+ */
+class RemoveUnusedAvatars
+{
+	public static function execute()
+	{
+		$condition = ["`uid` = ? AND NOT `self` AND NOT `nurl` IN (SELECT `nurl` FROM `contact` WHERE `uid` != ?)
+			AND `id` IN (SELECT `contact-id` FROM `photo`) AND NOT `id` IN (SELECT `author-id` FROM `item`)
+			AND NOT `id` IN (SELECT `owner-id` FROM `item`) AND NOT `id` IN (SELECT `causer-id` FROM `item`)
+			AND NOT `id` IN (SELECT `cid` FROM `post-tag`) AND NOT `id` IN (SELECT `contact-id` FROM `item`)", 0, 0];
+
+		$total = DBA::count('contact', $condition);
+		Logger::notice('Starting removal', ['total' => $total]);
+		$count = 0;
+		$contacts = DBA::select('contact', ['id'], $condition);
+		while ($contact = DBA::fetch($contacts)) {
+			DBA::update('contact', ['photo' => '', 'thumb' => '', 'micro' => ''], ['id' => $contact['id']]);
+			Photo::delete(['contact-id' => $contact['id'], 'album' => Photo::CONTACT_PHOTOS]);
+			if ((++$count % 1000) == 0) {
+				if (!Worker::isInMaintenanceWindow()) {
+					Logger::notice('We are outside of the maintenance window, quitting');
+					return;
+				}
+				Logger::notice('In removal', ['count' => $count, 'total' => $total]);
+			}
+		}
+		DBA::close($contacts);
+		Logger::notice('Removal done', ['count' => $count, 'total' => $total]);
+	}
+}