diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/contactlist/MetaContactImpl.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/contactlist/MetaContactImpl.java
index 4b3cb054b..1309d5899 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/contactlist/MetaContactImpl.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/contactlist/MetaContactImpl.java
@@ -518,8 +518,13 @@ public byte[] getAvatar(boolean isLazy)
         {
             Contact protoContact = iter.next();
 
-            String avatarPath = AVATAR_DIR + "/"
-                + protoContact.getProtocolProvider().getProtocolName() + "/"
+            String accountUID = escapeSpecialCharacters(protoContact
+                .getProtocolProvider().getAccountID().getAccountUniqueID());
+
+            String avatarPath = AVATAR_DIR
+                + File.separator
+                + accountUID
+                + File.separator
                 + escapeSpecialCharacters(protoContact.getAddress());
 
             cachedAvatar = getLocallyStoredAvatar(avatarPath);
@@ -939,12 +944,14 @@ public List getDetails(String name)
     public void storeAvatar( Contact protoContact,
                              byte[] avatarBytes)
     {
-        String protocolName
-            = protoContact.getProtocolProvider().getProtocolName();
+        String accountUID = protoContact.getProtocolProvider()
+            .getAccountID().getAccountUniqueID();
+
+        accountUID = escapeSpecialCharacters(accountUID);
 
         String avatarDirPath = AVATAR_DIR
             + File.separator
-            + protocolName;
+            + accountUID;
 
         String escapedProtocolId
             = escapeSpecialCharacters(protoContact.getAddress());
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/contactlist/MetaContactListServiceImpl.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/contactlist/MetaContactListServiceImpl.java
index 303db10ac..a194df2d4 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/contactlist/MetaContactListServiceImpl.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/contactlist/MetaContactListServiceImpl.java
@@ -841,7 +841,7 @@ public void changeMetaContactAvatar(MetaContact metaContact,
                 metaContact + " is not a MetaContactImpl instance.");
         }
 
-        byte[] oldAvatar = metaContact.getAvatar(true);
+        byte[] oldAvatar = metaContact.getAvatar();
         ((MetaContactImpl)metaContact).storeAvatar(protoContact, newAvatar);
 
         fireMetaContactPropertyChangeEvent(new MetaContactAvatarUpdate(
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/ChatContact.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/ChatContact.java
index 758ff2cb7..062717da5 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/ChatContact.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/ChatContact.java
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 /**
  * The <tt>ChatContact</tt> is a wrapping class for the <tt>Contact</tt> and
  * <tt>ChatRoomMember</tt> interface.
- * 
+ *
  * @author Yana Stamcheva
  */
 public class ChatContact
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public class ChatContact
     /**
      * Creates an instance of <tt>ChatContact</tt> by passing to it the
      * <tt>Contact</tt> for which it is created.
-     * 
+     *
      * @param contact the <tt>Contact</tt> for which this <tt>ChatContact</tt>
      * is created
      */
@@ -57,11 +57,11 @@ public ChatContact(Contact contact)
     {
         this(null, contact);
     }
-    
+
     /**
      * Creates an instance of <tt>ChatContact</tt> by passing to it the
      * corresponding <tt>MetaContact</tt> and <tt>Contact</tt>.
-     * 
+     *
      * @param metaContact the <tt>MetaContact</tt> encapsulating the given
      * <tt>Contact</tt>
      * @param contact the <tt>Contact</tt> for which this <tt>ChatContact</tt>
@@ -82,11 +82,11 @@ public ChatContact(MetaContact metaContact, Contact contact)
         if (name == null || name.length() < 1)
             name = Messages.getI18NString("unknown").getText();
     }
-    
+
     /**
      * Creates an instance of <tt>ChatContact</tt> by passing to it the
      * <tt>ChatRoomMember</tt> for which it is created.
-     * 
+     *
      * @param chatRoomMember the <tt>ChatRoomMember</tt> for which this
      * <tt>ChatContact</tt> is created.
      */
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ public ChatContact(ChatRoomMember chatRoomMember)
 
     /**
      * Returns the contact identifier.
-     * 
+     *
      * @return the contact identifier
      */
     public String getAddress()
@@ -114,18 +114,18 @@ public String getAddress()
 
     /**
      * Returns the contact name.
-     * 
+     *
      * @return the contact name
-     */  
+     */
     public String getName()
     {
         return name;
     }
-    
+
     /**
      * Returns the current presence status for single user chat contacts and
      * null for multi user chat contacts.
-     * 
+     *
      * @return the current presence status for single user chat contacts and
      * null for multi user chat contacts
      */
@@ -145,29 +145,29 @@ public ImageIcon getStatusIcon()
 
     /**
      * Returns the <tt>ProtocolProviderService</tt> of the contact.
-     * 
+     *
      * @return the <tt>ProtocolProviderService</tt> of the contact
      */
     public ProtocolProviderService getProtocolProvider()
     {
         return protocolProvider;
     }
-    
+
     /**
      * Returns the source contact. It could be an instance of <tt>Contact</tt>
      * or <tt>ChatRoomMember</tt> interface.
-     * 
+     *
      * @return the source contact
      */
     public Object getSourceContact()
     {
         return sourceContact;
     }
-    
+
     /**
      * Returns the avatar image corresponding to the source contact. In the case
      * of multi user chat contact returns null.
-     * 
+     *
      * @return the avatar image corresponding to the source contact. In the case
      * of multi user chat contact returns null
      */
@@ -202,6 +202,9 @@ else if(contact != null)
         if(contactImage != null)
         {
             Image image = ImageLoader.getBytesInImage(contactImage);
+            if(image == null)
+                return null;
+
             return ImageUtils.scaleIconWithinBounds(
                         new ImageIcon(image),
                         AVATAR_ICON_WIDTH,
@@ -211,7 +214,7 @@ else if(contact != null)
         else
             return null;
     }
-    
+
     /**
      * Returns <code>true</code> if this is the currently selected contact in
      * the list of contacts for the chat, otherwise returns <code>false</code>.
@@ -225,7 +228,7 @@ public boolean isSelected()
 
     /**
      * Sets this isSelected property of this chat contact.
-     * 
+     *
      * @param isSelected <code>true</code> to indicate that this contact would
      * be the selected contact in the list of chat window contacts, otherwise -
      * <code>false</code>
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/rss/RssActivator.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/rss/RssActivator.java
index b812368a0..cae818c50 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/rss/RssActivator.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/rss/RssActivator.java
@@ -277,4 +277,4 @@ public void checkServerTrusted(
         {
         }
     }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file