diff --git a/PyRIGS/settings.py b/PyRIGS/settings.py
index 03c7c73a..e9407f81 100644
--- a/PyRIGS/settings.py
+++ b/PyRIGS/settings.py
@@ -86,11 +86,16 @@ SOCIAL_AUTH_PIPELINE = (
     'social.pipeline.social_auth.social_user',  # If already associated, login
     'RIGS.discourse.pipeline.new_connection',  # Choose a user account, much UI
     'social.pipeline.social_auth.associate_user',  # Associate the social auth with the user
+    'social.pipeline.social_auth.load_extra_data',  # Save all the social info we have on this user
+    'RIGS.discourse.pipeline.update_avatar',  # Load the avatar URL from the API, and save to user model
     'social.pipeline.user.user_details',  # Save any details that changed
 )
 
-DISCOURSE_HOST=os.environ.get('DISCOURSE_HOST') if os.environ.get('DISCOURSE_HOST') else 'http://localhost:4000'
-DISCOURSE_SSO_SECRET=os.environ.get('DISCOURSE_SSO_SECRET') if os.environ.get('DISCOURSE_SSO_SECRET') else 'ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP'
+DISCOURSE_HOST = os.environ.get('DISCOURSE_HOST') if os.environ.get('DISCOURSE_HOST') else 'http://localhost:4000'
+DISCOURSE_SSO_SECRET = os.environ.get('DISCOURSE_SSO_SECRET') if os.environ.get('DISCOURSE_SSO_SECRET') else 'ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP'
+
+DISCOURSE_API_KEY = os.environ.get('DISCOURSE_API_KEY') if os.environ.get('DISCOURSE_HOST') else None
+DISCOURSE_API_USER = os.environ.get('DISCOURSE_API_USER') if os.environ.get('DISCOURSE_HOST') else 'system'
 
 REGISTRATION_OPEN = False  # Disable built-in django registration - must register using forum
 
diff --git a/RIGS/discourse/pipeline.py b/RIGS/discourse/pipeline.py
index 06fcbc18..a8dde51e 100644
--- a/RIGS/discourse/pipeline.py
+++ b/RIGS/discourse/pipeline.py
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
 from django.contrib.auth import REDIRECT_FIELD_NAME
 from django.shortcuts import render_to_response
 from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
+from django.conf import settings
+
+import json
+import requests
 
 from social.pipeline.partial import partial
 
@@ -60,3 +64,25 @@ def new_connection(backend, details, response, user=None, is_new=False, social=N
         context['form'] = form
 
     return render_to_response('RIGS/social-associate.html', context)
+
+
+def update_avatar(backend, details, response, user=None, social=None, *args, **kwargs):
+    host = settings.DISCOURSE_HOST
+    api_key = settings.DISCOURSE_API_KEY
+    api_user = settings.DISCOURSE_API_USER
+    if social is not None:
+        url = "{}/users/{}.json".format(host, details['username'])
+        params = {
+            'api_key': api_key,
+            'api_username': api_user
+        }
+        resp = requests.get(url=url, params=params)
+        extraData = json.loads(resp.text)
+
+        avatar_template = extraData['user']['avatar_template']
+
+        if avatar_template and user.avatar_template != avatar_template:
+            user.avatar_template = avatar_template
+            user.save()
+
+    return
diff --git a/RIGS/migrations/0025_profile_avatar_template.py b/RIGS/migrations/0025_profile_avatar_template.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e770e8bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/RIGS/migrations/0025_profile_avatar_template.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
+from django.db import models, migrations
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('RIGS', '0024_auto_20160229_2042'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name='profile',
+            name='avatar_template',
+            field=models.CharField(max_length=255, null=True, editable=False, blank=True),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/RIGS/models.py b/RIGS/models.py
index 0650d81c..5eebe574 100644
--- a/RIGS/models.py
+++ b/RIGS/models.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ class Profile(AbstractUser):
     initials = models.CharField(max_length=5, unique=True, null=True, blank=False)
     phone = models.CharField(max_length=13, null=True, blank=True)
     api_key = models.CharField(max_length=40, blank=True, editable=False, null=True)
+    avatar_template = models.CharField(max_length=255, blank=True, editable=False, null=True)
 
     @classmethod
     def make_api_key(cls):
@@ -33,8 +34,13 @@ class Profile(AbstractUser):
     @property
     def profile_picture(self):
         url = ""
+        if settings.DISCOURSE_API_KEY is not None:
+            if self.avatar_template:
+                return settings.DISCOURSE_HOST+self.avatar_template.format(size=500)
+
         if settings.USE_GRAVATAR or settings.USE_GRAVATAR is None:
             url = "https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/" + hashlib.md5(self.email).hexdigest() + "?d=wavatar&s=500"
+
         return url
 
     @property