diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/avatar-uploader.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/avatar-uploader.js.es6
index 69b2f94fe1e..8379606460b 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/avatar-uploader.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/avatar-uploader.js.es6
@@ -17,5 +17,9 @@ export default Em.Component.extend(UploadMixin, {
     });
 
     this.sendAction("done");
-  }
+  },
+
+  data: function() {
+    return { user_id: this.get("user_id") };
+  }.property("user_id")
 });
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/preferences.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/preferences.js.es6
index 4fde634e0f7..67fd1b923e3 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/preferences.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/preferences.js.es6
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ export default RestrictedUserRoute.extend(ShowFooter, {
       // all the properties needed for displaying the avatar selector modal
       const controller = this.controllerFor('avatar-selector'),
             props = this.modelFor('user').getProperties(
+              'id',
               'email',
               'username',
               'uploaded_avatar_id',
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/modal/avatar_selector.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/modal/avatar_selector.hbs
index 6ca5b61037e..be857517d06 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/modal/avatar_selector.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/modal/avatar_selector.hbs
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
           {{/if}}
         </label>
         {{avatar-uploader username=username
+                          user_id=id
                           uploadedAvatarTemplate=uploadedAvatarTemplate
                           custom_avatar_upload_id=custom_avatar_upload_id
                           uploading=uploading
diff --git a/app/controllers/uploads_controller.rb b/app/controllers/uploads_controller.rb
index b40a87d0bd5..5f8921a6797 100644
--- a/app/controllers/uploads_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/uploads_controller.rb
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class UploadsController < ApplicationController
         end
 
         if upload.errors.empty? && FileHelper.is_image?(filename)
-          Jobs.enqueue(:create_thumbnails, upload_id: upload.id, type: type)
+          Jobs.enqueue(:create_thumbnails, upload_id: upload.id, type: type, user_id: params[:user_id])
         end
 
         data = upload.errors.empty? ? upload : { errors: upload.errors.values.flatten }
diff --git a/app/jobs/regular/create_thumbnails.rb b/app/jobs/regular/create_thumbnails.rb
index 390aab8c67a..742d74877f6 100644
--- a/app/jobs/regular/create_thumbnails.rb
+++ b/app/jobs/regular/create_thumbnails.rb
@@ -3,21 +3,24 @@ module Jobs
   class CreateThumbnails < Jobs::Base
 
     def execute(args)
-      upload_id = args[:upload_id]
       type = args[:type]
+      upload_id = args[:upload_id]
 
-      raise Discourse::InvalidParameters.new(:upload_id) if upload_id.blank?
       raise Discourse::InvalidParameters.new(:type) if type.blank?
+      raise Discourse::InvalidParameters.new(:upload_id) if upload_id.blank?
 
       # only need to generate thumbnails for avatars
       return if type != "avatar"
 
       upload = Upload.find(upload_id)
 
-      self.send("create_thumbnails_for_#{type}", upload)
+      user_id = args[:user_id] || upload.user_id
+      user = User.find(user_id)
+
+      self.send("create_thumbnails_for_#{type}", upload, user)
     end
 
-    def create_thumbnails_for_avatar(upload)
+    def create_thumbnails_for_avatar(upload, user)
       Discourse.avatar_sizes.each do |size|
         OptimizedImage.create_for(upload, size, size, allow_animation: SiteSetting.allow_animated_avatars)
       end