diff --git a/app/models/user_avatar.rb b/app/models/user_avatar.rb
index e72adb8c485..ddb3c6af890 100644
--- a/app/models/user_avatar.rb
+++ b/app/models/user_avatar.rb
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ class UserAvatar < ActiveRecord::Base
         self.update!(last_gravatar_download_attempt: Time.now)
 
         max = Discourse.avatar_sizes.max
+
+        # The user could be deleted before this executes
+        return if user.blank? || user.primary_email.blank?
+
         email_hash = user_id == Discourse::SYSTEM_USER_ID ? User.email_hash("info@discourse.org") : user.email_hash
         gravatar_url = "https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/#{email_hash}.png?s=#{max}&d=404"
 
diff --git a/spec/models/user_avatar_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_avatar_spec.rb
index fd28ca47087..d30a334beff 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_avatar_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_avatar_spec.rb
@@ -106,6 +106,13 @@ describe UserAvatar do
       end
     end
 
+    it "should not raise an error when there's no primary_email" do
+      avatar.user.primary_email.destroy
+      avatar.user.reload
+
+      # If raises an error, test fails
+      avatar.update_gravatar!
+    end
   end
 
   context '.import_url_for_user' do