diff --git a/app/models/user_avatar.rb b/app/models/user_avatar.rb
index e271d2eab9d..d414d88525e 100644
--- a/app/models/user_avatar.rb
+++ b/app/models/user_avatar.rb
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ class UserAvatar < ActiveRecord::Base
             end
           end
         end
+      rescue OpenURI::HTTPError => e
+        if e.io&.status[0].to_i != 404
+          raise e
+        end
       ensure
         tempfile&.close!
       end
diff --git a/spec/models/user_avatar_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_avatar_spec.rb
index b2aac9adebc..e5eba4498da 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_avatar_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_avatar_spec.rb
@@ -83,6 +83,23 @@ describe UserAvatar do
 
     end
 
+    describe "404 should be silent, nothing to do really" do
+
+      it "does nothing when avatar is 404" do
+
+        freeze_time Time.now
+
+        stub_request(:get, "https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/#{avatar.user.email_hash}.png?d=404&s=360").
+          to_return(status: 404, body: "", headers: {})
+
+        expect do
+          avatar.update_gravatar!
+        end.to_not change { Upload.count }
+
+        expect(avatar.last_gravatar_download_attempt).to eq(Time.now)
+      end
+    end
+
   end
 
   context '.import_url_for_user' do