diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/user-card-contents.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/user-card-contents.js.es6
index 0d80e962e14..140b69a1b57 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/user-card-contents.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/user-card-contents.js.es6
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import CleansUp from 'discourse/mixins/cleans-up';
 export default Ember.Component.extend(CardContentsBase, CanCheckEmails, CleansUp, {
   elementId: 'user-card',
   triggeringLinkClass: 'mention',
-  classNameBindings: ['visible:show', 'showBadges', 'hasCardBadgeImage', 'user.card_background::no-bg', 'isFixed:fixed'],
+  classNameBindings: ['visible:show', 'showBadges', 'user.card_background::no-bg', 'isFixed:fixed'],
   allowBackgrounds: setting('allow_profile_backgrounds'),
   showBadges: setting('enable_badges'),
 
@@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ export default Ember.Component.extend(CardContentsBase, CanCheckEmails, CleansUp
     $this.css('background-image', bg);
   },
 
-  @computed('user.card_badge.image')
-  hasCardBadgeImage: image => image && image.indexOf('fa-') !== 0,
-
   _showCallback(username, $target) {
     const args = { stats: false };
     args.include_post_count_for = this.get('topic.id');
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences/card-badge.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences/card-badge.js.es6
deleted file mode 100644
index 9f820f9647f..00000000000
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/preferences/card-badge.js.es6
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,30 +0,0 @@
-import { ajax } from 'discourse/lib/ajax';
-import BadgeSelectController from "discourse/mixins/badge-select-controller";
-
-export default Ember.Controller.extend(BadgeSelectController, {
-  filteredList: function() {
-    return this.get('model').filter(function(b) {
-      return !Ember.isEmpty(b.get('badge.image'));
-    });
-  }.property('model'),
-
-  actions: {
-    save: function() {
-      this.setProperties({ saved: false, saving: true });
-
-      ajax(this.get('user.path') + "/preferences/card-badge", {
-        type: "PUT",
-        data: { user_badge_id: this.get('selectedUserBadgeId') }
-      }).then(() => {
-        this.setProperties({
-          saved: true,
-          saving: false,
-          "user.card_image_badge": this.get('selectedUserBadge.badge.image')
-        });
-      }).catch(() => {
-        this.set('saving', false);
-        bootbox.alert(I18n.t('generic_error'));
-      });
-    }
-  }
-});
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/app-route-map.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/app-route-map.js.es6
index da873ecf9dd..161a22220e1 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/app-route-map.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/app-route-map.js.es6
@@ -127,7 +127,6 @@ export default function() {
       this.route('second-factor');
       this.route('about', { path: '/about-me' });
       this.route('badgeTitle', { path: '/badge_title' });
-      this.route('card-badge', { path: '/card-badge' });
     });
 
     this.route('userInvited', { path: '/invited', resetNamespace: true }, function() {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/preferences-card-badge.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/preferences-card-badge.js.es6
deleted file mode 100644
index b8acd6d729a..00000000000
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/preferences-card-badge.js.es6
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-import UserBadge from 'discourse/models/user-badge';
-import RestrictedUserRoute from "discourse/routes/restricted-user";
-
-export default RestrictedUserRoute.extend({
-  showFooter: true,
-
-  model: function() {
-    return UserBadge.findByUsername(this.modelFor('user').get('username'));
-  },
-
-  renderTemplate: function() {
-    return this.render({ into: 'user' });
-  },
-
-  // A bit odd, but if we leave to /preferences we need to re-render that outlet
-  deactivate: function() {
-    this._super();
-    this.render('preferences', { into: 'user', controller: 'preferences' });
-  },
-
-  setupController: function(controller, model) {
-    controller.set('model', model);
-    controller.set('user', this.modelFor('user'));
-
-    model.forEach(function(userBadge) {
-      if (userBadge.get('badge.image') === controller.get('user.card_image_badge')) {
-        controller.set('selectedUserBadgeId', userBadge.get('id'));
-      }
-    });
-  }
-});
-
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-card-contents.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-card-contents.hbs
index d38a81bcc6f..92f8e832a47 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-card-contents.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/components/user-card-contents.hbs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
           {{#if user.name}}
             <h2 class='full-name'>{{user.name}}</h2>
           {{/if}}
-{{else}}
+        {{else}}
           <h2 class='username'>{{username}}</h2>
         {{/unless}}
 
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@
         </li>
       {{/if}}
     </ul>
+
     {{plugin-outlet
       name="user-card-additional-controls"
       args=(hash user=user close=(action "close"))
@@ -93,12 +94,6 @@
       {{#if user.bio_cooked}}<div class='bio'>{{text-overflow class="overflow" text=user.bio_excerpt}}</div>{{/if}}
     {{/if}}
 
-    {{#if user.card_badge}}
-      {{#link-to 'badges.show' user.card_badge class="card-badge" title=user.card_badge.name}}
-        {{icon-or-image user.card_badge.image title=user.card_badge.name}}
-      {{/link-to}}
-    {{/if}}
-
     {{#if hasLocationOrWebsite}}
       <div class="location-and-website">
         {{#if user.location}}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/preferences/card-badge.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/preferences/card-badge.hbs
deleted file mode 100644
index 12f06094ea7..00000000000
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/preferences/card-badge.hbs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-<section class='user-content'>
-  <form class="form-horizontal">
-
-    <div class="control-group">
-      <div class="controls">
-        <h3>{{i18n 'user.card_badge.title'}}</h3>
-      </div>
-    </div>
-
-    <div class="control-group">
-      <label class="control-label"></label>
-      <div class="controls">
-        {{combo-box value=selectedUserBadgeId nameProperty="badge.name" content=selectableUserBadges}}
-      </div>
-    </div>
-
-    <div class="control-group">
-      <div class="controls">
-        <button class="btn btn-primary" disabled={{disableSave}} {{action "save"}}>{{savingStatus}}</button>
-        {{#if saved}}{{i18n 'saved'}}{{/if}}
-      </div>
-    </div>
-
-  </form>
-</section>
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/preferences/profile.hbs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/preferences/profile.hbs
index 39686f2b128..31bb62c512e 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/preferences/profile.hbs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/preferences/profile.hbs
@@ -50,16 +50,6 @@
   </div>
 {{/if}}
 
-<div class="control-group pref-card-badge">
-  <label class="control-label">{{i18n 'user.card_badge.title'}}</label>
-  <div class="controls">
-    {{#if model.card_image_badge}}
-      {{icon-or-image model.card_image_badge}}
-    {{/if}}
-    {{#link-to "preferences.card-badge" class="btn btn-small pad-left no-text"}}{{d-icon "pencil"}}{{/link-to}}
-  </div>
-</div>
-
 {{plugin-outlet name="user-preferences-profile"}}
 
 {{plugin-outlet name="user-custom-preferences" args=(hash model=model)}}
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/user-card.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/user-card.scss
index a23e089ae04..df18f58a828 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/user-card.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/user-card.scss
@@ -140,10 +140,6 @@ $user_card_background: $secondary;
     padding-top: 10px;
   }
 
-  &.has-card-badge-image .bio {
-    width: 75%;
-  }
-
   .bio {
     padding: 10px 0 0 0;
     clear: left;
@@ -296,17 +292,6 @@ $user_card_background: $secondary;
     padding-top: 15px;
   }
 
-  .card-badge {
-    img {
-      max-width: 120px;
-    }
-    position: absolute;
-    right: 12px;
-    bottom: 12px;
-    font-size: $font-up-5;
-    i {color: $user_card_primary;}
-  }
-
   .metadata .email .btn {
     padding: 2px 12px;
   }
diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index 61507d2c0d6..dfae9f3bdd9 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -48,8 +48,7 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
     return redirect_to path('/login') if SiteSetting.hide_user_profiles_from_public && !current_user
 
     @user = fetch_user_from_params(
-      { include_inactive: current_user.try(:staff?) || (current_user && SiteSetting.show_inactive_accounts) },
-      [{ user_profile: :card_image_badge }]
+      include_inactive: current_user.try(:staff?) || (current_user && SiteSetting.show_inactive_accounts)
     )
 
     user_serializer = UserSerializer.new(@user, scope: guardian, root: 'user')
@@ -90,23 +89,6 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
     show
   end
 
-  def card_badge
-  end
-
-  def update_card_badge
-    user = fetch_user_from_params
-    guardian.ensure_can_edit!(user)
-
-    user_badge = UserBadge.find_by(id: params[:user_badge_id].to_i)
-    if user_badge && user_badge.user == user && user_badge.badge.image.present?
-      user.user_profile.update_column(:card_image_badge_id, user_badge.badge.id)
-    else
-      user.user_profile.update_column(:card_image_badge_id, nil)
-    end
-
-    render body: nil
-  end
-
   def user_preferences_redirect
     redirect_to email_preferences_path(current_user.username_lower)
   end
diff --git a/app/models/user_profile.rb b/app/models/user_profile.rb
index c320be92183..825b9451074 100644
--- a/app/models/user_profile.rb
+++ b/app/models/user_profile.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 class UserProfile < ActiveRecord::Base
+
+  # TODO: remove this after Nov 1, 2018
+  self.ignored_columns = %w{card_image_badge_id}
+
   belongs_to :user, inverse_of: :user_profile
 
   validates :bio_raw, length: { maximum: 3000 }
@@ -12,7 +16,6 @@ class UserProfile < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   validate :website_domain_validator, if: Proc.new { |c| c.new_record? || c.website_changed? }
 
-  belongs_to :card_image_badge, class_name: 'Badge'
   has_many :user_profile_views, dependent: :destroy
 
   BAKED_VERSION = 1
@@ -126,7 +129,6 @@ end
 #  bio_cooked_version   :integer
 #  badge_granted_title  :boolean          default(FALSE)
 #  card_background      :string(255)
-#  card_image_badge_id  :integer
 #  views                :integer          default(0), not null
 #
 # Indexes
diff --git a/app/serializers/user_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/user_serializer.rb
index 06e620e25bf..b93aa2ee78d 100644
--- a/app/serializers/user_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/serializers/user_serializer.rb
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ class UserSerializer < BasicUserSerializer
   has_many :groups, embed: :object, serializer: BasicGroupSerializer
   has_many :group_users, embed: :object, serializer: BasicGroupUserSerializer
   has_many :featured_user_badges, embed: :ids, serializer: UserBadgeSerializer, root: :user_badges
-  has_one  :card_badge, embed: :object, serializer: BadgeSerializer
   has_one :user_option, embed: :object, serializer: UserOptionSerializer
 
   def include_user_option?
@@ -107,8 +106,6 @@ class UserSerializer < BasicUserSerializer
                      :custom_avatar_upload_id,
                      :custom_avatar_template,
                      :has_title_badges,
-                     :card_image_badge,
-                     :card_image_badge_id,
                      :muted_usernames,
                      :mailing_list_posts_per_day,
                      :can_change_bio,
@@ -171,10 +168,6 @@ class UserSerializer < BasicUserSerializer
     keys.length > 0 ? keys : nil
   end
 
-  def card_badge
-    object.user_profile.card_image_badge
-  end
-
   def bio_raw
     object.user_profile.bio_raw
   end
@@ -201,22 +194,6 @@ class UserSerializer < BasicUserSerializer
     website.present?
   end
 
-  def card_image_badge_id
-    object.user_profile.card_image_badge.try(:id)
-  end
-
-  def include_card_image_badge_id?
-    card_image_badge_id.present?
-  end
-
-  def card_image_badge
-    object.user_profile.card_image_badge.try(:image)
-  end
-
-  def include_card_image_badge?
-    card_image_badge.present?
-  end
-
   def profile_background
     object.user_profile.profile_background
   end
diff --git a/app/services/user_merger.rb b/app/services/user_merger.rb
index b9fe2bb7732..bc982523a01 100644
--- a/app/services/user_merger.rb
+++ b/app/services/user_merger.rb
@@ -261,7 +261,6 @@ class UserMerger
         dismissed_banner_key = COALESCE(t.dismissed_banner_key, s.dismissed_banner_key),
         badge_granted_title  = t.badge_granted_title OR s.badge_granted_title,
         card_background      = COALESCE(t.card_background, s.card_background),
-        card_image_badge_id  = COALESCE(t.card_image_badge_id, s.card_image_badge_id),
         views                = t.views + s.views
       FROM user_profiles AS s
       WHERE t.user_id = :target_user_id AND s.user_id = :source_user_id
diff --git a/config/locales/client.en.yml b/config/locales/client.en.yml
index 45575a270f0..21c50a9abaf 100644
--- a/config/locales/client.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/client.en.yml
@@ -834,8 +834,6 @@ en:
       created: "Joined"
       log_out: "Log Out"
       location: "Location"
-      card_badge:
-        title: "User Card Badge"
 
       website: "Web Site"
       email_settings: "Email"
diff --git a/config/routes.rb b/config/routes.rb
index f0bb580453a..76a3a69063d 100644
--- a/config/routes.rb
+++ b/config/routes.rb
@@ -397,8 +397,6 @@ Discourse::Application.routes.draw do
     get "#{root_path}/:username/preferences/second-factor" => "users#preferences", constraints: { username: RouteFormat.username }
     delete "#{root_path}/:username/preferences/user_image" => "users#destroy_user_image", constraints: { username: RouteFormat.username }
     put "#{root_path}/:username/preferences/avatar/pick" => "users#pick_avatar", constraints: { username: RouteFormat.username }
-    get "#{root_path}/:username/preferences/card-badge" => "users#card_badge", constraints: { username: RouteFormat.username }
-    put "#{root_path}/:username/preferences/card-badge" => "users#update_card_badge", constraints: { username: RouteFormat.username }
     get "#{root_path}/:username/staff-info" => "users#staff_info", constraints: { username: RouteFormat.username }
     get "#{root_path}/:username/summary" => "users#summary", constraints: { username: RouteFormat.username }
     get "#{root_path}/:username/invited" => "users#invited", constraints: { username: RouteFormat.username }
diff --git a/db/fixtures/999_delayed.rb b/db/fixtures/999_delayed.rb
index 7b6d280db97..00f440f3798 100644
--- a/db/fixtures/999_delayed.rb
+++ b/db/fixtures/999_delayed.rb
@@ -26,3 +26,13 @@ Migration::TableDropper.delayed_drop(
     STDERR.puts "Dropping versions. It isn't used anymore."
   }
 )
+
+Migration::ColumnDropper.drop(
+  table: 'user_profiles',
+  after_migration: 'DropUserCardBadgeColumns',
+  columns: ['card_image_badge_id'],
+  on_drop: ->() {
+    STDERR.puts "Removing user_profiles column card_image_badge_id"
+  },
+  delay: 3600
+)
diff --git a/db/migrate/20180425152503_drop_user_card_badge_columns.rb b/db/migrate/20180425152503_drop_user_card_badge_columns.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..753aaaf7a1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20180425152503_drop_user_card_badge_columns.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+class DropUserCardBadgeColumns < ActiveRecord::Migration[5.1]
+  def up
+    # User card images have been moved to a plugin which uses the
+    # user's custom fields instead of the card_image_badge_id column.
+    execute "INSERT INTO user_custom_fields (user_id, name, value, created_at, updated_at)
+      SELECT user_id, 'card_image_badge_id', card_image_badge_id, now(), now()
+        FROM user_profiles
+       WHERE card_image_badge_id IS NOT NULL
+         AND user_id NOT IN (
+            SELECT user_id
+              FROM user_custom_fields
+             WHERE name = 'card_image_badge_id'
+         )"
+
+    # delayed drop of the user_profiles.card_image_badge_id column
+  end
+
+  def down
+    raise ActiveRecord::IrreversibleMigration
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb
index 8b3cfc4743c..3b5e60c131d 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb
@@ -1687,35 +1687,6 @@ describe UsersController do
     end
   end
 
-  describe "badge_card" do
-    let(:user) { Fabricate(:user) }
-    let(:badge) { Fabricate(:badge) }
-    let(:user_badge) { BadgeGranter.grant(badge, user) }
-
-    it "sets the user's card image to the badge" do
-      log_in_user user
-      put :update_card_badge, params: {
-        user_badge_id: user_badge.id, username: user.username
-      }, format: :json
-
-      expect(user.user_profile.reload.card_image_badge_id).to be_blank
-      badge.update_attributes image: "wat.com/wat.jpg"
-
-      put :update_card_badge, params: {
-        user_badge_id: user_badge.id, username: user.username
-      }, format: :json
-
-      expect(user.user_profile.reload.card_image_badge_id).to eq(badge.id)
-
-      # Can set to nothing
-      put :update_card_badge, params: {
-        username: user.username
-      }, format: :json
-
-      expect(user.user_profile.reload.card_image_badge_id).to be_blank
-    end
-  end
-
   describe "badge_title" do
     let(:user) { Fabricate(:user) }
     let(:badge) { Fabricate(:badge) }