diff --git a/app/models/user_avatar.rb b/app/models/user_avatar.rb
index 437f07949b0..4092d390339 100644
--- a/app/models/user_avatar.rb
+++ b/app/models/user_avatar.rb
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ class UserAvatar < ActiveRecord::Base
     else
       gravatar_upload
     end
+  rescue OpenURI::HTTPError
     save!
   ensure
     tempfile.unlink if tempfile
diff --git a/spec/components/cooked_post_processor_spec.rb b/spec/components/cooked_post_processor_spec.rb
index 403d5875cf1..d11ba90909e 100644
--- a/spec/components/cooked_post_processor_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/cooked_post_processor_spec.rb
@@ -82,8 +82,9 @@ describe CookedPostProcessor do
       let(:cpp) { CookedPostProcessor.new(post) }
 
       before do
-        SiteSetting.stubs(:max_image_height).returns(2000)
-        SiteSetting.stubs(:create_thumbnails?).returns(true)
+        SiteSetting.max_image_height = 2000
+        SiteSetting.create_thumbnails = true
+
         Upload.expects(:get_from_url).returns(upload)
         FastImage.stubs(:size).returns([1000, 2000])
         # optimized_image
diff --git a/spec/models/user_avatar_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_avatar_spec.rb
index 052a648767c..93fc9a9cec0 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_avatar_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_avatar_spec.rb
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ describe UserAvatar do
 
   it 'can update gravatars' do
     temp = Tempfile.new('test')
+    temp.binmode
+    # tiny valid png
+    temp.write(Base64.decode64("R0lGODlhAQABALMAAAAAAIAAAACAAICAAAAAgIAAgACAgMDAwICAgP8AAAD/AP//AAAA//8A/wD//wBiZCH5BAEAAA8ALAAAAAABAAEAAAQC8EUAOw=="))
+    temp.rewind
     FileHelper.expects(:download).returns(temp)
     avatar.update_gravatar!
     temp.unlink