diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index d39697ce0c7..d00bfccd837 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
     user.use_uploaded_avatar = true
     user.save!
 
-    Jobs.enqueue(:generate_avatars, upload_id: upload.id)
+    Jobs.enqueue(:generate_avatars, user_id: user.id, upload_id: upload.id)
 
     render json: {
       url: upload.url,
diff --git a/app/jobs/regular/generate_avatars.rb b/app/jobs/regular/generate_avatars.rb
index eac7e739a64..a2a23d3b697 100644
--- a/app/jobs/regular/generate_avatars.rb
+++ b/app/jobs/regular/generate_avatars.rb
@@ -5,8 +5,15 @@ module Jobs
   class GenerateAvatars < Jobs::Base
 
     def execute(args)
-      upload = Upload.where(id: args[:upload_id]).first
-      return unless upload.present?
+      upload_id = args[:upload_id]
+      raise Discourse::InvalidParameters.new(:upload_id) unless upload_id.present?
+
+      user_id = args[:user_id]
+      raise Discourse::InvalidParameters.new(:user_id) unless user_id.present?
+
+      upload = Upload.where(id: upload_id).first
+      user = User.where(id: user_id).first
+      return unless upload.present? || user.present?
 
       external_copy = Discourse.store.download(upload) if Discourse.store.external?
       original_path = if Discourse.store.external?
@@ -37,7 +44,7 @@ module Jobs
       # make sure we remove the cached copy from external stores
       external_copy.close! if Discourse.store.external?
 
-      user = User.where(id: upload.user_id).first
+      # attach the avatar to the user
       user.uploaded_avatar_template = Discourse.store.absolute_avatar_template(upload)
       user.save!
 
diff --git a/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb
index e308c2bbd52..c13ad5e0761 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb
@@ -970,7 +970,7 @@ describe UsersController do
         upload = Fabricate(:upload)
         Upload.expects(:create_for).returns(upload)
         # enqueues the avatar generator job
-        Jobs.expects(:enqueue).with(:generate_avatars, { upload_id: upload.id })
+        Jobs.expects(:enqueue).with(:generate_avatars, { user_id: user.id, upload_id: upload.id })
         xhr :post, :upload_avatar, username: user.username, file: avatar
         user.reload
         # erase the previous template