diff --git a/app/views/ostatus_posts/_ostatus_post.html.haml b/app/views/ostatus_posts/_ostatus_post.html.haml
index 8815885f9..1033807f2 100644
--- a/app/views/ostatus_posts/_ostatus_post.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/ostatus_posts/_ostatus_post.html.haml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 %li.message{:id => post.id}
 
-  = image_tag post.author.avatar_thumbnail, :class => "person_picture"
+  = image_tag post.author.avatar_thumbnail, :class => "person_picture" if !post.author.author.avatar_thumnail.nil?
 
   %span.from
     = link_to post.author.username, author_path(post.author)
diff --git a/lib/common.rb b/lib/common.rb
index 92319a3d1..d8b1a9389 100644
--- a/lib/common.rb
+++ b/lib/common.rb
@@ -44,7 +44,11 @@ module Diaspora
     end
 
     def self.parse_avatar_thumbnail(doc)
-      doc.xpath('//logo').first.inner_html
+      begin
+        doc.xpath('//logo').first.inner_html
+      rescue
+        puts "user has no thumbnail"
+      end
     end
 
     def self.parse_username(doc)