diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/helpers/application_helpers.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/helpers/application_helpers.js
index 2df3135d9b8..9f94b4db32b 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/helpers/application_helpers.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/helpers/application_helpers.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ var safe = Handlebars.SafeString;
 
 // TODO: Remove me when ES6ified
 var registerUnbound = require('discourse/helpers/register-unbound', null, null, true).default;
+var avatarTemplate = require('discourse/lib/avatar-template', null, null, true).default;
 
 /**
   Bound avatar helper.
@@ -19,11 +20,9 @@ Em.Handlebars.helper('bound-avatar', function(user, size, uploadId) {
     uploadId = Em.get(user, 'uploaded_avatar_id');
   }
 
-  var avatarTemplate = Discourse.User.avatarTemplate(username, uploadId);
-
   return new safe(Discourse.Utilities.avatarImg({
     size: size,
-    avatarTemplate: avatarTemplate
+    avatarTemplate: avatarTemplate(username, uploadId)
   }));
 }, 'username', 'uploaded_avatar_id');
 
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/helpers/user-avatar.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/helpers/user-avatar.js.es6
index 230e97f504b..1ab668ffc03 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/helpers/user-avatar.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/helpers/user-avatar.js.es6
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import registerUnbound from 'discourse/helpers/register-unbound';
+import avatarTemplate from 'discourse/lib/avatar-template';
 
 function renderAvatar(user, options) {
   options = options || {};
@@ -28,13 +29,12 @@ function renderAvatar(user, options) {
 
     // this is simply done to ensure we cache images correctly
     var uploadedAvatarId = Em.get(user, 'uploaded_avatar_id') || Em.get(user, 'user.uploaded_avatar_id');
-    var avatarTemplate = Discourse.User.avatarTemplate(username,uploadedAvatarId);
 
     return Discourse.Utilities.avatarImg({
       size: options.imageSize,
       extraClasses: Em.get(user, 'extras') || options.extraClasses,
       title: title || username,
-      avatarTemplate: avatarTemplate
+      avatarTemplate: avatarTemplate(username, uploadedAvatarId)
     });
   } else {
     return '';
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/lib/avatar-template.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/lib/avatar-template.js.es6
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..28032d2a483
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/lib/avatar-template.js.es6
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+let _splitAvatars;
+
+function defaultAvatar(username) {
+  const defaultAvatars = Discourse.SiteSettings.default_avatars;
+  if (defaultAvatars && defaultAvatars.length) {
+    _splitAvatars = _splitAvatars || defaultAvatars.split("\n");
+
+    if (_splitAvatars.length) {
+      let hash = 0;
+      for (let i = 0; i<username.length; i++) {
+        hash = ((hash<<5)-hash) + username.charCodeAt(i);
+        hash |= 0;
+      }
+      return _splitAvatars[Math.abs(hash) % _splitAvatars.length];
+    }
+  }
+
+  return Discourse.getURLWithCDN("/letter_avatar/" +
+                                 username.toLowerCase() +
+                                 "/{size}/" +
+                                 Discourse.LetterAvatarVersion + ".png");
+}
+
+export default function(username, uploadedAvatarId) {
+  if (uploadedAvatarId) {
+    return Discourse.getURLWithCDN("/user_avatar/" +
+                                   Discourse.BaseUrl +
+                                   "/" +
+                                   username.toLowerCase() +
+                                   "/{size}/" +
+                                   uploadedAvatarId + ".png");
+  }
+  return defaultAvatar(username);
+}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js.es6
similarity index 95%
rename from app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js
rename to app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js.es6
index e25139ecab9..23816363eaa 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/models/user.js.es6
@@ -1,12 +1,6 @@
-/**
-  A data model representing a user on Discourse
+import avatarTemplate from 'discourse/lib/avatar-template';
 
-  @class User
-  @extends Discourse.Model
-  @namespace Discourse
-  @module Discourse
-**/
-Discourse.User = Discourse.Model.extend({
+const User = Discourse.Model.extend({
 
   hasPMs: Em.computed.gt("private_messages_stats.all", 0),
   hasStartedPMs: Em.computed.gt("private_messages_stats.mine", 0),
@@ -344,7 +338,7 @@ Discourse.User = Discourse.Model.extend({
   },
 
   avatarTemplate: function() {
-    return Discourse.User.avatarTemplate(this.get('username'), this.get('uploaded_avatar_id'));
+    return avatarTemplate(this.get('username'), this.get('uploaded_avatar_id'));
   }.property('uploaded_avatar_id', 'username'),
 
   /*
@@ -440,27 +434,7 @@ Discourse.User = Discourse.Model.extend({
 
 });
 
-Discourse.User.reopenClass(Discourse.Singleton, {
-
-  avatarTemplate: function(username, uploadedAvatarId) {
-    var url;
-
-    if (uploadedAvatarId) {
-      url = "/user_avatar/" +
-            Discourse.BaseUrl +
-            "/" +
-            username.toLowerCase() +
-            "/{size}/" +
-            uploadedAvatarId + ".png";
-    } else {
-      url = "/letter_avatar/" +
-            username.toLowerCase() +
-            "/{size}/" +
-            Discourse.LetterAvatarVersion + ".png";
-    }
-
-    return Discourse.getURLWithCDN(url);
-  },
+User.reopenClass(Discourse.Singleton, {
 
   /**
     Find a `Discourse.User` for a given username.
@@ -565,3 +539,5 @@ Discourse.User.reopenClass(Discourse.Singleton, {
     });
   }
 });
+
+export default User;
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/main_include.js b/app/assets/javascripts/main_include.js
index ea57272eaea..b934226a8d4 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/main_include.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/main_include.js
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 //= require ./discourse/lib/autocomplete
 //= require ./discourse/lib/after-transition
 //= require ./discourse/lib/debounce
+//= require ./discourse/lib/avatar-template
 //= require_tree ./discourse/adapters
 //= require ./discourse/models/model
 //= require ./discourse/models/user_action
diff --git a/config/site_settings.yml b/config/site_settings.yml
index e0c4778fcb4..b15d0422c17 100644
--- a/config/site_settings.yml
+++ b/config/site_settings.yml
@@ -519,6 +519,7 @@ avatars:
   default_avatars:
     default: ''
     type: url_list
+    client: true
 
 trust:
   default_trust_level:
diff --git a/test/javascripts/lib/avatar-template-test.js.es6 b/test/javascripts/lib/avatar-template-test.js.es6
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6ad5cc860df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/javascripts/lib/avatar-template-test.js.es6
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+import avatarTemplate from 'discourse/lib/avatar-template';
+
+module('avatarTemplate');
+
+test("avatarTemplate", function(){
+  var oldCDN = Discourse.CDN;
+  var oldBase = Discourse.BaseUrl;
+  Discourse.BaseUrl = "frogs.com";
+
+  equal(avatarTemplate("sam", 1), "/user_avatar/frogs.com/sam/{size}/1.png");
+  Discourse.CDN = "http://awesome.cdn.com";
+  equal(avatarTemplate("sam", 1), "http://awesome.cdn.com/user_avatar/frogs.com/sam/{size}/1.png");
+  Discourse.CDN = oldCDN;
+  Discourse.BaseUrl = oldBase;
+});
+
diff --git a/test/javascripts/models/user-test.js.es6 b/test/javascripts/models/user-test.js.es6
index 46d0514eeb8..0414ef44e36 100644
--- a/test/javascripts/models/user-test.js.es6
+++ b/test/javascripts/models/user-test.js.es6
@@ -25,15 +25,3 @@ test("isAllowedToUploadAFile", function() {
   user.setProperties({ admin: false, moderator: true });
   ok(user.isAllowedToUploadAFile("image"), "moderator can always upload a file");
 });
-
-test("avatarTemplate", function(){
-  var oldCDN = Discourse.CDN;
-  var oldBase = Discourse.BaseUrl;
-  Discourse.BaseUrl = "frogs.com";
-
-  equal(Discourse.User.avatarTemplate("sam", 1), "/user_avatar/frogs.com/sam/{size}/1.png");
-  Discourse.CDN = "http://awesome.cdn.com";
-  equal(Discourse.User.avatarTemplate("sam", 1), "http://awesome.cdn.com/user_avatar/frogs.com/sam/{size}/1.png");
-  Discourse.CDN = oldCDN;
-  Discourse.BaseUrl = oldBase;
-});