diff --git a/web/components/contract-feed.tsx b/web/components/contract-feed.tsx
index ad1ea82c..c575dc43 100644
--- a/web/components/contract-feed.tsx
+++ b/web/components/contract-feed.tsx
@@ -58,6 +58,10 @@ export function AvatarWithIcon(props: { username: string; avatarUrl: string }) {
   )
 }
 
+export function AvatarPlaceholder() {
+  return <div className="rounded-full bg-gray-400 w-10 h-10" />
+}
+
 function FeedComment(props: {
   activityItem: any
   moreHref: string
diff --git a/web/components/feed-create.tsx b/web/components/feed-create.tsx
index 6687434e..23ab70a0 100644
--- a/web/components/feed-create.tsx
+++ b/web/components/feed-create.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { AvatarWithIcon } from './contract-feed'
+import { AvatarPlaceholder, AvatarWithIcon } from './contract-feed'
 import { Title } from './title'
 import Textarea from 'react-expanding-textarea'
 import { useState } from 'react'
@@ -74,10 +74,11 @@ export default function FeedCreate(props: { user?: User }) {
   return (
     <div className="w-full bg-indigo-50 sm:rounded-md p-4">
       <div className="relative flex items-start space-x-3">
-        <AvatarWithIcon
-          username={user?.username || ''}
-          avatarUrl={user?.avatarUrl || ''}
-        />
+        {user?.avatarUrl ? (
+          <AvatarWithIcon username={user.username} avatarUrl={user.avatarUrl} />
+        ) : (
+          <AvatarPlaceholder />
+        )}
 
         <div className="min-w-0 flex-1">
           {/* TODO: Show focus, for accessibility */}