diff --git a/JSQMessagesViewController/Controllers/JSQMessagesViewController.m b/JSQMessagesViewController/Controllers/JSQMessagesViewController.m
index a995fb056..5ae0856b6 100644
--- a/JSQMessagesViewController/Controllers/JSQMessagesViewController.m
+++ b/JSQMessagesViewController/Controllers/JSQMessagesViewController.m
@@ -467,8 +467,16 @@ - (UICollectionViewCell *)collectionView:(JSQMessagesCollectionView *)collection
     if (needsAvatar) {
         avatarImageDataSource = [collectionView.dataSource collectionView:collectionView avatarImageDataForItemAtIndexPath:indexPath];
         if (avatarImageDataSource != nil) {
-            cell.avatarImageView.image = [avatarImageDataSource avatarImage] ?: [avatarImageDataSource avatarPlaceholderImage];
-            cell.avatarImageView.highlightedImage = [avatarImageDataSource avatarHighlightedImage];
+            
+            UIImage *avatarImage = [avatarImageDataSource avatarImage];
+            if (avatarImage == nil) {
+                cell.avatarImageView.image = [avatarImageDataSource avatarPlaceholderImage];
+                cell.avatarImageView.highlightedImage = nil;
+            }
+            else {
+                cell.avatarImageView.image = avatarImage;
+                cell.avatarImageView.highlightedImage = [avatarImageDataSource avatarHighlightedImage];
+            }
         }
     }