diff --git a/src/avatar.ts b/src/avatar.ts
index 32b2069d578dfc2b3626b60b7bb1fd1b08f22485..be57ababb193fdac1d7669858583071039af01d9 100644
--- a/src/avatar.ts
+++ b/src/avatar.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import * as config from 'config'
 import { base58Enc } from './utils'
 
+import { Account } from 'dsteem'
 import {KoaContext, rpcClient} from './common'
 import {APIError} from './error'
 
@@ -22,16 +23,37 @@ export async function avatarHandler(ctx: KoaContext) {
     const username = ctx.params['username']
     const size = AvatarSizes[ctx.params['size']] || AvatarSizes.medium
 
-    const [account] = await rpcClient.database.getAccounts([username])
+    interface ExtendedAccount extends Account {
+      posting_json_metadata?: string
+    }
+
+    const [account]: ExtendedAccount[] = await rpcClient.database.getAccounts([username])
 
     APIError.assert(account, APIError.Code.NoSuchAccount)
 
-    let metadata: any
-    try {
+    let metadata
+
+    // read from `posting_json_metadata` if version flag is set
+    if (account.posting_json_metadata) {
+      try {
+        metadata = JSON.parse(account.posting_json_metadata)
+        if (!metadata.profile || !metadata.profile.version) {
+            metadata = {}
+        }
+      } catch (error) {
+        ctx.log.debug(error, 'unable to parse json_metadata for %s', account.name)
+        metadata = {}
+      }
+    }
+
+    // otherwise, fall back to reading from `json_metadata`
+    if (!metadata) {
+      try {
         metadata = JSON.parse(account.json_metadata)
-    } catch (error) {
+      } catch (error) {
         ctx.log.debug(error, 'unable to parse json_metadata for %s', account.name)
         metadata = {}
+      }
     }
 
     let avatarUrl: string = DefaultAvatar
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index d6c0358a7bf689ed0cc43ff685e517e252824ff7..9fbe8a0a940f1650d854d17311007bdb1bca2e6c 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -341,10 +341,10 @@ any-promise@^1.1.0:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/any-promise/-/any-promise-1.3.0.tgz#abc6afeedcea52e809cdc0376aed3ce39635d17f"
   integrity sha1-q8av7tzqUugJzcA3au0845Y10X8=
 
-anymatch@^3.1.0:
-  version "3.1.0"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/anymatch/-/anymatch-3.1.0.tgz#e609350e50a9313b472789b2f14ef35808ee14d6"
-  integrity sha512-Ozz7l4ixzI7Oxj2+cw+p0tVUt27BpaJ+1+q1TCeANWxHpvyn2+Un+YamBdfKu0uh8xLodGhoa1v7595NhKDAuA==
+anymatch@~3.1.1:
+  version "3.1.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/anymatch/-/anymatch-3.1.1.tgz#c55ecf02185e2469259399310c173ce31233b142"
+  integrity sha512-mM8522psRCqzV+6LhomX5wgp25YVibjh8Wj23I5RPkPppSVSjyKD2A2mBJmWGa+KN7f2D6LNh9jkBCeyLktzjg==
   dependencies:
     normalize-path "^3.0.0"
     picomatch "^2.0.4"
@@ -468,7 +468,7 @@ brace-expansion@^1.1.7:
     balanced-match "^1.0.0"
     concat-map "0.0.1"
 
-braces@^3.0.2:
+braces@~3.0.2:
   version "3.0.2"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/braces/-/braces-3.0.2.tgz#3454e1a462ee8d599e236df336cd9ea4f8afe107"
   integrity sha512-b8um+L1RzM3WDSzvhm6gIz1yfTbBt6YTlcEKAvsmqCZZFw46z626lVj9j1yEPW33H5H+lBQpZMP1k8l+78Ha0A==
@@ -616,19 +616,19 @@ charenc@~0.0.1:
   integrity sha1-wKHS86cJLgN3S/qD8UwPxXkKhmc=
 
 chokidar@^3.0.0:
-  version "3.1.0"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/chokidar/-/chokidar-3.1.0.tgz#ff23d077682a90eadd209bfa76eb10ed6d359668"
-  integrity sha512-6vZfo+7W0EOlbSo0nhVKMz4yyssrwiPbBZ8wj1lq8/+l4ZhGZ2U4Md7PspvmijXp1a26D3B7AHEBmIB7aVtaOQ==
-  dependencies:
-    anymatch "^3.1.0"
-    braces "^3.0.2"
-    glob-parent "^5.0.0"
-    is-binary-path "^2.1.0"
-    is-glob "^4.0.1"
-    normalize-path "^3.0.0"
-    readdirp "^3.1.1"
+  version "3.3.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/chokidar/-/chokidar-3.3.1.tgz#c84e5b3d18d9a4d77558fef466b1bf16bbeb3450"
+  integrity sha512-4QYCEWOcK3OJrxwvyyAOxFuhpvOVCYkr33LPfFNBjAD/w3sEzWsp2BUOkI4l9bHvWioAd0rc6NlHUOEaWkTeqg==
+  dependencies:
+    anymatch "~3.1.1"
+    braces "~3.0.2"
+    glob-parent "~5.1.0"
+    is-binary-path "~2.1.0"
+    is-glob "~4.0.1"
+    normalize-path "~3.0.0"
+    readdirp "~3.3.0"
   optionalDependencies:
-    fsevents "^2.0.6"
+    fsevents "~2.1.2"
 
 chownr@^1.0.1, chownr@^1.1.1:
   version "1.1.1"
@@ -1139,10 +1139,10 @@ fs.realpath@^1.0.0:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/fs.realpath/-/fs.realpath-1.0.0.tgz#1504ad2523158caa40db4a2787cb01411994ea4f"
   integrity sha1-FQStJSMVjKpA20onh8sBQRmU6k8=
 
-fsevents@^2.0.6:
-  version "2.0.7"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/fsevents/-/fsevents-2.0.7.tgz#382c9b443c6cbac4c57187cdda23aa3bf1ccfc2a"
-  integrity sha512-a7YT0SV3RB+DjYcppwVDLtn13UQnmg0SWZS7ezZD0UjnLwXmy8Zm21GMVGLaFGimIqcvyMQaOJBrop8MyOp1kQ==
+fsevents@~2.1.2:
+  version "2.1.2"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/fsevents/-/fsevents-2.1.2.tgz#4c0a1fb34bc68e543b4b82a9ec392bfbda840805"
+  integrity sha512-R4wDiBwZ0KzpgOWetKDug1FZcYhqYnUYKtfZYt4mD5SBz76q0KR4Q9o7GIPamsVPGmW3EYPPJ0dOOjvx32ldZA==
 
 gauge@~2.7.3:
   version "2.7.4"
@@ -1168,10 +1168,10 @@ github-from-package@0.0.0:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/github-from-package/-/github-from-package-0.0.0.tgz#97fb5d96bfde8973313f20e8288ef9a167fa64ce"
   integrity sha1-l/tdlr/eiXMxPyDoKI75oWf6ZM4=
 
-glob-parent@^5.0.0:
-  version "5.0.0"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/glob-parent/-/glob-parent-5.0.0.tgz#1dc99f0f39b006d3e92c2c284068382f0c20e954"
-  integrity sha512-Z2RwiujPRGluePM6j699ktJYxmPpJKCfpGA13jz2hmFZC7gKetzrWvg5KN3+OsIFmydGyZ1AVwERCq1w/ZZwRg==
+glob-parent@~5.1.0:
+  version "5.1.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/glob-parent/-/glob-parent-5.1.0.tgz#5f4c1d1e748d30cd73ad2944b3577a81b081e8c2"
+  integrity sha512-qjtRgnIVmOfnKUE3NJAQEdk+lKrxfw8t5ke7SXtfMTHcjsBfOfWXCQfdb30zfDoZQ2IRSIiidmjtbHZPZ++Ihw==
   dependencies:
     is-glob "^4.0.1"
 
@@ -1384,7 +1384,7 @@ is-arrayish@^0.3.1:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/is-arrayish/-/is-arrayish-0.3.2.tgz#4574a2ae56f7ab206896fb431eaeed066fdf8f03"
   integrity sha512-eVRqCvVlZbuw3GrM63ovNSNAeA1K16kaR/LRY/92w0zxQ5/1YzwblUX652i4Xs9RwAGjW9d9y6X88t8OaAJfWQ==
 
-is-binary-path@^2.1.0:
+is-binary-path@~2.1.0:
   version "2.1.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/is-binary-path/-/is-binary-path-2.1.0.tgz#ea1f7f3b80f064236e83470f86c09c254fb45b09"
   integrity sha512-ZMERYes6pDydyuGidse7OsHxtbI7WVeUEozgR/g7rd0xUimYNlvZRE/K2MgZTjWy725IfelLeVcEM97mmtRGXw==
@@ -1418,7 +1418,7 @@ is-generator-function@^1.0.7:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/is-generator-function/-/is-generator-function-1.0.7.tgz#d2132e529bb0000a7f80794d4bdf5cd5e5813522"
   integrity sha512-YZc5EwyO4f2kWCax7oegfuSr9mFz1ZvieNYBEjmukLxgXfBUbxAWGVF7GZf0zidYtoBl3WvC07YK0wT76a+Rtw==
 
-is-glob@^4.0.1:
+is-glob@^4.0.1, is-glob@~4.0.1:
   version "4.0.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/is-glob/-/is-glob-4.0.1.tgz#7567dbe9f2f5e2467bc77ab83c4a29482407a5dc"
   integrity sha512-5G0tKtBTFImOqDnLB2hG6Bp2qcKEFduo4tZu9MT/H6NQv/ghhy30o55ufafxJ/LdH79LLs2Kfrn85TLKyA7BUg==
@@ -1907,7 +1907,7 @@ normalize-package-data@^2.3.2:
     semver "2 || 3 || 4 || 5"
     validate-npm-package-license "^3.0.1"
 
-normalize-path@^3.0.0:
+normalize-path@^3.0.0, normalize-path@~3.0.0:
   version "3.0.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/normalize-path/-/normalize-path-3.0.0.tgz#0dcd69ff23a1c9b11fd0978316644a0388216a65"
   integrity sha512-6eZs5Ls3WtCisHWp9S2GUy8dqkpGi4BVSz3GaqiE6ezub0512ESztXUwUB6C6IKbQkY2Pnb/mD4WYojCRwcwLA==
@@ -2085,10 +2085,10 @@ path-type@^3.0.0:
   dependencies:
     pify "^3.0.0"
 
-picomatch@^2.0.4:
-  version "2.0.7"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/picomatch/-/picomatch-2.0.7.tgz#514169d8c7cd0bdbeecc8a2609e34a7163de69f6"
-  integrity sha512-oLHIdio3tZ0qH76NybpeneBhYVj0QFTfXEFTc/B3zKQspYfYYkWYgFsmzo+4kvId/bQRcNkVeguI3y+CD22BtA==
+picomatch@^2.0.4, picomatch@^2.0.7:
+  version "2.2.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/picomatch/-/picomatch-2.2.1.tgz#21bac888b6ed8601f831ce7816e335bc779f0a4a"
+  integrity sha512-ISBaA8xQNmwELC7eOjqFKMESB2VIqt4PPDD0nsS95b/9dZXvVKOlz9keMSnoGGKcOHXfTvDD6WMaRoSc9UuhRA==
 
 pify@^3.0.0:
   version "3.0.0"
@@ -2220,12 +2220,12 @@ readable-stream@^2.0.0, readable-stream@^2.0.6, readable-stream@^2.2.2, readable
     string_decoder "~1.1.1"
     util-deprecate "~1.0.1"
 
-readdirp@^3.1.1:
-  version "3.1.2"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/readdirp/-/readdirp-3.1.2.tgz#fa85d2d14d4289920e4671dead96431add2ee78a"
-  integrity sha512-8rhl0xs2cxfVsqzreYCvs8EwBfn/DhVdqtoLmw19uI3SC5avYX9teCurlErfpPXGmYtMHReGaP2RsLnFvz/lnw==
+readdirp@~3.3.0:
+  version "3.3.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/readdirp/-/readdirp-3.3.0.tgz#984458d13a1e42e2e9f5841b129e162f369aff17"
+  integrity sha512-zz0pAkSPOXXm1viEwygWIPSPkcBYjW1xU5j/JBh5t9bGCJwa6f9+BJa6VaB2g+b55yVrmXzqkyLf4xaWYM0IkQ==
   dependencies:
-    picomatch "^2.0.4"
+    picomatch "^2.0.7"
 
 redis-commands@^1.2.0:
   version "1.4.0"
@@ -2641,9 +2641,9 @@ supports-color@^6.1.0:
     has-flag "^3.0.0"
 
 supports-color@^7.0.0:
-  version "7.0.0"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/supports-color/-/supports-color-7.0.0.tgz#f2392c50ab35bb3cae7beebf24d254a19f880c06"
-  integrity sha512-WRt32iTpYEZWYOpcetGm0NPeSvaebccx7hhS/5M6sAiqnhedtFCHFxkjzZlJvFNCPowiKSFGiZk5USQDFy83vQ==
+  version "7.1.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/supports-color/-/supports-color-7.1.0.tgz#68e32591df73e25ad1c4b49108a2ec507962bfd1"
+  integrity sha512-oRSIpR8pxT1Wr2FquTNnGet79b3BWljqOuoW/h4oBhxJ/HUbX5nX6JSruTkvXDCFMwDPvsaTTbvMLKZWSy0R5g==
   dependencies:
     has-flag "^4.0.0"
 
@@ -2729,9 +2729,9 @@ toml@^2.3.3:
   integrity sha512-gVweAectJU3ebq//Ferr2JUY4WKSDe5N+z0FvjDncLGyHmIDoxgY/2Ie4qfEIDm4IS7OA6Rmdm7pdEEdMcV/xQ==
 
 tree-kill@^1.2.0:
-  version "1.2.1"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/tree-kill/-/tree-kill-1.2.1.tgz#5398f374e2f292b9dcc7b2e71e30a5c3bb6c743a"
-  integrity sha512-4hjqbObwlh2dLyW4tcz0Ymw0ggoaVDMveUB9w8kFSQScdRLo0gxO9J7WFcUBo+W3C1TLdFIEwNOWebgZZ0RH9Q==
+  version "1.2.2"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/tree-kill/-/tree-kill-1.2.2.tgz#4ca09a9092c88b73a7cdc5e8a01b507b0790a0cc"
+  integrity sha512-L0Orpi8qGpRG//Nd+H90vFB+3iHnue1zSSGmNOOCh1GLJ7rUKVwV2HvijphGQS2UmhUZewS9VgvxYIdgr+fG1A==
 
 ts-node@^7.0.0:
   version "7.0.1"