diff --git a/db/migrations/20260907225736_add_user_uploaded_image.sql b/db/migrations/20260907225736_add_user_uploaded_image.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..aee8efa7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrations/20260907225736_add_user_uploaded_image.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+-- +goose Up
+ALTER TABLE user ADD COLUMN uploaded_image VARCHAR(255) DEFAULT '';
+
+-- +goose Down
+ALTER TABLE user DROP COLUMN uploaded_image;
diff --git a/model/image.go b/model/image.go
index 30307fcea..5986d1b7e 100644
--- a/model/image.go
+++ b/model/image.go
@@ -13,5 +13,8 @@ func UploadedImagePath(entityType, filename string) string {
 	if filename == "" {
 		return ""
 	}
+	if entityType == consts.EntityUser {
+		return filepath.Join(conf.Server.DataFolder.String(), consts.AvatarFolder, filename)
+	}
 	return filepath.Join(conf.Server.DataFolder.String(), consts.ArtworkFolder, entityType, filename)
 }
diff --git a/model/image_test.go b/model/image_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9d5001051
--- /dev/null
+++ b/model/image_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+package model_test
+
+import (
+	"path/filepath"
+
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/conf"
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/conf/configtest"
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/consts"
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/model"
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+)
+
+var _ = Describe("UploadedImagePath", func() {
+	BeforeEach(func() {
+		DeferCleanup(configtest.SetupConfig())
+		conf.Server.DataFolder = conf.NewDir("/data")
+	})
+
+	It("puts user avatars in the avatar folder, not under artwork", func() {
+		Expect(model.UploadedImagePath(consts.EntityUser, "abc_deluan.png")).
+			To(Equal(filepath.Join("/data", "avatar", "abc_deluan.png")))
+	})
+
+	It("keeps other entities under the artwork folder", func() {
+		Expect(model.UploadedImagePath(consts.EntityArtist, "abc_bowie.png")).
+			To(Equal(filepath.Join("/data", "artwork", "artist", "abc_bowie.png")))
+	})
+})
diff --git a/model/user.go b/model/user.go
index 37bdca33d..3ea3985e6 100644
--- a/model/user.go
+++ b/model/user.go
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 package model
 
 import (
+	"crypto/md5"
+	"encoding/hex"
+	"fmt"
 	"time"
+
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/consts"
 )
 
 type User struct {
@@ -17,6 +22,10 @@ type User struct {
 	// Smart-playlist criteria JSON; matching songs are not sent to external scrobblers
 	ScrobbleFilter string `structs:"scrobble_filter" json:"scrobbleFilter"`
 
+	// structs:"-" because userRepository.Put writes every mapped column with no column list, so a
+	// profile save from the UI would blank this. UpdateImage is the only writer.
+	UploadedImage string `structs:"-" json:"uploadedImage,omitempty"`
+
 	// Library associations (many-to-many relationship)
 	Libraries Libraries `structs:"-" json:"libraries,omitempty"`
 
@@ -43,6 +52,18 @@ func (u User) HasLibraryAccess(libraryID int) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+func (u User) UploadedImagePath() string {
+	return UploadedImagePath(consts.EntityUser, u.UploadedImage)
+}
+
+func (u User) AvatarTag() string {
+	if u.UploadedImage == "" {
+		return ""
+	}
+	sum := md5.Sum(fmt.Appendf(nil, "%s|%d", u.UploadedImage, u.UpdatedAt.UnixNano()))
+	return hex.EncodeToString(sum[:])[:16]
+}
+
 type Users []User
 
 type UserRepository interface {
diff --git a/model/user_test.go b/model/user_test.go
index ab66a29a9..0abd679b6 100644
--- a/model/user_test.go
+++ b/model/user_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package model_test
 
 import (
+	"time"
+
 	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/model"
 	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
@@ -80,4 +82,25 @@ var _ = Describe("User", func() {
 			})
 		})
 	})
+
+	Describe("AvatarTag", func() {
+		It("returns an empty tag when there is no avatar", func() {
+			u := model.User{ID: "1", UpdatedAt: time.Now()}
+			Expect(u.AvatarTag()).To(BeEmpty())
+		})
+
+		It("changes the tag when the image changes", func() {
+			at := time.Unix(1000, 0)
+			a := model.User{ID: "1", UploadedImage: "1_deluan.png", UpdatedAt: at}
+			b := model.User{ID: "1", UploadedImage: "1_deluan.jpg", UpdatedAt: at}
+			Expect(a.AvatarTag()).NotTo(BeEmpty())
+			Expect(a.AvatarTag()).NotTo(Equal(b.AvatarTag()))
+		})
+
+		It("changes the tag when the same file is replaced", func() {
+			a := model.User{ID: "1", UploadedImage: "1_deluan.png", UpdatedAt: time.Unix(1000, 0)}
+			b := model.User{ID: "1", UploadedImage: "1_deluan.png", UpdatedAt: time.Unix(2000, 0)}
+			Expect(a.AvatarTag()).NotTo(Equal(b.AvatarTag()))
+		})
+	})
 })