diff --git a/native/avatars/avatar-hooks.js b/native/avatars/avatar-hooks.js
--- a/native/avatars/avatar-hooks.js
+++ b/native/avatars/avatar-hooks.js
@@ -25,6 +25,11 @@
   MediaLibrarySelection,
   MediaMissionFailure,
 } from 'lib/types/media-types.js';
+import type {
+  RawThreadInfo,
+  ThreadInfo,
+} from 'lib/types/minimally-encoded-thread-permissions-types.js';
+import { threadTypeIsThick } from 'lib/types/thread-types-enum.js';
 
 import { authoritativeKeyserverID } from '../authoritative-keyserver.js';
 import CommIcon from '../components/comm-icon.react.js';
@@ -409,7 +414,7 @@
 
 function useNativeUpdateThreadImageAvatar(): (
   selection: NativeMediaSelection,
-  threadID: string,
+  threadInfo: ThreadInfo | RawThreadInfo,
 ) => Promise<void> {
   const editThreadAvatarContext = React.useContext(EditThreadAvatarContext);
   invariant(editThreadAvatarContext, 'editThreadAvatarContext must be defined');
@@ -423,18 +428,21 @@
   const nativeUpdateThreadImageAvatar = React.useCallback(
     async (
       selection: NativeMediaSelection,
-      threadID: string,
+      threadInfo: ThreadInfo | RawThreadInfo,
     ): Promise<void> => {
+      const shouldUploadMetadataToKeyserver = !threadTypeIsThick(
+        threadInfo.type,
+      );
       const imageAvatarUpdateRequest = await uploadSelectedMedia(
         selection,
-        true,
+        shouldUploadMetadataToKeyserver,
       );
       if (!imageAvatarUpdateRequest) {
         return;
       }
 
       try {
-        await baseSetThreadAvatar(threadID, imageAvatarUpdateRequest);
+        await baseSetThreadAvatar(threadInfo.id, imageAvatarUpdateRequest);
       } catch {
         displayAvatarUpdateFailureAlert();
       }
@@ -446,17 +454,17 @@
 }
 
 function useSelectFromGalleryAndUpdateThreadAvatar(): (
-  threadID: string,
+  threadInfo: ThreadInfo | RawThreadInfo,
 ) => Promise<void> {
   const nativeUpdateThreadImageAvatar = useNativeUpdateThreadImageAvatar();
 
   const selectFromGalleryAndUpdateThreadAvatar = React.useCallback(
-    async (threadID: string): Promise<void> => {
+    async (threadInfo: ThreadInfo | RawThreadInfo): Promise<void> => {
       const selection: ?MediaLibrarySelection = await selectFromGallery();
       if (!selection) {
         return;
       }
-      await nativeUpdateThreadImageAvatar(selection, threadID);
+      await nativeUpdateThreadImageAvatar(selection, threadInfo);
     },
     [nativeUpdateThreadImageAvatar],
   );
diff --git a/native/avatars/edit-thread-avatar.react.js b/native/avatars/edit-thread-avatar.react.js
--- a/native/avatars/edit-thread-avatar.react.js
+++ b/native/avatars/edit-thread-avatar.react.js
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@
   }, [navigate, threadInfo]);
 
   const selectFromGallery = React.useCallback(
-    () => selectFromGalleryAndUpdateThreadAvatar(threadInfo.id),
-    [selectFromGalleryAndUpdateThreadAvatar, threadInfo.id],
+    () => selectFromGalleryAndUpdateThreadAvatar(threadInfo),
+    [selectFromGalleryAndUpdateThreadAvatar, threadInfo],
   );
 
   const navigateToCamera = React.useCallback(() => {
diff --git a/native/media/thread-avatar-camera-modal.react.js b/native/media/thread-avatar-camera-modal.react.js
--- a/native/media/thread-avatar-camera-modal.react.js
+++ b/native/media/thread-avatar-camera-modal.react.js
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@
 
   const sendPhoto = React.useCallback(
     (capture: PhotoCapture) =>
-      nativeUpdateThreadImageAvatar(capture, threadInfo.id),
-    [threadInfo.id, nativeUpdateThreadImageAvatar],
+      nativeUpdateThreadImageAvatar(capture, threadInfo),
+    [threadInfo, nativeUpdateThreadImageAvatar],
   );
 
   return <CameraModal handlePhotoCapture={sendPhoto} navigation={navigation} />;