diff --git a/lib/shared/avatar-utils.js b/lib/shared/avatar-utils.js
--- a/lib/shared/avatar-utils.js
+++ b/lib/shared/avatar-utils.js
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import { type RawThreadInfo, type ThreadInfo } from '../types/thread-types.js';
 import type { UserInfos } from '../types/user-types.js';
 import { useSelector } from '../utils/redux-utils.js';
+import { keyserverPrefixID } from '../utils/validation-utils.js';
 
 const defaultAnonymousUserEmojiAvatar: ClientEmojiAvatar = {
   color: selectedThreadColors[4],
@@ -243,7 +244,12 @@
 }
 
 function getDefaultAvatar(hashKey: string, color?: string): ClientEmojiAvatar {
-  const avatarIndex = stringHash(hashKey) % defaultEmojiAvatars.length;
+  let key = hashKey;
+  if (key.startsWith(`${keyserverPrefixID}|`)) {
+    key = key.slice(`${keyserverPrefixID}|`.length);
+  }
+
+  const avatarIndex = stringHash(key) % defaultEmojiAvatars.length;
 
   return {
     ...defaultEmojiAvatars[avatarIndex],