diff --git a/appinfo/routes.php b/appinfo/routes.php
index d5980a1ffa..eddd1a5ee3 100644
--- a/appinfo/routes.php
+++ b/appinfo/routes.php
@@ -275,6 +275,11 @@
 			'url' => '/api/messages/{messageId}/smartreply',
 			'verb' => 'GET'
 		],
+		[
+			'name' => 'avatars#url',
+			'url' => '/api/avatars/url/{email}',
+			'verb' => 'GET'
+		],
 		[
 			'name' => 'avatars#image',
 			'url' => '/api/avatars/image/{email}',
diff --git a/lib/Controller/AvatarsController.php b/lib/Controller/AvatarsController.php
index 4659cb3c30..4dc20790b6 100644
--- a/lib/Controller/AvatarsController.php
+++ b/lib/Controller/AvatarsController.php
@@ -34,6 +34,43 @@ public function __construct(string $appName,
 		$this->uid = $UserId;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @NoAdminRequired
+	 * @NoCSRFRequired
+	 *
+	 * @param string $email
+	 * @return JSONResponse
+	 */
+	#[TrapError]
+	public function url(string $email): JSONResponse {
+		if (empty($email)) {
+			return new JSONResponse([], Http::STATUS_BAD_REQUEST);
+		}
+
+		if (!filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
+			return new JSONResponse([], Http::STATUS_BAD_REQUEST);
+		}
+
+		$avatar = $this->avatarService->getAvatar($email, $this->uid);
+		if (is_null($avatar)) {
+			// No avatar found
+			$response = new JSONResponse([], Http::STATUS_NOT_FOUND);
+
+			// Debounce this a bit
+			// (cache for one day)
+			$response->cacheFor(24 * 60 * 60, false, true);
+
+			return $response;
+		}
+
+		$response = new JSONResponse($avatar);
+
+		// Let the browser cache this for a week
+		$response->cacheFor(7 * 24 * 60 * 60, false, true);
+
+		return $response;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @NoAdminRequired
 	 * @NoCSRFRequired
diff --git a/lib/IMAP/PreviewEnhancer.php b/lib/IMAP/PreviewEnhancer.php
index 989a10601a..a31e48406b 100644
--- a/lib/IMAP/PreviewEnhancer.php
+++ b/lib/IMAP/PreviewEnhancer.php
@@ -38,21 +38,21 @@ class PreviewEnhancer {
 	/** @var AvatarService */
 	private $avatarService;
 
-	/** @var string */
-	private $UserId;
+	/** @var string|null */
+	private $userId;
 
 	public function __construct(IMAPClientFactory $clientFactory,
 		ImapMapper $imapMapper,
 		DbMapper $dbMapper,
 		LoggerInterface $logger,
 		AvatarService $avatarService,
-		string $UserId) {
+		string $userId) {
 		$this->clientFactory = $clientFactory;
 		$this->imapMapper = $imapMapper;
 		$this->mapper = $dbMapper;
 		$this->logger = $logger;
 		$this->avatarService = $avatarService;
-		$this->UserId = $UserId;
+		$this->userId = $userId;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -63,9 +63,9 @@ public function __construct(IMAPClientFactory $clientFactory,
 	public function process(Account $account, Mailbox $mailbox, array $messages): array {
 		$needAnalyze = array_reduce($messages, function (array $carry, Message $message) {
 			if ($message->getStructureAnalyzed()) {
-				// Nothing to do
-				if ($message->getAvatar() === null) {
-					$avatar = $this->avatarService->getAvatar($message->getFrom()->first()->getEmail(), $this->UserId);
+				// Try fetching the avatar if it's not set
+				if ($message->getAvatar() === null && $message->getFrom()->first() !== null) {
+					$avatar = $this->avatarService->getAvatar($message->getFrom()->first()->getEmail(), $this->userId);
 					$message->setAvatar($avatar);
 				}
 				return $carry;
@@ -112,8 +112,11 @@ public function process(Account $account, Mailbox $mailbox, array $messages): ar
 			$message->setEncrypted($structureData->isEncrypted());
 			$message->setMentionsMe($structureData->getMentionsMe());
 
-			$avatar = $this->avatarService->getAvatar($message->getFrom()->first()->getEmail(), $this->UserId);
-			$message->setAvatar($avatar);
+			if ($message->getFrom()->first() !== null) {
+				$avatar = $this->avatarService->getAvatar($message->getFrom()->first()->getEmail(), $this->userId);
+				$message->setAvatar($avatar);
+
+			}
 
 			return $message;
 		}, $messages));
diff --git a/src/service/AvatarService.js b/src/service/AvatarService.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..41f14db09d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/service/AvatarService.js
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/**
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2018 Nextcloud GmbH and Nextcloud contributors
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+ */
+
+import memoize from 'lodash/fp/memoize.js'
+import Axios from '@nextcloud/axios'
+import { generateUrl } from '@nextcloud/router'
+
+export const fetchAvatarUrl = (email) => {
+	if (email === null) {
+		return Promise.resolve(undefined)
+	}
+
+	const url = generateUrl('/apps/mail/api/avatars/url/{email}', {
+		email,
+	})
+
+	return Axios.get(url)
+		.then((resp) => resp.data)
+		.then((avatar) => {
+			if (avatar.isExternal) {
+				return generateUrl('/apps/mail/api/avatars/image/{email}', {
+					email,
+				})
+			} else {
+				return avatar.url
+			}
+		})
+		.catch((err) => {
+			if (err.response.status === 404) {
+				return undefined
+			}
+
+			return Promise.reject(err)
+		})
+}
+
+export const fetchAvatarUrlMemoized = memoize(fetchAvatarUrl)