diff --git a/src/graphql/models/User.js b/src/graphql/models/User.js
index 69db7f91..11e81d54 100644
--- a/src/graphql/models/User.js
+++ b/src/graphql/models/User.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
   GraphQLInt,
   GraphQLNonNull,
   GraphQLList,
+  GraphQLBoolean,
 } from 'graphql';
 import {
   AvatarTypes,
@@ -44,7 +45,16 @@ const User = new GraphQLObjectType({
     avatarUrl: {
       type: GraphQLString,
       description: 'returns avatar url from facebook, github or gravatar',
-      resolve: avatarUrlResolver(),
+      args: {
+        renderAvatarData: {
+          desription:
+            'Renders data-url from avatarData for users with avatarType is OpenPeeps. When false (default), OpenPeeps avatars will return null for avatarUrl directly',
+          type: GraphQLBoolean,
+        },
+      },
+      resolve(user, args) {
+        return avatarUrlResolver(args.renderAvatarData)(user);
+      },
     },
     avatarData: {
       type: GraphQLString,
diff --git a/src/util/user.js b/src/util/user.js
index 4d08d028..e5d42829 100644
--- a/src/util/user.js
+++ b/src/util/user.js
@@ -62,13 +62,14 @@ export const AvatarTypes = {
  * Returns avatar url based on avatarType.
  */
 export const avatarUrlResolver = (
+  renderAvatarData = false,
   s = 100,
   d = 'identicon',
   r = 'g'
 ) => user => {
   switch (user.avatarType) {
     case AvatarTypes.OpenPeeps:
-      return renderOpenPeepsDataUrl(user.avatarData);
+      return renderAvatarData ? renderOpenPeepsDataUrl(user.avatarData) : null;
     case AvatarTypes.Facebook:
       return `https://graph.facebook.com/v9.0/${
         user.facebookId