diff --git a/zerver/lib/actions.py b/zerver/lib/actions.py
index fd3021005e..f0036d7e43 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/actions.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/actions.py
@@ -356,6 +356,7 @@ def notify_created_user(user_profile):
                              user_id=user_profile.id,
                              is_admin=user_profile.is_realm_admin,
                              full_name=user_profile.full_name,
+                             avatar_url=avatar_url(user_profile),
                              is_bot=user_profile.is_bot))
     send_event(event, active_user_ids(user_profile.realm))
 
@@ -1915,17 +1916,17 @@ def do_change_avatar_fields(user_profile, avatar_source, log=True):
                                  avatar_url=avatar_url(user_profile),
                                  )),
                    bot_owner_userids(user_profile))
-    else:
-        payload = dict(
-            email=user_profile.email,
-            avatar_url=avatar_url(user_profile),
-            user_id=user_profile.id
-        )
 
-        send_event(dict(type='realm_user',
-                        op='update',
-                        person=payload),
-                   active_user_ids(user_profile.realm))
+    payload = dict(
+        email=user_profile.email,
+        avatar_url=avatar_url(user_profile),
+        user_id=user_profile.id
+    )
+
+    send_event(dict(type='realm_user',
+                    op='update',
+                    person=payload),
+               active_user_ids(user_profile.realm))
 
 def _default_stream_permision_check(user_profile, stream):
     # type: (UserProfile, Optional[Stream]) -> None
diff --git a/zerver/lib/cache.py b/zerver/lib/cache.py
index c70f7c66c8..7a34f16995 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/cache.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/cache.py
@@ -313,7 +313,11 @@ def user_profile_by_id_cache_key(user_profile_id):
 # TODO: Refactor these cache helpers into another file that can import
 # models.py so that python v3 style type annotations can also work.
 
-active_user_dict_fields = ['id', 'full_name', 'short_name', 'email', 'is_realm_admin', 'is_bot'] # type: List[str]
+active_user_dict_fields = [
+    'id', 'full_name', 'short_name', 'email',
+    'avatar_source', 'avatar_version',
+    'is_realm_admin', 'is_bot'] # type: List[str]
+
 def active_user_dicts_in_realm_cache_key(realm):
     # type: (Realm) -> Text
     return u"active_user_dicts_in_realm:%s" % (realm.id,)
diff --git a/zerver/lib/events.py b/zerver/lib/events.py
index efc1874950..a3b3cd7079 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/events.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/events.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ session_engine = import_module(settings.SESSION_ENGINE)
 
 from zerver.lib.alert_words import user_alert_words
 from zerver.lib.attachments import user_attachments
+from zerver.lib.avatar import get_avatar_url
 from zerver.lib.narrow import check_supported_events_narrow_filter
 from zerver.lib.request import JsonableError
 from zerver.lib.actions import validate_user_access_to_subscribers_helper, \
@@ -32,8 +33,16 @@ from zerver.models import Client, Message, UserProfile, \
 
 def get_realm_user_dicts(user_profile):
     # type: (UserProfile) -> List[Dict[str, Text]]
+    def avatar_url(userdict):
+        # type: (Dict[str, Any]) -> Text
+        return get_avatar_url(userdict['avatar_source'],
+                              userdict['email'],
+                              userdict['avatar_version'],
+                              )
+
     return [{'email': userdict['email'],
              'user_id': userdict['id'],
+             'avatar_url': avatar_url(userdict),
              'is_admin': userdict['is_realm_admin'],
              'is_bot': userdict['is_bot'],
              'full_name': userdict['full_name']}
@@ -187,12 +196,6 @@ def apply_event(state, event, user_profile, include_subscribers):
                         if not p['is_admin'] and person['is_admin']:
                             state['realm_bots'] = get_owned_bot_dicts(user_profile)
 
-                    # This is temporary code to support tests, but it does avoid polluting
-                    # our data with misleading avatar_url data (although we will soon support
-                    # that field in realm_users).
-                    if 'avatar_url' in person:
-                        return
-
                     # Now update the person
                     p.update(person)
     elif event['type'] == 'realm_bot':
diff --git a/zerver/tests/test_events.py b/zerver/tests/test_events.py
index 8b3a205dc6..63c80a391b 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/test_events.py
+++ b/zerver/tests/test_events.py
@@ -495,7 +495,6 @@ class EventsRegisterTest(ZulipTestCase):
         ])
         events = self.do_test(
             lambda: do_change_avatar_fields(self.user_profile, UserProfile.AVATAR_FROM_USER),
-            state_change_expected=False,
         )
         error = schema_checker('events[0]', events[0])
         self.assert_on_error(error)