diff --git a/src/command/cmd_ac.c b/src/command/cmd_ac.c
index c80c058d..12331bfb 100644
--- a/src/command/cmd_ac.c
+++ b/src/command/cmd_ac.c
@@ -242,6 +242,7 @@ static Autocomplete logging_group_ac;
 static Autocomplete logging_group_color_ac;
 static Autocomplete color_ac;
 static Autocomplete correction_ac;
+static Autocomplete avatar_ac;
 
 void
 cmd_ac_init(void)
@@ -965,6 +966,11 @@ cmd_ac_init(void)
     autocomplete_add(correction_ac, "on");
     autocomplete_add(correction_ac, "off");
     autocomplete_add(correction_ac, "char");
+
+    avatar_ac = autocomplete_new();
+    autocomplete_add(avatar_ac, "get");
+    autocomplete_add(avatar_ac, "cmd");
+    autocomplete_add(avatar_ac, "open");
 }
 
 void
@@ -1276,6 +1282,7 @@ cmd_ac_reset(ProfWin *window)
     autocomplete_reset(logging_group_color_ac);
     autocomplete_reset(color_ac);
     autocomplete_reset(correction_ac);
+    autocomplete_reset(avatar_ac);
 
     autocomplete_reset(script_ac);
     if (script_show_ac) {
@@ -1429,6 +1436,7 @@ cmd_ac_uninit(void)
     autocomplete_free(logging_group_color_ac);
     autocomplete_free(color_ac);
     autocomplete_free(correction_ac);
+    autocomplete_free(avatar_ac);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -3773,9 +3781,19 @@ _avatar_autocomplete(ProfWin *window, const char *const input, gboolean previous
 {
     char *result = NULL;
 
+    result = autocomplete_param_with_ac(input, "/avatar", avatar_ac, TRUE, previous);
+    if (result) {
+        return result;
+    }
+
     jabber_conn_status_t conn_status = connection_get_status();
     if (conn_status == JABBER_CONNECTED) {
-        result = autocomplete_param_with_func(input, "/avatar", roster_barejid_autocomplete, previous, NULL);
+        result = autocomplete_param_with_func(input, "/avatar get", roster_barejid_autocomplete, previous, NULL);
+        if (result) {
+            return result;
+        }
+
+        result = autocomplete_param_with_func(input, "/avatar open", roster_barejid_autocomplete, previous, NULL);
         if (result) {
             return result;
         }
diff --git a/src/command/cmd_defs.c b/src/command/cmd_defs.c
index 9c9340de..33a38703 100644
--- a/src/command/cmd_defs.c
+++ b/src/command/cmd_defs.c
@@ -2343,20 +2343,27 @@ static struct cmd_t command_defs[] =
     },
 
     { "/avatar",
-        parse_args, 1, 1, NULL,
+        parse_args, 2, 2, &cons_avatar_setting,
         CMD_NOSUBFUNCS
         CMD_MAINFUNC(cmd_avatar)
         CMD_TAGS(
             CMD_TAG_CHAT)
         CMD_SYN(
-            "/avatar <barejid>")
+            "/avatar get <barejid>",
+            "/avatar open <barejid>",
+            "/avatar cmd <command>")
         CMD_DESC(
             "Download avatar (XEP-0084) for a certain contact. "
             "If nothing happens after using this command the user either doesn't have an avatar set at all "
             "or doesn't use XEP-0084 to publish it.")
         CMD_ARGS(
-            { "<barejid>", "JID to download avatar from."})
-        CMD_NOEXAMPLES
+            { "get <barejid>", "Download the avatar. barejid is the JID to download avatar from."},
+            { "cmd <command>", "Set a command to execute with 'avatar open'. Use your favourite image viewer here."},
+            { "open <barejid>", "Download avatar and open it with command."})
+        CMD_EXAMPLES(
+            "/avatar get someone@contacts.org",
+            "/avatar cmd xdg-open",
+            "/avatar open someone@contacts.org")
     },
 
     { "/os",
diff --git a/src/command/cmd_funcs.c b/src/command/cmd_funcs.c
index 5395a53e..1776c72e 100644
--- a/src/command/cmd_funcs.c
+++ b/src/command/cmd_funcs.c
@@ -8733,7 +8733,19 @@ cmd_color(ProfWin *window, const char *const command, gchar **args)
 gboolean
 cmd_avatar(ProfWin *window, const char *const command, gchar **args)
 {
-    avatar_get_by_nick(args[0]);
+    if (args[1] == NULL) {
+        cons_bad_cmd_usage(command);
+        return TRUE;
+    }
+
+    if (g_strcmp0(args[0], "get") == 0) {
+        avatar_get_by_nick(args[1], false);
+    } else if (g_strcmp0(args[0], "open") == 0) {
+        avatar_get_by_nick(args[1], true);
+    } else if (g_strcmp0(args[0], "cmd") == 0) {
+        prefs_set_string(PREF_AVATAR_CMD, args[1]);
+        cons_show("Avatar cmd set to: %s", args[1]);
+    }
 
     return TRUE;
 }
diff --git a/src/config/preferences.c b/src/config/preferences.c
index 589a6c92..6b9b5f23 100644
--- a/src/config/preferences.c
+++ b/src/config/preferences.c
@@ -1770,6 +1770,7 @@ _get_group(preference_t pref)
         case PREF_GRLOG:
         case PREF_LOG_ROTATE:
         case PREF_LOG_SHARED:
+        case PREF_AVATAR_CMD:
             return PREF_GROUP_LOGGING;
         case PREF_AUTOAWAY_CHECK:
         case PREF_AUTOAWAY_MODE:
@@ -2048,6 +2049,8 @@ _get_key(preference_t pref)
             return "correction.allow";
         case PREF_HISTORY_COLOR_MUC:
             return "history.muc.color";
+        case PREF_AVATAR_CMD:
+            return "avatar.cmd";
         default:
             return NULL;
     }
@@ -2179,6 +2182,8 @@ _get_default_string(preference_t pref)
             return "false";
         case PREF_HISTORY_COLOR_MUC:
             return "unanimous";
+        case PREF_AVATAR_CMD:
+            return "xdg-open";
         default:
             return NULL;
     }
diff --git a/src/config/preferences.h b/src/config/preferences.h
index a9993e5b..37040214 100644
--- a/src/config/preferences.h
+++ b/src/config/preferences.h
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ typedef enum {
     PREF_OCCUPANTS_WRAP,
     PREF_CORRECTION_ALLOW,
     PREF_HISTORY_COLOR_MUC,
+    PREF_AVATAR_CMD,
 } preference_t;
 
 typedef struct prof_alias_t {
diff --git a/src/ui/console.c b/src/ui/console.c
index f04f3d6f..2b9b8aad 100644
--- a/src/ui/console.c
+++ b/src/ui/console.c
@@ -2039,6 +2039,16 @@ cons_correction_setting(void)
     free(cc);
 }
 
+void
+cons_avatar_setting(void)
+{
+    char *pref = prefs_get_string(PREF_AVATAR_CMD);
+
+    cons_show("Avatar command (/avatar cmd)                                       : %s", pref);
+
+    prefs_free_string(pref);
+}
+
 void
 cons_show_connection_prefs(void)
 {
diff --git a/src/ui/ui.h b/src/ui/ui.h
index f0cd296b..b3e512aa 100644
--- a/src/ui/ui.h
+++ b/src/ui/ui.h
@@ -319,6 +319,7 @@ void cons_winpos_setting(void);
 void cons_color_setting(void);
 void cons_os_setting(void);
 void cons_correction_setting(void);
+void cons_avatar_setting(void);
 void cons_show_contact_online(PContact contact, Resource *resource, GDateTime *last_activity);
 void cons_show_contact_offline(PContact contact, char *resource, char *status);
 void cons_theme_properties(void);
diff --git a/src/xmpp/avatar.c b/src/xmpp/avatar.c
index 1a3a08b9..9d043cb3 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/avatar.c
+++ b/src/xmpp/avatar.c
@@ -48,13 +48,15 @@
 #include "xmpp/stanza.h"
 #include "ui/ui.h"
 #include "config/files.h"
+#include "config/preferences.h"
 
 typedef struct avatar_metadata {
     char *type;
     char *id;
 } avatar_metadata;
 
-GHashTable *looking_for = NULL; // contains nicks/barejids from who we want to get the avatar
+static GHashTable *looking_for = NULL; // contains nicks/barejids from who we want to get the avatar
+static GHashTable *shall_open = NULL; // contains a list of nicks that shall not just downloaded but also opened
 
 static void _avatar_request_item_by_id(const char *jid, avatar_metadata *data);
 static int _avatar_metadata_handler(xmpp_stanza_t *const stanza, void *const userdata);
@@ -81,10 +83,15 @@ avatar_pep_subscribe(void)
         g_hash_table_destroy(looking_for);
     }
     looking_for = g_hash_table_new_full(g_str_hash, g_str_equal, g_free, NULL);
+
+    if (shall_open) {
+        g_hash_table_destroy(shall_open);
+    }
+    shall_open = g_hash_table_new_full(g_str_hash, g_str_equal, g_free, NULL);
 }
 
 gboolean
-avatar_get_by_nick(const char* nick)
+avatar_get_by_nick(const char* nick, gboolean open)
 {
     // in case we set the feature, remove it
     caps_remove_feature(XMPP_FEATURE_USER_AVATAR_METADATA_NOTIFY);
@@ -95,6 +102,10 @@ avatar_get_by_nick(const char* nick)
     // add the feature. this will trigger the _avatar_metadata_notfication_handler handler
     caps_add_feature(XMPP_FEATURE_USER_AVATAR_METADATA_NOTIFY);
 
+    if (open) {
+        g_hash_table_insert(shall_open, strdup(nick), NULL);
+    }
+
     return TRUE;
 }
 
@@ -253,6 +264,20 @@ _avatar_request_item_result_handler(xmpp_stanza_t *const stanza, void *const use
         cons_show("Avatar saved as %s", filename->str);
     }
 
+    // if we shall open it
+    if (g_hash_table_contains(shall_open, from_attr)) {
+        GString *cmd = g_string_new("");
+
+        g_string_append_printf(cmd, "%s %s > /dev/null 2>&1", prefs_get_string(PREF_AVATAR_CMD), filename->str);
+        cons_show("Calling: %s", cmd->str);
+        FILE *stream = popen(cmd->str, "r");
+
+        pclose(stream);
+        g_string_free(cmd, TRUE);
+
+        g_hash_table_remove(shall_open, from_attr);
+    }
+
     g_string_free(filename, TRUE);
     free(de);
 
diff --git a/src/xmpp/avatar.h b/src/xmpp/avatar.h
index 707600b3..49c03750 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/avatar.h
+++ b/src/xmpp/avatar.h
@@ -39,6 +39,6 @@
 #include <glib.h>
 
 void avatar_pep_subscribe(void);
-gboolean avatar_get_by_nick(const char* nick);
+gboolean avatar_get_by_nick(const char* nick, gboolean open);
 
 #endif