diff --git a/apps/next/src/components/layout/auth/profile/avatar-upload.tsx b/apps/next/src/components/layout/auth/profile/avatar-upload.tsx
index 40920f3..a9fb440 100644
--- a/apps/next/src/components/layout/auth/profile/avatar-upload.tsx
+++ b/apps/next/src/components/layout/auth/profile/avatar-upload.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import type { Preloaded } from 'convex/react';
 import type { ChangeEvent } from 'react';
 import { useRef, useState } from 'react';
-import { useMutation, usePreloadedQuery, useQuery } from 'convex/react';
+import { useMutation, usePreloadedQuery } from 'convex/react';
 import { Loader2, Pencil, Upload, XIcon } from 'lucide-react';
 import { toast } from 'sonner';
 
@@ -48,11 +48,6 @@ export const AvatarUpload = ({ preloadedUser }: AvatarUploadProps) => {
   const generateUploadUrl = useMutation(api.files.generateUploadUrl);
   const updateUser = useMutation(api.auth.updateUser);
 
-  const currentImageUrl = useQuery(
-    api.files.getImageUrl,
-    user?.image ? { storageId: user.image as Id<'_storage'> } : 'skip',
-  );
-
   const handleFileChange = (event: ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
     const file = event.target.files?.[0] ?? null;
     if (!file) return;
@@ -117,7 +112,7 @@ export const AvatarUpload = ({ preloadedUser }: AvatarUploadProps) => {
             onClick={() => inputRef.current?.click()}
           >
             <BasedAvatar
-              src={currentImageUrl ?? undefined}
+              src={user?.imageUrl}
               fullName={user?.name}
               className='h-42 w-42 text-6xl font-semibold'
               userIconProps={{ size: 100 }}
diff --git a/apps/next/src/components/layout/header/controls/AvatarDropdown.tsx b/apps/next/src/components/layout/header/controls/AvatarDropdown.tsx
index ca07c86..5809184 100644
--- a/apps/next/src/components/layout/header/controls/AvatarDropdown.tsx
+++ b/apps/next/src/components/layout/header/controls/AvatarDropdown.tsx
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import { resetAnalyticsIdentity, useAnalyticsIdentity } from '@/lib/analytics';
 import { useAuthActions } from '@convex-dev/auth/react';
 import { useConvexAuth, useQuery } from 'convex/react';
 
-import type { Id } from '@gib/backend/convex/_generated/dataModel.js';
 import { api } from '@gib/backend/convex/_generated/api.js';
 import {
   BasedAvatar,
@@ -25,10 +24,6 @@ export const AvatarDropdown = () => {
   const { signOut } = useAuthActions();
   const user = useQuery(api.auth.getUser, {});
   useAnalyticsIdentity(user?._id);
-  const currentImageUrl = useQuery(
-    api.files.getImageUrl,
-    user?.image ? { storageId: user.image as Id<'_storage'> } : 'skip',
-  );
 
   if (isLoading) {
     return (
@@ -53,7 +48,7 @@ export const AvatarDropdown = () => {
     <DropdownMenu>
       <DropdownMenuTrigger>
         <BasedAvatar
-          src={currentImageUrl}
+          src={user?.imageUrl}
           fullName={user?.name}
           className='h-9 w-9'
           fallbackProps={{ className: 'text-sm font-semibold' }}
diff --git a/packages/backend/convex/auth.ts b/packages/backend/convex/auth.ts
index 78c4f4e..89b2836 100644
--- a/packages/backend/convex/auth.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/convex/auth.ts
@@ -45,12 +45,24 @@ export const getUserProvider = query({
   },
 });
 
+/**
+ * `users.image` holds either a Convex storage ID (avatar uploaded in-app) or a
+ * plain URL (the `picture` claim Authentik writes on every OAuth sign-in).
+ * Resolves either form to a URL the client can render directly.
+ */
+const resolveImageUrl = async (ctx: QueryCtx, image: string | undefined) => {
+  if (!image) return null;
+  const storageId = ctx.db.system.normalizeId('_storage', image);
+  return storageId ? await ctx.storage.getUrl(storageId) : image;
+};
+
 export const getUser = query({
   args: { userId: v.optional(v.id('users')) },
   handler: async (ctx, args) => {
     const userId = args.userId ?? (await getAuthUserId(ctx));
     if (!userId) return null;
-    return getUserById(ctx, userId);
+    const user = await getUserById(ctx, userId);
+    return { ...user, imageUrl: await resolveImageUrl(ctx, user.image) };
   },
 });
 
@@ -73,7 +85,10 @@ export const updateUser = mutation({
     if (args.name !== undefined) patch.name = args.name;
     if (args.email !== undefined) patch.email = args.email;
     if (args.image !== undefined) {
-      const oldImage = user.image as Id<'_storage'> | undefined;
+      // Only delete the previous avatar when it was an uploaded file, not an IdP URL.
+      const oldImage = user.image
+        ? ctx.db.system.normalizeId('_storage', user.image)
+        : null;
       patch.image = args.image;
       if (oldImage && oldImage !== args.image) {
         await ctx.storage.delete(oldImage);