diff --git a/app/helpers/problems_helper.rb b/app/helpers/problems_helper.rb
index 0e0c807..4cc350d 100644
--- a/app/helpers/problems_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/problems_helper.rb
@@ -11,10 +11,14 @@ module ProblemsHelper
   end
 
   def gravatar_tag(email, options = {})
+    return nil unless email.present?
+    
     image_tag gravatar_url(email, options), :alt => email, :class => 'gravatar'
   end
 
   def gravatar_url(email, options = {})
+    return nil unless email.present?
+
     default_options = {
       :d => Errbit::Config.gravatar_default,
     }
diff --git a/app/views/users/show.html.haml b/app/views/users/show.html.haml
index ee1e941..647e62b 100644
--- a/app/views/users/show.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/users/show.html.haml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 - content_for :title, @user.name
-- if Errbit::Config.use_gravatar
+- if Errbit::Config.use_gravatar && gravatar = gravatar_url(@user.email, :s => 86)
   - content_for :title_style do
-    background: url('#{gravatar_url @user.email, :s => 86}') no-repeat;
+    background: url('#{gravatar}') no-repeat;
     padding-left: 106px;
 
 - content_for :action_bar do
diff --git a/spec/helpers/problems_helper_spec.rb b/spec/helpers/problems_helper_spec.rb
index 5c20c6d..e63cabc 100644
--- a/spec/helpers/problems_helper_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/helpers/problems_helper_spec.rb
@@ -31,5 +31,21 @@ describe ProblemsHelper do
         helper.gravatar_tag(email, :d => 'retro', :s => 48).should eq(expected)
       end
     end
+
+    context "no email" do
+      it "should not render the tag" do
+        helper.gravatar_tag(nil).should be_nil
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe "#gravatar_url" do
+    context "no email" do
+      let(:email) { nil }
+      
+      it "should return nil" do
+        helper.gravatar_url(email).should be_nil
+      end
+    end
   end
 end
--
libgit2 0.21.2