diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/adapters/ParticipantsAdapter.java b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/adapters/ParticipantsAdapter.java
index 2275a7f7d..c6c49773d 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/adapters/ParticipantsAdapter.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/adapters/ParticipantsAdapter.java
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ public class ParticipantsAdapter extends BaseAdapter {
                 participantDisplayItem.getActorType() == Participant.ActorType.EMAILS) {
                 ImageViewExtensionsKt.loadFirstLetterAvatar(
                     imageView,
-                    String.valueOf(participantDisplayItem.getNick().charAt(0))
+                    String.valueOf(participantDisplayItem.getNick())
                 );
             } else {
                 ImageViewExtensionsKt.loadAvatarWithUrl(imageView,null, participantDisplayItem.getUrlForAvatar());
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/adapters/items/ParticipantItem.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/adapters/items/ParticipantItem.kt
index 4b58041ab..b0f30402e 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/adapters/items/ParticipantItem.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/adapters/items/ParticipantItem.kt
@@ -211,12 +211,11 @@ class ParticipantItem(
             }
 
             Participant.ActorType.GUESTS, Participant.ActorType.EMAILS -> {
-                if (model.displayName.isNullOrEmpty()) {
-                    holder.binding.avatarView.loadDefaultAvatar(viewThemeUtils)
+                val actorName = model.displayName
+                if (!actorName.isNullOrBlank()) {
+                    holder.binding.avatarView.loadFirstLetterAvatar(actorName)
                 } else {
-                    holder.binding.avatarView.loadFirstLetterAvatar(
-                        model.displayName!!.first().toString()
-                    )
+                    holder.binding.avatarView.loadDefaultAvatar(viewThemeUtils)
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/extensions/ImageViewExtensions.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/extensions/ImageViewExtensions.kt
index 1d70a986c..9411756c0 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/extensions/ImageViewExtensions.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/extensions/ImageViewExtensions.kt
@@ -305,10 +305,10 @@ fun ImageView.loadNoteToSelfAvatar(): io.reactivex.disposables.Disposable {
     )
 }
 
-fun ImageView.loadFirstLetterAvatar(letter: String): io.reactivex.disposables.Disposable {
+fun ImageView.loadFirstLetterAvatar(name: String): io.reactivex.disposables.Disposable {
     val layers = arrayOfNulls<Drawable>(2)
     layers[0] = ContextCompat.getDrawable(context, R.drawable.ic_launcher_background)
-    layers[1] = createTextDrawable(context, letter.uppercase(Locale.ROOT))
+    layers[1] = createTextDrawable(context, name.trimStart().uppercase(Locale.ROOT))
 
     val layerDrawable = LayerDrawable(layers)
     val data: Any = layerDrawable
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/utils/ChatMessageUtils.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/utils/ChatMessageUtils.kt
index 92a8827d8..1f0c5e13f 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/utils/ChatMessageUtils.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/utils/ChatMessageUtils.kt
@@ -21,8 +21,9 @@ class ChatMessageUtils {
     fun setAvatarOnMessage(view: ImageView, message: ChatMessage, viewThemeUtils : ViewThemeUtils) {
         view.visibility = View.VISIBLE
         if (message.actorType == "guests" || message.actorType == "emails") {
-            if (message.actorDisplayName?.isNotEmpty() == true) {
-                view.loadFirstLetterAvatar(message.actorDisplayName?.first().toString())
+            val actorName = message.actorDisplayName
+            if (!actorName.isNullOrBlank()) {
+                view.loadFirstLetterAvatar(actorName)
             } else {
                 view.loadDefaultAvatar(viewThemeUtils)
             }