diff --git a/phpBB/includes/functions_user.php b/phpBB/includes/functions_user.php
index 6abcdee8f2..22272b20f3 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/functions_user.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/functions_user.php
@@ -3208,8 +3208,8 @@ function remove_default_avatar($group_id, $user_ids)
 			user_avatar_width = 0,
 			user_avatar_height = 0
 		WHERE group_id = " . (int) $group_id . "
-		AND user_avatar = '" . $db->sql_escape($row['group_avatar']) . "'
-		AND " . $db->sql_in_set('user_id', $user_ids);
+			AND user_avatar = '" . $db->sql_escape($row['group_avatar']) . "'
+			AND " . $db->sql_in_set('user_id', $user_ids);
 
 	$db->sql_query($sql);
 }
@@ -3246,9 +3246,9 @@ function remove_default_rank($group_id, $user_ids)
 	$sql = 'UPDATE ' . USERS_TABLE . '
 		SET user_rank = 0
 		WHERE group_id = ' . (int)$group_id . '
-		AND user_rank <> 0
-		AND user_rank = ' . (int)$row['group_rank'] . '
-		AND ' . $db->sql_in_set('user_id', $user_ids);
+			AND user_rank <> 0
+			AND user_rank = ' . (int)$row['group_rank'] . '
+			AND ' . $db->sql_in_set('user_id', $user_ids);
 	$db->sql_query($sql);
 }
 
@@ -3277,7 +3277,8 @@ function group_user_attributes($action, $group_id, $user_id_ary = false, $userna
 		case 'demote':
 		case 'promote':
 
-			$sql = 'SELECT user_id FROM ' . USER_GROUP_TABLE . "
+			$sql = 'SELECT user_id
+				FROM ' . USER_GROUP_TABLE . "
 				WHERE group_id = $group_id
 					AND user_pending = 1
 					AND " . $db->sql_in_set('user_id', $user_id_ary);
@@ -3375,7 +3376,8 @@ function group_user_attributes($action, $group_id, $user_id_ary = false, $userna
 				return 'NO_USERS';
 			}
 
-			$sql = 'SELECT user_id, group_id FROM ' . USERS_TABLE . '
+			$sql = 'SELECT user_id, group_id
+				FROM ' . USERS_TABLE . '
 				WHERE ' . $db->sql_in_set('user_id', $user_id_ary, false, true);
 			$result = $db->sql_query($sql);
 
@@ -3509,45 +3511,63 @@ function group_set_user_default($group_id, $user_id_ary, $group_attributes = fal
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Before we update the user attributes, we will make a list of those having now the group avatar assigned
+	$updated_sql_ary = $sql_ary;
+
+	// Before we update the user attributes, we will update the rank for users that don't have a custom rank
+	if (isset($sql_ary['user_rank']))
+	{
+		$sql = 'UPDATE ' . USERS_TABLE . '
+			SET ' . $db->sql_build_array('UPDATE', array('user_rank' => $sql_ary['user_rank'])) . '
+			WHERE user_rank = 0
+				AND ' . $db->sql_in_set('user_id', $user_id_ary);
+		$db->sql_query($sql);
+		unset($sql_ary['user_rank']);
+	}
+
+	// Before we update the user attributes, we will update the avatar for users that don't have a custom avatar
 	if (isset($sql_ary['user_avatar']))
 	{
-		// Ok, get the original avatar data from users having an uploaded one (we need to remove these from the filesystem)
-		$sql = 'SELECT user_id, group_id, user_avatar
-			FROM ' . USERS_TABLE . '
-			WHERE ' . $db->sql_in_set('user_id', $user_id_ary) . '
-				AND user_avatar_type = ' . AVATAR_UPLOAD;
-		$result = $db->sql_query($sql);
+		$sql = 'UPDATE ' . USERS_TABLE . '
+			SET ' . $db->sql_build_array('UPDATE', array(
+				'user_avatar'      => $sql_ary['user_avatar'],
+				'user_avatar_type'    => $sql_ary['user_avatar_type'],
+				'user_avatar_height'  => $sql_ary['user_avatar_height'],
+				'user_avatar_width'    => $sql_ary['user_avatar_width'],
+			)) . "
+			WHERE user_avatar = ''
+				AND " . $db->sql_in_set('user_id', $user_id_ary);
+		$db->sql_query($sql);
 
-		while ($row = $db->sql_fetchrow($result))
-		{
-			avatar_delete('user', $row);
-		}
-		$db->sql_freeresult($result);
+		unset($sql_ary['user_avatar']);
 	}
-	else
+
+	unset($sql_ary['user_avatar_type']);
+	unset($sql_ary['user_avatar_height']);
+	unset($sql_ary['user_avatar_width']);
+
+	if (!empty($sql_ary))
 	{
-		unset($sql_ary['user_avatar_type']);
-		unset($sql_ary['user_avatar_height']);
-		unset($sql_ary['user_avatar_width']);
+		$sql = 'UPDATE ' . USERS_TABLE . '
+			SET ' . $db->sql_build_array('UPDATE', $sql_ary) . '
+			WHERE ' . $db->sql_in_set('user_id', $user_id_ary);
+		$db->sql_query($sql);
 	}
 
-	$sql = 'UPDATE ' . USERS_TABLE . ' SET ' . $db->sql_build_array('UPDATE', $sql_ary) . '
-		WHERE ' . $db->sql_in_set('user_id', $user_id_ary);
-	$db->sql_query($sql);
-
 	if (isset($sql_ary['user_colour']))
 	{
 		// Update any cached colour information for these users
-		$sql = 'UPDATE ' . FORUMS_TABLE . " SET forum_last_poster_colour = '" . $db->sql_escape($sql_ary['user_colour']) . "'
+		$sql = 'UPDATE ' . FORUMS_TABLE . "
+			SET forum_last_poster_colour = '" . $db->sql_escape($sql_ary['user_colour']) . "'
 			WHERE " . $db->sql_in_set('forum_last_poster_id', $user_id_ary);
 		$db->sql_query($sql);
 
-		$sql = 'UPDATE ' . TOPICS_TABLE . " SET topic_first_poster_colour = '" . $db->sql_escape($sql_ary['user_colour']) . "'
+		$sql = 'UPDATE ' . TOPICS_TABLE . "
+			SET topic_first_poster_colour = '" . $db->sql_escape($sql_ary['user_colour']) . "'
 			WHERE " . $db->sql_in_set('topic_poster', $user_id_ary);
 		$db->sql_query($sql);
 
-		$sql = 'UPDATE ' . TOPICS_TABLE . " SET topic_last_poster_colour = '" . $db->sql_escape($sql_ary['user_colour']) . "'
+		$sql = 'UPDATE ' . TOPICS_TABLE . "
+			SET topic_last_poster_colour = '" . $db->sql_escape($sql_ary['user_colour']) . "'
 			WHERE " . $db->sql_in_set('topic_last_poster_id', $user_id_ary);
 		$db->sql_query($sql);
 
@@ -3559,6 +3579,9 @@ function group_set_user_default($group_id, $user_id_ary, $group_attributes = fal
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Make all values available for the event
+	$sql_ary = $updated_sql_ary;
+
 	/**
 	* Event when the default group is set for an array of users
 	*