diff --git a/phpBB/config/default/container/services_avatar.yml b/phpBB/config/default/container/services_avatar.yml
index 1cbc44115d..89dbb2e0bf 100644
--- a/phpBB/config/default/container/services_avatar.yml
+++ b/phpBB/config/default/container/services_avatar.yml
@@ -6,6 +6,16 @@ services:
             - '@dispatcher'
             - '@avatar.driver_collection'
 
+    avatar.helper:
+        class: phpbb\avatar\helper
+        arguments:
+            - '@config'
+            - '@dispatcher'
+            - '@language'
+            - '@avatar.manager'
+            - '@path_helper'
+            - '@user'
+
 # ----- Avatar drivers -----
     avatar.driver_collection:
         class: phpbb\di\service_collection
diff --git a/phpBB/phpbb/avatar/helper.php b/phpBB/phpbb/avatar/helper.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4c3f12b770
--- /dev/null
+++ b/phpBB/phpbb/avatar/helper.php
@@ -0,0 +1,213 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ *
+ * This file is part of the phpBB Forum Software package.
+ *
+ * @copyright (c) phpBB Limited <https://www.phpbb.com>
+ * @license GNU General Public License, version 2 (GPL-2.0)
+ *
+ * For full copyright and license information, please see
+ * the docs/CREDITS.txt file.
+ *
+ */
+
+namespace phpbb\avatar;
+
+class helper
+{
+	/** @var \phpbb\config\config */
+	protected $config;
+
+	/** @var \phpbb\event\dispatcher */
+	protected $dispatcher;
+
+	/** @var \phpbb\language\language */
+	protected $language;
+
+	/** @var \phpbb\avatar\manager */
+	protected $manager;
+
+	/** @var \phpbb\path_helper */
+	protected $path_helper;
+
+	/** @var \phpbb\user */
+	protected $user;
+
+	/**
+	 * Constructor.
+	 *
+	 * @param \phpbb\config\config		$config			Config object
+	 * @param \phpbb\event\dispatcher	$dispatcher		Event dispatcher object
+	 * @param \phpbb\language\language	$language		Language object
+	 * @param \phpbb\avatar\manager		$manager		Avatar manager object
+	 * @param \phpbb\path_helper		$path_helper	Path helper object
+	 * @param \phpbb\user				$user			User object
+	 */
+	public function __construct(
+		\phpbb\config\config $config,
+		\phpbb\event\dispatcher $dispatcher,
+		\phpbb\language\language $language,
+		manager $manager,
+		\phpbb\path_helper $path_helper,
+		\phpbb\user $user
+	)
+	{
+		$this->config		= $config;
+		$this->dispatcher	= $dispatcher;
+		$this->language		= $language;
+		$this->manager		= $manager;
+		$this->path_helper	= $path_helper;
+		$this->user			= $user;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Get user avatar data.
+	 *
+	 * @param array		$row			The user's table row
+	 * @param string	$title			Optional language string/key for the title
+	 * @param bool		$ignore_config	Ignores the config setting, to still be able to view the avatar in the UCP
+	 * @param bool		$lazy			Indicator whether the avatar should be lazy loaded (requires JS) or not
+	 * @return array					The avatar data array
+	 */
+	public function get_user_avatar(array $row, $title = 'USER_AVATAR', $ignore_config = false, $lazy = false)
+	{
+		$row = $this->manager->clean_row($row, 'user');
+
+		return $this->get_avatar($row, $title, $ignore_config, $lazy);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Get group avatar data.
+	 *
+	 * @param array		$row			The group's table row
+	 * @param string	$title			Optional language string/key for the title
+	 * @param bool		$ignore_config	Ignores the config setting, to still be able to view the avatar in the UCP
+	 * @param bool		$lazy			Indicator whether the avatar should be lazy loaded (requires JS) or not
+	 * @return array					The avatar data array
+	 */
+	public function get_group_avatar(array $row, $title = 'GROUP_AVATAR', $ignore_config = false, $lazy = false)
+	{
+		$row = $this->manager->clean_row($row, 'group');
+
+		return $this->get_avatar($row, $title, $ignore_config, $lazy);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Get avatar data.
+	 *
+	 * @param array		$row			The cleaned table row
+	 * @param string	$title			Optional language string/key for the title
+	 * @param bool		$ignore_config	Ignores the config setting, to still be able to view the avatar in the UCP
+	 * @param bool		$lazy			Indicator whether the avatar should be lazy loaded (requires JS) or not
+	 * @return array					The avatar data array
+	 */
+	public function get_avatar(array $row, $title, $ignore_config = false, $lazy = false)
+	{
+		if (!$this->config['allow_avatar'] && !$ignore_config)
+		{
+			return [];
+		}
+
+		$data = [
+			'src'		=> $row['avatar'],
+			'width'		=> $row['avatar_width'],
+			'height'	=> $row['avatar_height'],
+			'title'		=> $this->language->lang($title),
+			'lazy'		=> $lazy,
+			'type'		=> '',
+			'html'		=> '',
+		];
+
+		/** @var \phpbb\avatar\driver\driver_interface $driver */
+		$driver = $this->manager->get_driver($row['avatar_type'], !$ignore_config);
+
+		if ($driver !== null)
+		{
+			$data = array_merge($data, $driver->get_data($row), [
+				'type'	=> $driver->get_name(),
+				'html'	=> $driver->get_custom_html($this->user, $row, $title),
+			]);
+
+			/**
+			 * The type is used in the template to determine what driver is used,
+			 * and potentially to add an additional class to the avatar <img> element.
+			 *
+			 * While it's possible to str_replace('avatar.driver.', '', $data['type'])
+			 * for all the core drivers, this will be awkward for extensions' avatar drivers.
+			 * As they will most likely want to adjust the type in the event below,
+			 * and then have to search for a different definition than they used in their services.yml
+			 *
+			 * For example, 'ext.vendor.avatar.driver.custom_driver'
+			 * They will then have to look for: 'ext.vendor.custom_driver'
+			 *
+			 * So only remove 'avatar.driver.' if it is at the beginning of the driver's name.
+			 */
+			if (strpos($data['type'], 'avatar.driver.') === 0)
+			{
+				$data['type'] = substr($data['type'], strlen('avatar.driver.'));
+			}
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			$data['src'] = '';
+		}
+
+		if (empty($data['html']) && !empty($data['src']))
+		{
+			$data['html'] = $this->get_avatar_html($data);
+		}
+
+		/**
+		 * Event to modify avatar data array
+		 *
+		 * @event core.avatar_helper_get_avatar
+		 * @var	array	row				The cleaned table row
+		 * @var	string	title			The language string/key for the title
+		 * @var	bool	ignore_config	Ignores the config setting, to still be able to view the avatar in the UCP
+		 * @var bool	lazy			Indicator whether the avatar should be lazy loaded (requires JS) or not
+		 * @var	array	data			The avatar data array
+		 * @since 4.0.0
+		 */
+		$vars = ['row', 'title', 'ignore_config', 'lazy', 'data'];
+		extract($this->dispatcher->trigger_event('core.avatar_helper_get_avatar', compact($vars)));
+
+		return $data;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Get an avatar's HTML <img> element.
+	 *
+	 * Created for Backwards Compatibility (BC).
+	 * Styles should generate their own HTML element instead.
+	 *
+	 * @deprecated 4.0.0
+	 *
+	 * @param array		$data			The avatar data array
+	 * @return string					The avatar's HTML <img> element
+	 */
+	protected function get_avatar_html(array $data)
+	{
+		if ($data['lazy'])
+		{
+			/**
+			 * We need to correct the phpBB root path in case this is called from a controller,
+			 * because the web path will be incorrect otherwise.
+			 */
+			$board_url	= defined('PHPBB_USE_BOARD_URL_PATH') && PHPBB_USE_BOARD_URL_PATH;
+			$web_path	= $board_url ? generate_board_url() . '/' : $this->path_helper->get_web_root_path();
+			$style_path	= rawurlencode($this->user->style['style_path']);
+
+			$theme = "{$web_path}styles/{$style_path}/theme";
+
+			$data['src'] = $theme . '/images/no_avatar.gif" data-src="' . $data['src'];
+		}
+
+		$src = ' src="' . $data['src'] . '"';
+		$alt = ' alt="' . $data['title'] . '"';
+
+		$width = $data['width'] ? ' width="' . $data['width'] . '"' : '';
+		$height = $data['height'] ? ' height="' . $data['height'] . '"' : '';
+
+		return '<img class="avatar"' . $src . $width . $height . $alt . ' />';
+	}
+}