diff --git a/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/driver.php b/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/driver.php
index 234186215b..6710f1f153 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/driver.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/driver.php
@@ -57,13 +57,6 @@ abstract class phpbb_avatar_driver implements phpbb_avatar_driver_interface
 	*/
 	protected $cache;
 
-	/**
-	* This flag should be set to true if the avatar requires a nonstandard image
-	* tag, and will generate the html itself.
-	* @var boolean
-	*/
-	public $custom_html = false;
-
 	/**
 	* Construct a driver object
 	*
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/gravatar.php b/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/gravatar.php
index 7e21a737a1..6ceac1a149 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/gravatar.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/gravatar.php
@@ -21,12 +21,10 @@ if (!defined('IN_PHPBB'))
 */
 class phpbb_avatar_driver_gravatar extends phpbb_avatar_driver
 {
-	const GRAVATAR_URL = 'https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/';
-
 	/**
-	* @inheritdoc
+	* The URL for the gravatar service
 	*/
-	public $custom_html = true;
+	const GRAVATAR_URL = 'https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/';
 
 	/**
 	* @inheritdoc
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/interface.php b/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/interface.php
index cc6b7edd17..d2f25a989f 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/interface.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/interface.php
@@ -40,8 +40,7 @@ interface phpbb_avatar_driver_interface
 	public function get_data($row, $ignore_config = false);
 
 	/**
-	* Returns custom html for displaying this avatar.
-	* Only called if $custom_html is true.
+	* Returns custom html if it is needed for displaying this avatar
 	*
 	* @param bool $ignore_config Whether this function should respect the users prefs
 	*        and board configuration configuration option, or should just render
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/functions_display.php b/phpBB/includes/functions_display.php
index 669641de70..a7b28acac1 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/functions_display.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/functions_display.php
@@ -1368,12 +1368,14 @@ function get_avatar($row, $alt, $ignore_config = false)
 
 	$phpbb_avatar_manager = $phpbb_container->get('avatar.manager');
 	$avatar = $phpbb_avatar_manager->get_driver($row['avatar_type']);
+	$html = '';
 
 	if ($avatar)
 	{
-		if ($avatar->custom_html)
+		$html = $avatar->get_custom_html($row, $ignore_config, $alt);
+		if (!empty($html))
 		{
-			return $avatar->get_custom_html($row, $ignore_config, $alt);
+			return $html;
 		}
 
 		$avatar_data = $avatar->get_data($row, $ignore_config);
@@ -1383,8 +1385,6 @@ function get_avatar($row, $alt, $ignore_config = false)
 		$avatar_data['src'] = '';
 	}
 
-	$html = '';
-
 	if (!empty($avatar_data['src']))
 	{
 		$html = '<img src="' . $avatar_data['src'] . '" ' .