diff --git a/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/driver.php b/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/driver.php
index 1e899b7c50..ef0c8ce44e 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/driver.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/driver.php
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ if (!defined('IN_PHPBB'))
 */
 abstract class phpbb_avatar_driver implements phpbb_avatar_driver_interface
 {
-	private $name;
+	protected $name;
 
 	/**
 	* Returns the name of the driver.
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/local.php b/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/local.php
index 9b3807ee4b..d0ad8708b0 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/local.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/local.php
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ class phpbb_avatar_driver_local extends phpbb_avatar_driver
 	*
 	* @return array An array containing the locally available avatars
 	*/
-	private function get_avatar_list()
+	protected function get_avatar_list()
 	{
 		$avatar_list = ($this->cache == null) ? false : $this->cache->get('av_local_list');
 
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/upload.php b/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/upload.php
index c9913548fc..9475cad7a1 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/upload.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/avatar/driver/upload.php
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ class phpbb_avatar_driver_upload extends phpbb_avatar_driver
 	*
 	* @return bool True if user can upload, false if not
 	*/
-	private function can_upload()
+	protected function can_upload()
 	{
 		return (file_exists($this->phpbb_root_path . $this->config['avatar_path']) && phpbb_is_writable($this->phpbb_root_path . $this->config['avatar_path']) && (@ini_get('file_uploads') || strtolower(@ini_get('file_uploads')) == 'on'));
 	}
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/avatar/manager.php b/phpBB/includes/avatar/manager.php
index 7c7bd6c7ba..0d36118dbc 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/avatar/manager.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/avatar/manager.php
@@ -20,14 +20,14 @@ if (!defined('IN_PHPBB'))
 */
 class phpbb_avatar_manager
 {
-	private $phpbb_root_path;
-	private $phpEx;
-	private $config;
-	private $request;
-	private $cache;
-	private static $valid_drivers = false;
-	private $avatar_drivers;
-	private $container;
+	protected $phpbb_root_path;
+	protected $phpEx;
+	protected $config;
+	protected $request;
+	protected $cache;
+	protected static $valid_drivers = false;
+	protected $avatar_drivers;
+	protected $container;
 
 	/**
 	* Construct an avatar manager object
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ class phpbb_avatar_manager
 	* Load the list of valid drivers
 	* This is executed once and fills self::$valid_drivers
 	**/
-	private function load_valid_drivers()
+	protected function load_valid_drivers()
 	{
 		if (!empty($this->avatar_drivers))
 		{