diff --git a/public/openapi/components/schemas/UserObject.yaml b/public/openapi/components/schemas/UserObject.yaml
index 9b217cee8b..b258ea123d 100644
--- a/public/openapi/components/schemas/UserObject.yaml
+++ b/public/openapi/components/schemas/UserObject.yaml
@@ -331,6 +331,12 @@ UserObjectFull:
       example:
         - administrators
         - Staff
+    iconBackgrounds:
+      type: array
+      items:
+        type: string
+        description: A valid CSS colour code
+        example: '#fff'
     muted:
       type: boolean
       description: Whether or not the user has been muted.
diff --git a/public/openapi/read/admin/config.yaml b/public/openapi/read/admin/config.yaml
index 61e035d2fe..147d917eb9 100644
--- a/public/openapi/read/admin/config.yaml
+++ b/public/openapi/read/admin/config.yaml
@@ -152,12 +152,6 @@ get:
                 type: boolean
               enableQuickReply:
                 type: boolean
-              iconBackgrounds:
-                type: array
-                items:
-                  type: string
-                  description: A valid CSS colour code
-                  example: '#fff'
               emailPrompt:
                 type: number
               useragent:
diff --git a/public/openapi/read/config.yaml b/public/openapi/read/config.yaml
index ceb99c0d58..2fd51603a5 100644
--- a/public/openapi/read/config.yaml
+++ b/public/openapi/read/config.yaml
@@ -152,12 +152,6 @@ get:
                 type: boolean
               enableQuickReply:
                 type: boolean
-              iconBackgrounds:
-                type: array
-                items:
-                  type: string
-                  description: A valid CSS colour code
-                  example: '#fff'
               emailPrompt:
                 type: number
               useragent:
diff --git a/public/src/modules/accounts/picture.js b/public/src/modules/accounts/picture.js
index d8ab277f24..ddd3005453 100644
--- a/public/src/modules/accounts/picture.js
+++ b/public/src/modules/accounts/picture.js
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ define('accounts/picture', [
 				icon: { text: ajaxify.data['icon:text'], bgColor: ajaxify.data['icon:bgColor'] },
 				defaultAvatar: ajaxify.data.defaultAvatar,
 				allowProfileImageUploads: ajaxify.data.allowProfileImageUploads,
-				iconBackgrounds: config.iconBackgrounds,
+				iconBackgrounds: ajaxify.data.iconBackgrounds,
 				user: {
 					uid: ajaxify.data.uid,
 					username: ajaxify.data.username,
diff --git a/src/api/users.js b/src/api/users.js
index 931e75b36b..c4f4add772 100644
--- a/src/api/users.js
+++ b/src/api/users.js
@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ usersAPI.changePicture = async (caller, data) => {
 		picture = returnData && returnData.picture;
 	}
 
-	const validBackgrounds = await user.getIconBackgrounds(caller.uid);
+	const validBackgrounds = await user.getIconBackgrounds();
 	if (!validBackgrounds.includes(data.bgColor)) {
 		data.bgColor = validBackgrounds[0];
 	}
diff --git a/src/controllers/accounts/helpers.js b/src/controllers/accounts/helpers.js
index 38acdf9364..d6d4ee54b8 100644
--- a/src/controllers/accounts/helpers.js
+++ b/src/controllers/accounts/helpers.js
@@ -32,11 +32,7 @@ helpers.getUserDataByUserSlug = async function (userslug, callerUID, query = {})
 	await parseAboutMe(results.userData);
 
 	let { userData } = results;
-	const { userSettings } = results;
-	const { isAdmin } = results;
-	const { isGlobalModerator } = results;
-	const { isModerator } = results;
-	const { canViewInfo } = results;
+	const { userSettings, isAdmin, isGlobalModerator, isModerator, canViewInfo } = results;
 	const isSelf = parseInt(callerUID, 10) === parseInt(userData.uid, 10);
 
 	if (meta.config['reputation:disabled']) {
@@ -84,6 +80,7 @@ helpers.getUserDataByUserSlug = async function (userslug, callerUID, query = {})
 	userData.isFollowing = results.isFollowing;
 	userData.canChat = results.canChat;
 	userData.hasPrivateChat = results.hasPrivateChat;
+	userData.iconBackgrounds = results.iconBackgrounds;
 	userData.showHidden = results.canEdit; // remove in v1.19.0
 	userData.allowProfilePicture = !userData.isSelf || !!meta.config['reputation:disabled'] || userData.reputation >= meta.config['min:rep:profile-picture'];
 	userData.allowCoverPicture = !userData.isSelf || !!meta.config['reputation:disabled'] || userData.reputation >= meta.config['min:rep:cover-picture'];
@@ -160,6 +157,7 @@ async function getAllData(uid, callerUID) {
 		canViewInfo: privileges.global.can('view:users:info', callerUID),
 		canChat: canChat(callerUID, uid),
 		hasPrivateChat: messaging.hasPrivateChat(callerUID, uid),
+		iconBackgrounds: user.getIconBackgrounds(),
 	});
 }
 
diff --git a/src/controllers/api.js b/src/controllers/api.js
index 22574a9ce6..56b629f6db 100644
--- a/src/controllers/api.js
+++ b/src/controllers/api.js
@@ -88,7 +88,6 @@ apiController.loadConfig = async function (req) {
 		thumbs: {
 			size: meta.config.topicThumbSize,
 		},
-		iconBackgrounds: await user.getIconBackgrounds(req.uid),
 		emailPrompt: meta.config.emailPrompt,
 		useragent: req.useragent,
 		fontawesome: {
diff --git a/src/user/data.js b/src/user/data.js
index e7be8a8f5a..99459f475b 100644
--- a/src/user/data.js
+++ b/src/user/data.js
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ module.exports = function (User) {
 		'email:confirmed': 0,
 	};
 
+	let iconBackgrounds;
+
 	User.getUsersFields = async function (uids, fields) {
 		if (!Array.isArray(uids) || !uids.length) {
 			return [];
@@ -187,8 +189,11 @@ module.exports = function (User) {
 				['showfullname']
 			));
 		}
+		if (!iconBackgrounds) {
+			iconBackgrounds = await User.getIconBackgrounds();
+		}
 
-		await Promise.all(users.map(async (user) => {
+		users.forEach((user) => {
 			if (!user) {
 				return;
 			}
@@ -204,7 +209,7 @@ module.exports = function (User) {
 				user.email = validator.escape(user.email ? user.email.toString() : '');
 			}
 
-			if (!parseInt(user.uid, 10)) {
+			if (!user.uid) {
 				for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(User.guestData)) {
 					user[key] = value;
 				}
@@ -234,15 +239,12 @@ module.exports = function (User) {
 			}
 
 			// User Icons
-			if (requestedFields.includes('picture') && user.username && parseInt(user.uid, 10) && !meta.config.defaultAvatar) {
-				const iconBackgrounds = await User.getIconBackgrounds(user.uid);
-				let bgColor = await User.getUserField(user.uid, 'icon:bgColor');
-				if (!iconBackgrounds.includes(bgColor)) {
-					bgColor = Array.prototype.reduce.call(user.username, (cur, next) => cur + next.charCodeAt(), 0);
-					bgColor = iconBackgrounds[bgColor % iconBackgrounds.length];
+			if (requestedFields.includes('picture') && user.username && user.uid && !meta.config.defaultAvatar) {
+				if (!iconBackgrounds.includes(user['icon:bgColor'])) {
+					const nameAsIndex = Array.from(user.username).reduce((cur, next) => cur + next.charCodeAt(), 0);
+					user['icon:bgColor'] = iconBackgrounds[nameAsIndex % iconBackgrounds.length];
 				}
 				user['icon:text'] = (user.username[0] || '').toUpperCase();
-				user['icon:bgColor'] = bgColor;
 			}
 
 			if (user.hasOwnProperty('joindate')) {
@@ -253,6 +255,14 @@ module.exports = function (User) {
 				user.lastonlineISO = utils.toISOString(user.lastonline) || user.joindateISO;
 			}
 
+			if (user.hasOwnProperty('mutedUntil')) {
+				user.muted = user.mutedUntil > Date.now();
+			}
+		});
+
+		// TODO get rid of single calls
+		// dont do anything if user is not banned?
+		await Promise.all(users.map(async (user) => {
 			if (user.hasOwnProperty('banned') || user.hasOwnProperty('banned:expire')) {
 				const result = await User.bans.calcExpiredFromUserData(user);
 				user.banned = result.banned;
@@ -264,10 +274,6 @@ module.exports = function (User) {
 					user.banned = false;
 				}
 			}
-
-			if (user.hasOwnProperty('mutedUntil')) {
-				user.muted = user.mutedUntil > Date.now();
-			}
 		}));
 
 		return await plugins.hooks.fire('filter:users.get', users);
@@ -313,14 +319,20 @@ module.exports = function (User) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	User.getIconBackgrounds = async (uid = 0) => {
-		let iconBackgrounds = [
+
+	User.getIconBackgrounds = async () => {
+		if (iconBackgrounds) {
+			return iconBackgrounds;
+		}
+
+		const _iconBackgrounds = [
 			'#f44336', '#e91e63', '#9c27b0', '#673ab7', '#3f51b5', '#2196f3',
 			'#009688', '#1b5e20', '#33691e', '#827717', '#e65100', '#ff5722',
 			'#795548', '#607d8b',
 		];
 
-		({ iconBackgrounds } = await plugins.hooks.fire('filter:user.iconBackgrounds', { uid, iconBackgrounds }));
+		const data = await plugins.hooks.fire('filter:user.iconBackgrounds', { iconBackgrounds: _iconBackgrounds });
+		iconBackgrounds = data.iconBackgrounds;
 		return iconBackgrounds;
 	};
 
diff --git a/test/user.js b/test/user.js
index 6ac7de44a9..25c0ddc6f0 100644
--- a/test/user.js
+++ b/test/user.js
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ describe('User', () => {
 
 		it('should return an icon text and valid background if username and picture is explicitly requested', async () => {
 			const payload = await User.getUserFields(testUid, ['username', 'picture']);
-			const validBackgrounds = await User.getIconBackgrounds(testUid);
+			const validBackgrounds = await User.getIconBackgrounds();
 			assert.strictEqual(payload['icon:text'], userData.username.slice(0, 1).toUpperCase());
 			assert(payload['icon:bgColor']);
 			assert(validBackgrounds.includes(payload['icon:bgColor']));
@@ -616,7 +616,7 @@ describe('User', () => {
 		it('should return a valid background, even if an invalid background colour is set', async () => {
 			await User.setUserField(testUid, 'icon:bgColor', 'teal');
 			const payload = await User.getUserFields(testUid, ['username', 'picture']);
-			const validBackgrounds = await User.getIconBackgrounds(testUid);
+			const validBackgrounds = await User.getIconBackgrounds();
 
 			assert(payload['icon:bgColor']);
 			assert(validBackgrounds.includes(payload['icon:bgColor']));