diff --git a/src/controllers/accounts/helpers.js b/src/controllers/accounts/helpers.js
index 53ecea8534..af5963002e 100644
--- a/src/controllers/accounts/helpers.js
+++ b/src/controllers/accounts/helpers.js
@@ -119,13 +119,6 @@ helpers.getUserDataByUserSlug = async function (userslug, callerUID, query = {})
 	userData.signature = escape(userData.signature);
 	userData.birthday = validator.escape(String(userData.birthday || ''));
 	userData.moderationNote = validator.escape(String(userData.moderationNote || ''));
-
-	if (userData['cover:url']) {
-		userData['cover:url'] = userData['cover:url'].startsWith('http') ? userData['cover:url'] : (nconf.get('relative_path') + userData['cover:url']);
-	} else {
-		userData['cover:url'] = require('../../coverPhoto').getDefaultProfileCover(userData.uid);
-	}
-
 	userData['cover:position'] = validator.escape(String(userData['cover:position'] || '50% 50%'));
 	userData['username:disableEdit'] = !userData.isAdmin && meta.config['username:disableEdit'];
 	userData['email:disableEdit'] = !userData.isAdmin && meta.config['email:disableEdit'];
diff --git a/src/groups/data.js b/src/groups/data.js
index 1dc52e44ad..72eaaeda7d 100644
--- a/src/groups/data.js
+++ b/src/groups/data.js
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ const db = require('../database');
 const plugins = require('../plugins');
 const utils = require('../utils');
 const translator = require('../translator');
+const coverPhoto = require('../coverPhoto');
+
+const relative_path = nconf.get('relative_path');
+
+const prependRelativePath = url => url.startsWith('http') ? url : relative_path + url;
 
 const intFields = [
 	'createtime', 'memberCount', 'hidden', 'system', 'private',
@@ -81,17 +86,13 @@ function modifyGroup(group, fields) {
 
 		group['cover:thumb:url'] = group['cover:thumb:url'] || group['cover:url'];
 
-		if (group['cover:url']) {
-			group['cover:url'] = group['cover:url'].startsWith('http') ? group['cover:url'] : (nconf.get('relative_path') + group['cover:url']);
-		} else {
-			group['cover:url'] = require('../coverPhoto').getDefaultGroupCover(group.name);
-		}
+		group['cover:url'] = group['cover:url'] ?
+			prependRelativePath(group['cover:url']) :
+			coverPhoto.getDefaultGroupCover(group.name);
 
-		if (group['cover:thumb:url']) {
-			group['cover:thumb:url'] = group['cover:thumb:url'].startsWith('http') ? group['cover:thumb:url'] : (nconf.get('relative_path') + group['cover:thumb:url']);
-		} else {
-			group['cover:thumb:url'] = require('../coverPhoto').getDefaultGroupCover(group.name);
-		}
+		group['cover:thumb:url'] = group['cover:thumb:url'] ?
+			prependRelativePath(group['cover:thumb:url']) :
+			coverPhoto.getDefaultGroupCover(group.name);
 
 		group['cover:position'] = validator.escape(String(group['cover:position'] || '50% 50%'));
 	}
diff --git a/src/user/data.js b/src/user/data.js
index 0620e159a2..e76e9975af 100644
--- a/src/user/data.js
+++ b/src/user/data.js
@@ -9,9 +9,12 @@ const meta = require('../meta');
 const plugins = require('../plugins');
 const activitypub = require('../activitypub');
 const utils = require('../utils');
+const coverPhoto = require('../coverPhoto');
 
 const relative_path = nconf.get('relative_path');
 
+const prependRelativePath = url => url.startsWith('http') ? url : relative_path + url;
+
 const intFields = [
 	'uid', 'postcount', 'topiccount', 'reputation', 'profileviews',
 	'banned', 'banned:expire', 'email:confirmed', 'joindate', 'lastonline',
@@ -257,12 +260,18 @@ module.exports = function (User) {
 				parseGroupTitle(user);
 			}
 
-			if (user.picture && user.picture === user.uploadedpicture) {
-				user.uploadedpicture = user.picture.startsWith('http') ? user.picture : relative_path + user.picture;
-				user.picture = user.uploadedpicture;
-			} else if (user.uploadedpicture) {
-				user.uploadedpicture = user.uploadedpicture.startsWith('http') ? user.uploadedpicture : relative_path + user.uploadedpicture;
+			if (user.uploadedpicture || user.picture) {
+				const source = (user.picture && user.picture === user.uploadedpicture) ? user.picture : user.uploadedpicture;
+				if (source) {
+					user.uploadedpicture = prependRelativePath(source);
+					user.picture = user.uploadedpicture;
+				}
 			}
+
+			user['cover:url'] = user['cover:url'] ?
+				prependRelativePath(user['cover:url']) :
+				coverPhoto.getDefaultProfileCover(user.uid);
+
 			if (meta.config.defaultAvatar && !user.picture) {
 				user.picture = User.getDefaultAvatar();
 			}
diff --git a/test/user.js b/test/user.js
index 0fc1b4ef20..2d7d85f23b 100644
--- a/test/user.js
+++ b/test/user.js
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ describe('User', () => {
 			await assert.rejects(User.create({
 				username: '-.-', // slug becomes .
 				password: '123456',
-			}), { message: '[[error:invalid-username, -.-]]' });
+			}), { message: '[[error:invalid-username]]' });
 		});
 
 		it('should create user with valid slug (-.-.- => .-.)', async () => {