diff --git a/app/helpers/avatars_helper.rb b/app/helpers/avatars_helper.rb
index b39427bda..88a571b62 100644
--- a/app/helpers/avatars_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/avatars_helper.rb
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ module AvatarsHelper
       if user.respond_to?(:mail)
         email = user.mail
         options[:title] = user.name unless options[:title]
+        options[:initials] = user.initials if options[:default] == "initials"
       elsif user.to_s =~ %r{<(.+?)>}
         email = $1
       end
diff --git a/app/helpers/settings_helper.rb b/app/helpers/settings_helper.rb
index 39a836a03..c1f989805 100644
--- a/app/helpers/settings_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/settings_helper.rb
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ module SettingsHelper
      ['Mystery man', 'mm'],
      ['Retro', 'retro'],
      ['Robohash', 'robohash'],
-     ['Wavatars', 'wavatar']]
+     ['Wavatars', 'wavatar'],
+     ['Initials', 'initials']]
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 9f74a60fb..c1a860f5a 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -28,46 +28,55 @@ class User < Principal
   USER_FORMATS = {
     :firstname_lastname => {
       :string => '#{firstname} #{lastname}',
+      :initials => '#{firstname.to_s.first}#{lastname.to_s.first}',
       :order => %w(firstname lastname id),
       :setting_order => 1
     },
     :firstname_lastinitial => {
       :string => '#{firstname} #{lastname.to_s.chars.first}.',
+      :initials => '#{firstname.to_s.first}#{lastname.to_s.first}',
       :order => %w(firstname lastname id),
       :setting_order => 2
     },
     :firstinitial_lastname => {
       :string => '#{firstname.to_s.gsub(/(([[:alpha:]])[[:alpha:]]*\.?)/, \'\2.\')} #{lastname}',
+      :initials => '#{firstname.to_s.gsub(/(([[:alpha:]])[[:alpha:]]*\.?)/, \'\2.\').first}#{lastname.to_s.first}',
       :order => %w(firstname lastname id),
       :setting_order => 2
     },
     :firstname => {
       :string => '#{firstname}',
+      :initials => '#{firstname.to_s.first(2)}',
       :order => %w(firstname id),
       :setting_order => 3
     },
     :lastname_firstname => {
       :string => '#{lastname} #{firstname}',
+      :initials => '#{lastname.to_s.first}#{firstname.to_s.first}',
       :order => %w(lastname firstname id),
       :setting_order => 4
     },
     :lastnamefirstname => {
       :string => '#{lastname}#{firstname}',
+      :initials => '#{lastname.to_s.first}#{firstname.to_s.first}',
       :order => %w(lastname firstname id),
       :setting_order => 5
     },
     :lastname_comma_firstname => {
       :string => '#{lastname}, #{firstname}',
+      :initials => '#{lastname.to_s.first}#{firstname.to_s.first}',
       :order => %w(lastname firstname id),
       :setting_order => 6
     },
     :lastname => {
       :string => '#{lastname}',
+      :initials => '#{lastname.to_s.first(2)}',
       :order => %w(lastname id),
       :setting_order => 7
     },
     :username => {
       :string => '#{login}',
+      :initials => '#{login.to_s.first(2)}',
       :order => %w(login id),
       :setting_order => 8
     },
@@ -275,6 +284,14 @@ class User < Principal
     end
   end
 
+  # Return user's initials based on name format
+  def initials(formatter = nil)
+    f = self.class.name_formatter(formatter)
+    format = f[:initials] || USER_FORMATS[:firstname_lastname][:initials]
+    initials = eval('"' + format + '"')
+    initials.upcase
+  end
+
   def registered?
     self.status == STATUS_REGISTERED
   end
diff --git a/app/views/settings/_display.html.erb b/app/views/settings/_display.html.erb
index 62c53dfbb..3b2f95798 100644
--- a/app/views/settings/_display.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/settings/_display.html.erb
@@ -22,7 +22,12 @@
 <p><%= setting_check_box :gravatar_enabled, :data => {:enables => '#settings_gravatar_default'} %>
 <em class="info"><%= t(:text_avatar_server_config_html, :url => Redmine::Configuration['avatar_server_url']) %></em></p>
 
-<p><%= setting_select :gravatar_default, gravatar_default_setting_options, :blank => :label_none %></p>
+<p>
+  <%= setting_select :gravatar_default, gravatar_default_setting_options, :blank => :label_none %>
+  <em class="<%= Setting.gravatar_default == "initials" ? "info" : "hidden" %>">
+    <%= t(:text_setting_gravatar_default_initials_html) %>
+  </em>
+</p>
 
 <p><%= setting_check_box :thumbnails_enabled, :data => {:enables => '#settings_thumbnails_size'} %></p>
 
@@ -35,3 +40,18 @@
 
 <%= submit_tag l(:button_save) %>
 <% end %>
+
+<%= javascript_tag do %>
+  $('#settings_gravatar_default').on('change', function(e){
+  const gravatar_default = e.target.value;
+  const em = e.target.parentElement.getElementsByTagName('em')[0];
+
+  if (gravatar_default === 'initials') {
+    em.classList.remove('hidden');
+    em.classList.add('info');
+  } else {
+    em.classList.add('hidden');
+    em.classList.remove('info');
+  }
+  });
+<% end %>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index 5f7291593..dca278e23 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -1342,6 +1342,7 @@ en:
   text_no_subject: no subject
   text_allowed_queries_to_select: Public (to any users) queries only selectable
   text_setting_config_change: You can configure the behaviour in config/configuration.yml. Please restart the application after editing it.
+  text_setting_gravatar_default_initials_html: Users' initials are sent to <a href="https://www.gravatar.com">https://www.gravatar.com</a> to generate their avatars.
 
   default_role_manager: Manager
   default_role_developer: Developer
diff --git a/lib/plugins/gravatar/lib/gravatar.rb b/lib/plugins/gravatar/lib/gravatar.rb
index 4dc27db52..316a01b19 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/gravatar/lib/gravatar.rb
+++ b/lib/plugins/gravatar/lib/gravatar.rb
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ module GravatarHelper
       options[:default] = CGI::escape(options[:default]) unless options[:default].nil?
       gravatar_api_url(email_hash).tap do |url|
         opts = []
-        [:rating, :size, :default].each do |opt|
+        [:rating, :size, :default, :initials].each do |opt|
           unless options[opt].nil?
             value = h(options[opt])
             opts << [opt, value].join('=')
diff --git a/test/helpers/avatars_helper_test.rb b/test/helpers/avatars_helper_test.rb
index f407ae09e..baa64a653 100644
--- a/test/helpers/avatars_helper_test.rb
+++ b/test/helpers/avatars_helper_test.rb
@@ -68,6 +68,18 @@ class AvatarsHelperTest < Redmine::HelperTest
     assert_include 'class="gravatar picture"', avatar('jsmith <jsmith@somenet.foo>', :class => 'picture')
   end
 
+  def test_avatar_with_initials
+    with_settings :gravatar_default => 'initials' do
+      assert_include 'initials="RA"', avatar(User.find(1))
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_avatar_should_reject_initials_if_default_is_not_initials
+    with_settings :gravatar_default => 'identicon' do
+      assert_not_include 'initials="RA"', avatar(User.find(1))
+    end
+  end
+
   def test_avatar_disabled
     with_settings :gravatar_enabled => '0' do
       assert_equal '', avatar(User.find_by_mail('jsmith@somenet.foo'))
diff --git a/test/unit/user_test.rb b/test/unit/user_test.rb
index aeae62df8..8474e174b 100644
--- a/test/unit/user_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/user_test.rb
@@ -589,6 +589,27 @@ class UserTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     end
   end
 
+  def test_initials_format
+    assert_equal 'JS', @jsmith.initials(:firstname_lastinitial)
+    assert_equal 'SJ', @jsmith.initials(:lastname_comma_firstname)
+    assert_equal 'SJ', @jsmith.initials(:lastname_firstname)
+    assert_equal 'JS', @jsmith.initials(:firstinitial_lastname)
+    assert_equal 'JL', User.new(:firstname => 'Jean-Philippe', :lastname => 'Lang').initials(:firstinitial_lastname)
+    assert_equal 'JS', @jsmith.initials(:undefined_format)
+  end
+
+  def test_initials_should_use_setting_as_default_format
+    with_settings :user_format => :firstname_lastname do
+      assert_equal 'JS', @jsmith.reload.initials
+    end
+    with_settings :user_format => :username do
+      assert_equal 'JS', @jsmith.reload.initials
+    end
+    with_settings :user_format => :lastname do
+      assert_equal 'SM', @jsmith.reload.initials
+    end
+  end
+
   def test_lastname_should_accept_255_characters
     u = User.first
     u.lastname = 'a' * 255