diff --git a/lib/letter-avatars.js b/lib/letter-avatars.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e4d4f84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/letter-avatars.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+"use strict";
+
+// external modules
+var seedrandom = require('seedrandom');
+
+// core
+module.exports = function(name) {
+    var colors = ["#5A8770", "#B2B7BB", "#6FA9AB", "#F5AF29", "#0088B9", "#F18636", "#D93A37", "#A6B12E", "#5C9BBC", "#F5888D", "#9A89B5", "#407887", "#9A89B5", "#5A8770", "#D33F33", "#A2B01F", "#F0B126", "#0087BF", "#F18636", "#0087BF", "#B2B7BB", "#72ACAE", "#9C8AB4", "#5A8770", "#EEB424", "#407887"];
+    var color = colors[Math.floor(seedrandom(name)() * colors.length)];
+    var letter = name.substring(0, 1).toUpperCase();
+
+    var svg = '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>';
+    svg += '<svg xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" height="96" width="96" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 96 96">';
+    svg += '<g>';
+    svg += '<rect width="96" height="96" fill="' + color + '" />';
+    svg += '<text font-size="64px" font-family="sans-serif" text-anchor="middle" fill="#ffffff">';
+    svg += '<tspan x="48" y="72" stroke-width=".26458px" fill="#ffffff">' + letter + '</tspan>';
+    svg += '</text>';
+    svg += '</g>';
+    svg += '</svg>';
+
+    return 'data:image/svg+xml;base64,' + new Buffer(svg).toString('base64');
+};
diff --git a/lib/models/user.js b/lib/models/user.js
index aaf344d..7d27242 100644
--- a/lib/models/user.js
+++ b/lib/models/user.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ var scrypt = require('scrypt');
 
 // core
 var logger = require("../logger.js");
+var letterAvatars = require('../letter-avatars.js');
 
 module.exports = function (sequelize, DataTypes) {
     var User = sequelize.define("User", {
@@ -105,6 +106,16 @@ module.exports = function (sequelize, DataTypes) {
                     case "google":
                         photo = profile.photos[0].value.replace(/(\?sz=)\d*$/i, '$196');
                         break;
+                    case "ldap":
+                        //no image api provided,
+                        //use gravatar if email exists,
+                        //otherwise generate a letter avatar
+                        if (profile.emails[0]) {
+                            photo = 'https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/' + md5(profile.emails[0]) + '?s=96';
+                        } else {
+                            photo = letterAvatars(profile.username);
+                        }
+                        break;
                 }
                 return photo;
             },
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 4ef1031..e75f901 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@
     "reveal.js": "^3.3.0",
     "sequelize": "^3.24.3",
     "scrypt": "^6.0.3",
+    "seedrandom": "^2.4.2",
     "select2": "^3.5.2-browserify",
     "sequelize-cli": "^2.4.0",
     "shortid": "2.2.6",