diff --git a/app/Config/ActivityPub.php b/app/Config/ActivityPub.php
index 7f2ea61c..062603db 100644
--- a/app/Config/ActivityPub.php
+++ b/app/Config/ActivityPub.php
@@ -11,4 +11,15 @@ class ActivityPub extends ActivityPubBase
      */
     public $actorObject = 'App\Libraries\PodcastActor';
     public $noteObject = 'App\Libraries\NoteObject';
+
+    /**
+     * --------------------------------------------------------------------
+     * Default avatar and cover images
+     * --------------------------------------------------------------------
+     */
+    public $defaultAvatarImagePath = 'assets/images/castopod-avatar-default.jpg';
+    public $defaultAvatarImageMimetype = 'image/jpeg';
+
+    public $defaultCoverImagePath = 'assets/images/castopod-cover-default.jpg';
+    public $defaultCoverImageMimetype = 'image/jpeg';
 }
diff --git a/app/Libraries/ActivityPub/Config/ActivityPub.php b/app/Libraries/ActivityPub/Config/ActivityPub.php
index 199817af..0feb9f16 100644
--- a/app/Libraries/ActivityPub/Config/ActivityPub.php
+++ b/app/Libraries/ActivityPub/Config/ActivityPub.php
@@ -19,4 +19,15 @@ class ActivityPub extends BaseConfig
      */
     public $actorObject = 'ActivityPub\Objects\ActorObject';
     public $noteObject = 'ActivityPub\Objects\NoteObject';
+
+    /**
+     * --------------------------------------------------------------------
+     * Default avatar and cover images
+     * --------------------------------------------------------------------
+     */
+    public $defaultAvatarImagePath = 'assets/images/avatar-default.jpg';
+    public $defaultAvatarImageMimetype = 'image/jpeg';
+
+    public $defaultCoverImagePath = 'assets/images/cover-default.jpg';
+    public $defaultCoverImageMimetype = 'image/jpeg';
 }
diff --git a/app/Libraries/ActivityPub/Database/Migrations/2018-01-01-010000_add_actors.php b/app/Libraries/ActivityPub/Database/Migrations/2018-01-01-010000_add_actors.php
index 9e6ab14c..9e2b2f5c 100644
--- a/app/Libraries/ActivityPub/Database/Migrations/2018-01-01-010000_add_actors.php
+++ b/app/Libraries/ActivityPub/Database/Migrations/2018-01-01-010000_add_actors.php
@@ -54,12 +54,14 @@ class AddActors extends Migration
             'avatar_image_url' => [
                 'type' => 'VARCHAR',
                 'constraint' => 255,
+                'null' => true,
             ],
             // constraint is 13 because the longest safe mimetype for images is image/svg+xml,
             // see https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Basics_of_HTTP/MIME_types#image_types
             'avatar_image_mimetype' => [
                 'type' => 'VARCHAR',
                 'constraint' => 13,
+                'null' => true,
             ],
             'cover_image_url' => [
                 'type' => 'VARCHAR',
diff --git a/app/Libraries/ActivityPub/Entities/Actor.php b/app/Libraries/ActivityPub/Entities/Actor.php
index 2d8d769d..acf73aa3 100644
--- a/app/Libraries/ActivityPub/Entities/Actor.php
+++ b/app/Libraries/ActivityPub/Entities/Actor.php
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ class Actor extends Entity
         'summary' => '?string',
         'private_key' => '?string',
         'public_key' => '?string',
-        'avatar_image_url' => 'string',
-        'avatar_image_mimetype' => 'string',
+        'avatar_image_url' => '?string',
+        'avatar_image_mimetype' => '?string',
         'cover_image_url' => '?string',
         'cover_image_mimetype' => '?string',
         'inbox_url' => 'string',
@@ -81,4 +81,40 @@ class Actor extends Entity
 
         return $this->followers;
     }
+
+    public function getAvatarImageUrl()
+    {
+        if (empty($this->attributes['avatar_image_url'])) {
+            return base_url(config('ActivityPub')->defaultAvatarImagePath);
+        }
+
+        return $this->attributes['avatar_image_url'];
+    }
+
+    public function getAvatarImageMimetype()
+    {
+        if (empty($this->attributes['avatar_image_mimetype'])) {
+            return config('ActivityPub')->defaultAvatarImageMimetype;
+        }
+
+        return $this->attributes['avatar_image_mimetype'];
+    }
+
+    public function getCoverImageUrl()
+    {
+        if (empty($this->attributes['cover_image_url'])) {
+            return base_url(config('ActivityPub')->defaultCoverImagePath);
+        }
+
+        return $this->attributes['cover_image_url'];
+    }
+
+    public function getCoverImageMimetype()
+    {
+        if (empty($this->attributes['cover_image_mimetype'])) {
+            return config('ActivityPub')->defaultCoverImageMimetype;
+        }
+
+        return $this->attributes['cover_image_mimetype'];
+    }
 }
diff --git a/app/Libraries/ActivityPub/Objects/ActorObject.php b/app/Libraries/ActivityPub/Objects/ActorObject.php
index 5d9f07ee..4fa0b806 100644
--- a/app/Libraries/ActivityPub/Objects/ActorObject.php
+++ b/app/Libraries/ActivityPub/Objects/ActorObject.php
@@ -91,13 +91,12 @@ class ActorObject extends ObjectType
         $this->outbox = $actor->outbox_url;
         $this->followers = $actor->followers_url;
 
-        if ($actor->cover_image_url) {
-            $this->image = [
-                'type' => 'Image',
-                'mediaType' => $actor->cover_image_mimetype,
-                'url' => $actor->cover_image_url,
-            ];
-        }
+        $this->image = [
+            'type' => 'Image',
+            'mediaType' => $actor->cover_image_mimetype,
+            'url' => $actor->cover_image_url,
+        ];
+
         $this->icon = [
             'type' => 'Image',
             'mediaType' => $actor->avatar_image_mimetype,
diff --git a/app/Models/PodcastModel.php b/app/Models/PodcastModel.php
index 67b2ef8b..e533bbb7 100644
--- a/app/Models/PodcastModel.php
+++ b/app/Models/PodcastModel.php
@@ -297,12 +297,6 @@ class PodcastModel extends Model
                 'public_key' => $publickey,
                 'display_name' => $data['data']['title'],
                 'summary' => $data['data']['description_html'],
-                'avatar_image_url' => '',
-                'avatar_image_mimetype' => '',
-                'cover_image_url' => base_url(
-                    'assets/images/castopod-cover-default.jpg',
-                ),
-                'cover_image_mimetype' => 'image/jpeg',
                 'inbox_url' => url_to('inbox', $username),
                 'outbox_url' => url_to('outbox', $username),
                 'followers_url' => url_to('followers', $username),
@@ -342,6 +336,7 @@ class PodcastModel extends Model
         $actor->display_name = $podcast->title;
         $actor->summary = $podcast->description_html;
         $actor->avatar_image_url = $podcast->image->thumbnail_url;
+        $actor->avatar_image_mimetype = $podcast->image_mimetype;
 
         if ($actor->hasChanged()) {
             $actorModel->update($actor->id, $actor);
diff --git a/app/Views/_assets/images/castopod-avatar-default.jpg b/app/Views/_assets/images/castopod-avatar-default.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..644126c5
Binary files /dev/null and b/app/Views/_assets/images/castopod-avatar-default.jpg differ
diff --git a/app/Views/podcast/_partials/header.php b/app/Views/podcast/_partials/header.php
index 1002dea9..48ce183d 100644
--- a/app/Views/podcast/_partials/header.php
+++ b/app/Views/podcast/_partials/header.php
@@ -1,10 +1,6 @@
 <header id="main-header" class="fixed top-0 left-0 flex-col flex-shrink-0 h-screen transform -translate-x-full sm:left-auto sm:-translate-x-0 sm:sticky w-80 sm:w-64 lg:w-80 xl:w-112 sm:flex">
-    <?php if ($podcast->actor->cover_image_url): ?>
-        <img src="<?= $podcast->actor
-            ->cover_image_url ?>" alt="" class="object-cover w-full h-48 bg-pine-900"/>
-    <?php else: ?>
-            <div class="w-full h-48 bg-pine-900"></div>
-    <?php endif; ?>
+    <img src="<?= $podcast->actor
+        ->cover_image_url ?>" alt="" class="object-cover w-full h-48 bg-pine-900"/>
     <div class="flex items-center justify-between px-4 py-2 mb-4 lg:px-6 -mt-14 lg:-mt-16 xl:-mt-20">
         <img src="<?= $podcast->image
             ->thumbnail_url ?>" alt="<?= $podcast->title ?>" class="h-24 rounded-full shadow-xl xl:h-36 lg:h-28 ring-4 ring-pine-50" />
diff --git a/app/Views/podcast/follow.php b/app/Views/podcast/follow.php
index 06336766..8a564a2e 100644
--- a/app/Views/podcast/follow.php
+++ b/app/Views/podcast/follow.php
@@ -31,11 +31,7 @@
             'ActivityPub.follow.subtitle',
         ) ?></h1>
         <div class="flex flex-col w-full max-w-xs -mt-24 overflow-hidden bg-white shadow rounded-xl">
-            <?php if ($actor->cover_image_url): ?>
             <img src="<?= $actor->cover_image_url ?>" alt="" class="object-cover w-full h-32 bg-pine-800" />
-            <?php else: ?>
-            <div class="w-full h-32 bg-pine-800"></div>
-            <?php endif; ?>
             <div class="flex px-4 py-2">
                 <img src="<?= $actor->avatar_image_url ?>" alt="<?= $actor->display_name ?>"
                     class="w-16 h-16 mr-4 -mt-8 rounded-full shadow-xl ring-2 ring-white" />