diff --git a/src/components/views/avatars/BaseAvatar.js b/src/components/views/avatars/BaseAvatar.js
index 456539b374..70c0ed3eae 100644
--- a/src/components/views/avatars/BaseAvatar.js
+++ b/src/components/views/avatars/BaseAvatar.js
@@ -145,30 +145,30 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
         if (imageUrl === this.state.defaultImageUrl) {
             const initialLetter = this._getInitialLetter(name);
+            const textNode = <EmojiText className="mx_BaseAvatar_initial" aria-hidden="true"
+                style={{ fontSize: (width * 0.65) + "px",
+                width: width + "px",
+                lineHeight: height + "px" }}
+            >
+                {initialLetter}
+            </EmojiText>;
+            const imgNode = <img className="mx_BaseAvatar_image" src={imageUrl}
+                    alt="" title={title} onError={this.onError}
+                    width={width} height={height} />;
             if (onClick != null) {
                 return (
                     <AccessibleButton element='span' className="mx_BaseAvatar"
                         onClick={onClick} {...otherProps}
                     >
-                        <EmojiText className="mx_BaseAvatar_initial" aria-hidden="true"
-                                style={{ fontSize: (width * 0.65) + "px",
-                                        width: width + "px",
-                                        lineHeight: height + "px" }}>{initialLetter}</EmojiText>
-                        <img className="mx_BaseAvatar_image" src={imageUrl}
-                            alt="" title={title} onError={this.onError}
-                            width={width} height={height} />
+                        {textNode}
+                        {imgNode}
                     </AccessibleButton>
                 );
             } else {
                 return (
                     <span className="mx_BaseAvatar" {...otherProps}>
-                        <EmojiText className="mx_BaseAvatar_initial" aria-hidden="true"
-                                style={{ fontSize: (width * 0.65) + "px",
-                                        width: width + "px",
-                                        lineHeight: height + "px" }}>{initialLetter}</EmojiText>
-                        <img className="mx_BaseAvatar_image" src={imageUrl}
-                            alt="" title={title} onError={this.onError}
-                            width={width} height={height} />
+                        {textNode}
+                        {imgNode}
                     </span>
                 );
             }