diff --git a/src/components/views/messages/RoomAvatarEvent.js b/src/components/views/messages/RoomAvatarEvent.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9f69473dd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/views/messages/RoomAvatarEvent.js
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2017 Vector Creations Ltd
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+'use strict';
+
+var React = require('react');
+
+var MatrixClientPeg = require("../../../MatrixClientPeg");
+var ContentRepo = require("matrix-js-sdk").ContentRepo;
+import { _tJsx } from '../../../languageHandler';
+import sdk from '../../../index';
+import Modal from '../../../Modal';
+import AccessibleButton from '../elements/AccessibleButton';
+
+module.exports = React.createClass({
+    displayName: 'RoomAvatarEvent',
+
+    propTypes: {
+        /* the MatrixEvent to show */
+        mxEvent: React.PropTypes.object.isRequired,
+    },
+
+    onAvatarClick: function(name, e) {
+        var httpUrl = MatrixClientPeg.get().mxcUrlToHttp(this.props.mxEvent.getContent().url);
+        var ImageView = sdk.getComponent("elements.ImageView");
+        var params = {
+            src: httpUrl,
+            name: name,
+        };
+        Modal.createDialog(ImageView, params, "mx_Dialog_lightbox");
+    },
+
+    render: function() {
+        var ev = this.props.mxEvent;
+        var senderDisplayName = ev.sender && ev.sender.name ? ev.sender.name : ev.getSender();
+        var BaseAvatar = sdk.getComponent("avatars.BaseAvatar");
+
+        var room = MatrixClientPeg.get().getRoom(this.props.mxEvent.getRoomId());
+        var name = room ? room.name : '';
+
+        if (!ev.getContent().url || ev.getContent().url.trim().length === 0) {
+            return (
+                <div className="mx_TextualEvent">
+                    { _t('%(senderDisplayName)s removed the room avatar.', {senderDisplayName: senderDisplayName}) }
+                </div>
+            );
+        }
+
+        var url = ContentRepo.getHttpUriForMxc(
+                    MatrixClientPeg.get().getHomeserverUrl(),
+                    ev.getContent().url,
+                    14 * window.devicePixelRatio,
+                    14 * window.devicePixelRatio,
+                    'crop'
+                );
+
+        // it sucks that _tJsx doesn't support normal _t substitutions :((
+        return (
+            <div className="mx_RoomAvatarEvent">
+                { _tJsx('$senderDisplayName changed the room avatar to <img/>',
+                         [
+                            /\$senderDisplayName/,
+                            /<img\/>/,
+                         ],
+                         [
+                            (sub) => senderDisplayName,
+                            (sub) =>
+                                <AccessibleButton className="mx_RoomAvatarEvent_avatar"
+                                                  onClick={ this.onAvatarClick.bind(name) }>
+                                    <BaseAvatar width="14" height="14" url={ url }
+                                                name={ name } />
+                                </AccessibleButton>,
+                         ]
+                    )
+                }
+            </div>
+        );
+    },
+});