diff --git a/author-pane-user-picture.tpl.php b/author-pane-user-picture.tpl.php
index b972bd1..a51f748 100644
--- a/author-pane-user-picture.tpl.php
+++ b/author-pane-user-picture.tpl.php
@@ -22,7 +22,15 @@
 <?php if (!empty($picture)): ?>
   <div class="picture">
     <?php if ($imagecache_used): ?>
-      <a href="<?php print file_create_url($account->picture->uri); ?>" rel="lightbox"><?php print $picture; ?></a>
+      <?php if (isset($account->picture)): ?>
+        <a href="<?php print file_create_url($account->picture->uri); ?>" rel="lightbox"><?php print $picture; ?></a>
+      <?php else: ?>
+        <?php if (stripos(variable_get('user_picture_default', ''), 'http://') !== FALSE): ?>
+          <a href="<?php print variable_get('user_picture_default', ''); ?>" rel="lightbox"><img src="<?php print variable_get('user_picture_default', ''); ?>"/></a>
+        <?php else: ?>
+          <a href="<?php print file_create_url(variable_get('file_public_path', '') . '/' . variable_get('user_picture_default', '')); ?>" rel="lightbox"><?php print $picture; ?></a>
+        <?php endif; ?>
+      <?php endif; ?>
     <?php else: ?>
       <?php print $picture; ?>
     <?php endif; ?>