diff --git a/telegram/utils.go b/telegram/utils.go
index 618ca6f..8f27279 100644
--- a/telegram/utils.go
+++ b/telegram/utils.go
@@ -499,8 +499,13 @@ func (c *Client) ProcessStatusUpdate(chatID int64, status string, show string, o
 		return err
 	}
 
+	var isMUC bool
 	if chat != nil && c.Session.MUC && c.IsGroup(chat) {
-		return nil
+		// allow MUC presence hack for avatars, still discard the rest
+		if status != "" || show != "" {
+			return nil
+		}
+		isMUC = true
 	}
 
 	var photo string
@@ -513,36 +518,39 @@ func (c *Client) ProcessStatusUpdate(chatID int64, status string, show string, o
 		presenceType = gateway.SPType.Get(oldArgs)
 	}
 
-	cachedStatus, ok := c.cache.GetStatus(chatID)
-	if status == "" {
-		if ok {
-			var typ string
-			show, status, typ = cachedStatus.Destruct()
-			if presenceType == "" {
-				presenceType = typ
+	// skip cache for MUCs
+	if !isMUC {
+		cachedStatus, ok := c.cache.GetStatus(chatID)
+		if status == "" {
+			if ok {
+				var typ string
+				show, status, typ = cachedStatus.Destruct()
+				if presenceType == "" {
+					presenceType = typ
+				}
+				log.WithFields(log.Fields{
+					"show":         show,
+					"status":       status,
+					"presenceType": presenceType,
+				}).Debug("Cached status")
+			} else if user != nil && user.Status != nil {
+				show, status, presenceType = c.userStatusToText(user.Status, chatID)
+				log.WithFields(log.Fields{
+					"show":         show,
+					"status":       status,
+					"presenceType": presenceType,
+				}).Debug("Status to text")
+			} else {
+				show, status = "chat", chat.Title
 			}
-			log.WithFields(log.Fields{
-				"show":         show,
-				"status":       status,
-				"presenceType": presenceType,
-			}).Debug("Cached status")
-		} else if user != nil && user.Status != nil {
-			show, status, presenceType = c.userStatusToText(user.Status, chatID)
-			log.WithFields(log.Fields{
-				"show":         show,
-				"status":       status,
-				"presenceType": presenceType,
-			}).Debug("Status to text")
-		} else {
-			show, status = "chat", chat.Title
 		}
-	}
 
-	cacheShow := show
-	if presenceType == "unavailable" {
-		cacheShow = presenceType
+		cacheShow := show
+		if presenceType == "unavailable" {
+			cacheShow = presenceType
+		}
+		c.cache.SetStatus(chatID, cacheShow, status)
 	}
-	c.cache.SetStatus(chatID, cacheShow, status)
 
 	newArgs := []args.V{
 		gateway.SPShow(show),
@@ -576,7 +584,11 @@ func (c *Client) ProcessStatusUpdate(chatID int64, status string, show string, o
 	}
 	c.locks.mucCacheLock.Unlock()
 
-	newArgs = gateway.SPAppendFrom(newArgs, chatID)
+	if isMUC {
+		newArgs = append(newArgs, gateway.SPFullFrom(gateway.MUCJID(chatID)))
+	} else {
+		newArgs = gateway.SPAppendFrom(newArgs, chatID)
+	}
 
 	return c.sendPresence(newArgs...)
 }
@@ -1809,7 +1821,13 @@ func (c *Client) SendMessageToGateway(chatId int64, message *client.Message, id
 					if ok && features != nil {
 						for _, feature := range *features {
 							if feature == gateway.NodeAvatarMetadataNotify {
-								go gateway.SendPubSubAvatarNotification(c.xmpp, c.jid+"/"+resource, chatId, sha1, size)
+								var chatJid string
+								if isGroupchat {
+									chatJid = gateway.MUCJID(chatId)
+								} else {
+									chatJid = gateway.CHATJID(chatId, false)
+								}
+								go gateway.SendPubSubAvatarNotification(c.xmpp, c.jid+"/"+resource, chatJid, sha1, size)
 								break
 							}
 						}
diff --git a/xmpp/gateway/gateway.go b/xmpp/gateway/gateway.go
index c6de4f8..bb3d9de 100644
--- a/xmpp/gateway/gateway.go
+++ b/xmpp/gateway/gateway.go
@@ -686,7 +686,7 @@ func affiliationToRole(affilation string) string {
 }
 
 // SendPubSubAvatarNotification encourages clients to fetch an avatar
-func SendPubSubAvatarNotification(component *xmpp.Component, jid string, chatId int64, sha1 string, size int64) {
+func SendPubSubAvatarNotification(component *xmpp.Component, jid string, chatJid string, sha1 string, size int64) {
 	info := stanza.Node{
 		XMLName: xml.Name{Local: "info"},
 		Attrs: []xml.Attr{
@@ -698,7 +698,7 @@ func SendPubSubAvatarNotification(component *xmpp.Component, jid string, chatId
 		},
 	}
 	log.WithFields(log.Fields{
-		"chatId": chatId,
+		"chatJid": chatJid,
 	}).Debugf("%#v", info)
 
 	event := &stanza.PubSubEvent{
@@ -718,7 +718,7 @@ func SendPubSubAvatarNotification(component *xmpp.Component, jid string, chatId
 
 	message := stanza.Message{
 		Attrs: stanza.Attrs{
-			From: CHATJID(chatId, false),
+			From: chatJid,
 			To:   jid,
 			Type: stanza.MessageTypeHeadline,
 		},
diff --git a/xmpp/handlers.go b/xmpp/handlers.go
index 576b533..b41e3ad 100644
--- a/xmpp/handlers.go
+++ b/xmpp/handlers.go
@@ -2193,7 +2193,13 @@ func sendPubSubAvatarNotifications(s xmpp.Sender, jid string, session *telegram.
 		sha1 := session.GetPhotoSha1(chat.Photo.Small, chat.Id)
 		size := session.GetPhotoSize(chat.Photo.Small)
 
-		gateway.SendPubSubAvatarNotification(component, jid, chat.Id, sha1, size)
+		var chatJid string
+		if session.Session.MUC && session.IsGroup(chat) {
+			chatJid = gateway.MUCJID(chat.Id)
+		} else {
+			chatJid = gateway.CHATJID(chat.Id, false)
+		}
+		gateway.SendPubSubAvatarNotification(component, jid, chatJid, sha1, size)
 	}
 }