diff --git a/app/soapbox/components/avatar.js b/app/soapbox/components/avatar.js
index a4358332b..e909c44df 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/components/avatar.js
+++ b/app/soapbox/components/avatar.js
@@ -1,54 +1,25 @@
 import React from 'react';
-import { connect } from 'react-redux';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import ImmutablePropTypes from 'react-immutable-proptypes';
-import { getSettings } from 'soapbox/actions/settings';
+import classNames from 'classnames';
+import StillImage from 'soapbox/components/still_image';
 
-const mapStateToProps = state => ({
-  animate: getSettings(state).get('autoPlayGif'),
-});
-
-export class Avatar extends React.PureComponent {
+export default class Avatar extends React.PureComponent {
 
   static propTypes = {
     account: ImmutablePropTypes.map,
     size: PropTypes.number,
     style: PropTypes.object,
     inline: PropTypes.bool,
-    animate: PropTypes.bool,
   };
 
   static defaultProps = {
     inline: false,
   };
 
-  state = {
-    hovering: false,
-  };
-
-  handleMouseEnter = () => {
-    if (this.props.animate) return;
-    this.setState({ hovering: true });
-  }
-
-  handleMouseLeave = () => {
-    if (this.props.animate) return;
-    this.setState({ hovering: false });
-  }
-
   render() {
-    const { account, size, animate, inline } = this.props;
+    const { account, size, inline } = this.props;
     if (!account) return null;
-    const { hovering } = this.state;
-
-    const src = account.get('avatar');
-    const staticSrc = account.get('avatar_static');
-
-    let className = 'account__avatar';
-
-    if (inline) {
-      className = className + ' account__avatar-inline';
-    }
 
     // : TODO : remove inline and change all avatars to be sized using css
     const style = !size ? {} : {
@@ -56,22 +27,14 @@ export class Avatar extends React.PureComponent {
       height: `${size}px`,
     };
 
-    if (hovering || animate) {
-      style.backgroundImage = `url(${src})`;
-    } else {
-      style.backgroundImage = `url(${staticSrc})`;
-    }
-
     return (
-      <div
-        className={className}
-        onMouseEnter={this.handleMouseEnter}
-        onMouseLeave={this.handleMouseLeave}
+      <StillImage
+        className={classNames('account__avatar', { 'account__avatar-inline': inline })}
         style={style}
+        src={account.get('avatar')}
+        alt=''
       />
     );
   }
 
 }
-
-export default connect(mapStateToProps)(Avatar);
diff --git a/app/soapbox/components/avatar_composite.js b/app/soapbox/components/avatar_composite.js
index 06607cacd..c6d1eb8cc 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/components/avatar_composite.js
+++ b/app/soapbox/components/avatar_composite.js
@@ -1,24 +1,16 @@
 import React from 'react';
-import { connect } from 'react-redux';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import ImmutablePropTypes from 'react-immutable-proptypes';
-import { getSettings } from 'soapbox/actions/settings';
+import StillImage from 'soapbox/components/still_image';
 
-const mapStateToProps = state => ({
-  animate: getSettings(state).get('autoPlayGif'),
-});
-
-export default @connect(mapStateToProps)
-class AvatarComposite extends React.PureComponent {
+export default class AvatarComposite extends React.PureComponent {
 
   static propTypes = {
     accounts: ImmutablePropTypes.list.isRequired,
-    animate: PropTypes.bool,
     size: PropTypes.number.isRequired,
   };
 
   renderItem(account, size, index) {
-    const { animate } = this.props;
 
     let width  = 50;
     let height = 100;
@@ -76,12 +68,10 @@ class AvatarComposite extends React.PureComponent {
       bottom: bottom,
       width: `${width}%`,
       height: `${height}%`,
-      backgroundSize: 'cover',
-      backgroundImage: `url(${account.get(animate ? 'avatar' : 'avatar_static')})`,
     };
 
     return (
-      <div key={account.get('id')} style={style} />
+      <StillImage key={account.get('id')} src={account.get('avatar')} style={style} />
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/app/soapbox/components/avatar_overlay.js b/app/soapbox/components/avatar_overlay.js
index a72c4e614..802fe423a 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/components/avatar_overlay.js
+++ b/app/soapbox/components/avatar_overlay.js
@@ -1,40 +1,23 @@
 import React from 'react';
-import { connect } from 'react-redux';
-import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import ImmutablePropTypes from 'react-immutable-proptypes';
-import { getSettings } from 'soapbox/actions/settings';
+import StillImage from 'soapbox/components/still_image';
 
-const mapStateToProps = state => ({
-  animate: getSettings(state).get('autoPlayGif'),
-});
-
-export class AvatarOverlay extends React.PureComponent {
+export default class AvatarOverlay extends React.PureComponent {
 
   static propTypes = {
     account: ImmutablePropTypes.map.isRequired,
     friend: ImmutablePropTypes.map.isRequired,
-    animate: PropTypes.bool,
   };
 
   render() {
-    const { account, friend, animate } = this.props;
-
-    const baseStyle = {
-      backgroundImage: `url(${account.get(animate ? 'avatar' : 'avatar_static')})`,
-    };
-
-    const overlayStyle = {
-      backgroundImage: `url(${friend.get(animate ? 'avatar' : 'avatar_static')})`,
-    };
+    const { account, friend } = this.props;
 
     return (
       <div className='account__avatar-overlay'>
-        <div className='account__avatar-overlay-base' style={baseStyle} />
-        <div className='account__avatar-overlay-overlay' style={overlayStyle} />
+        <StillImage src={account.get('avatar')} className='account__avatar-overlay-base' />
+        <StillImage src={friend.get('avatar')} className='account__avatar-overlay-overlay' />
       </div>
     );
   }
 
 }
-
-export default connect(mapStateToProps)(AvatarOverlay);
diff --git a/app/soapbox/components/still_image.js b/app/soapbox/components/still_image.js
index 45ce770c7..ef02b13ef 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/components/still_image.js
+++ b/app/soapbox/components/still_image.js
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class StillImage extends React.PureComponent {
 
   hoverToPlay() {
     const { autoPlayGif, src } = this.props;
-    return !autoPlayGif && src.endsWith('.gif');
+    return !autoPlayGif && (src.endsWith('.gif') || src.startsWith('blob:'));
   }
 
   setCanvasRef = c => {
diff --git a/app/soapbox/features/account/components/header.js b/app/soapbox/features/account/components/header.js
index 83c87e0bf..908c71a50 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/features/account/components/header.js
+++ b/app/soapbox/features/account/components/header.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import { NavLink } from 'react-router-dom';
 import DropdownMenuContainer from 'soapbox/containers/dropdown_menu_container';
 import ProfileInfoPanel from '../../ui/components/profile_info_panel';
 import { debounce } from 'lodash';
-import { getSettings } from 'soapbox/actions/settings';
+import StillImage from 'soapbox/components/still_image';
 
 const messages = defineMessages({
   unfollow: { id: 'account.unfollow', defaultMessage: 'Unfollow' },
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ const mapStateToProps = state => {
   return {
     me,
     isStaff: isStaff(state.getIn(['accounts', me])),
-    autoPlayGif: getSettings(state).get('autoPlayGif'),
     version: parseVersion(state.getIn(['instance', 'version'])),
   };
 };
@@ -70,7 +69,6 @@ class Header extends ImmutablePureComponent {
     onBlock: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
     intl: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
     username: PropTypes.string,
-    autoPlayGif: PropTypes.bool,
     isStaff: PropTypes.bool.isRequired,
     version: PropTypes.object,
   };
@@ -226,7 +224,7 @@ class Header extends ImmutablePureComponent {
   };
 
   render() {
-    const { account, intl, username, me, autoPlayGif } = this.props;
+    const { account, intl, username, me } = this.props;
     const { isSmallScreen } = this.state;
 
     if (!account) {
@@ -252,8 +250,7 @@ class Header extends ImmutablePureComponent {
     const actionBtn = this.getActionBtn();
     const menu = this.makeMenu();
 
-    const headerImgSrc = autoPlayGif ? account.get('header') : account.get('header_static');
-    const headerMissing = (headerImgSrc.indexOf('/headers/original/missing.png') > -1);
+    const headerMissing = (account.get('header').indexOf('/headers/original/missing.png') > -1);
 
     const avatarSize = isSmallScreen ? 90 : 200;
 
@@ -264,7 +261,7 @@ class Header extends ImmutablePureComponent {
             {info}
           </div>
 
-          <img src={headerImgSrc} alt='' className='parallax' />
+          <StillImage src={account.get('header')} alt='' className='parallax' />
         </div>
 
         <div className='account__header__bar'>
diff --git a/app/soapbox/features/edit_profile/components/profile_preview.js b/app/soapbox/features/edit_profile/components/profile_preview.js
index 0e8923207..6b4166d22 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/features/edit_profile/components/profile_preview.js
+++ b/app/soapbox/features/edit_profile/components/profile_preview.js
@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import ImmutablePropTypes from 'react-immutable-proptypes';
 import { acctFull } from 'soapbox/utils/accounts';
+import StillImage from 'soapbox/components/still_image';
 
 const ProfilePreview = ({ account }) => (
   <div className='card h-card'>
     <a target='_blank' rel='noopener' href={account.get('url')}>
       <div className='card__img'>
-        <img alt='' src={account.get('header')} />
+        <StillImage alt='' src={account.get('header')} />
       </div>
       <div className='card__bar'>
         <div className='avatar'>
-          <img alt='' className='u-photo' src={account.get('avatar')} width='48' height='48' />
+          <StillImage alt='' className='u-photo' src={account.get('avatar')} width='48' height='48' />
         </div>
         <div className='display-name'>
           <span style={{ display: 'none' }}>{account.get('username')}</span>
diff --git a/app/soapbox/features/ui/components/user_panel.js b/app/soapbox/features/ui/components/user_panel.js
index d434ff4cc..83dfd2099 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/features/ui/components/user_panel.js
+++ b/app/soapbox/features/ui/components/user_panel.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import ImmutablePureComponent from 'react-immutable-pure-component';
 import Avatar from 'soapbox/components/avatar';
 import { shortNumberFormat } from 'soapbox/utils/numbers';
 import { acctFull } from 'soapbox/utils/accounts';
-import { getSettings } from 'soapbox/actions/settings';
+import StillImage from 'soapbox/components/still_image';
 
 class UserPanel extends ImmutablePureComponent {
 
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ class UserPanel extends ImmutablePureComponent {
   }
 
   render() {
-    const { account, intl, domain, autoPlayGif } = this.props;
+    const { account, intl, domain } = this.props;
     if (!account) return null;
     const displayNameHtml = { __html: account.get('display_name_html') };
     const acct = account.get('acct').indexOf('@') === -1 && domain ? `${account.get('acct')}@${domain}` : account.get('acct');
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class UserPanel extends ImmutablePureComponent {
         <div className='user-panel__container'>
 
           <div className='user-panel__header'>
-            <img src={autoPlayGif ? account.get('header') : account.get('header_static')} alt='' />
+            <StillImage src={account.get('header')} alt='' />
           </div>
 
           <div className='user-panel__profile'>
@@ -91,7 +91,6 @@ const mapStateToProps = state => {
 
   return {
     account: getAccount(state, me),
-    autoPlayGif: getSettings(state).get('autoPlayGif'),
   };
 };
 
diff --git a/app/styles/accounts.scss b/app/styles/accounts.scss
index 02dec30f8..da3025186 100644
--- a/app/styles/accounts.scss
+++ b/app/styles/accounts.scss
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
     background: var(--background-color);
     border-radius: 4px 4px 0 0;
 
-    img {
+    .still-image {
       display: block;
       width: 100%;
       height: 100%;
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
       height: 48px;
       padding-top: 2px;
 
-      img {
+      .still-image {
         width: 100%;
         height: 100%;
         display: block;
diff --git a/app/styles/components/account-header.scss b/app/styles/components/account-header.scss
index 7fff5095d..78a9e7e78 100644
--- a/app/styles/components/account-header.scss
+++ b/app/styles/components/account-header.scss
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
     background: var(--accent-color--med);
     @media screen and (max-width: 895px) {height: 225px;}
     &--none {height: 125px;}
-
     img {
       object-fit: cover;
       display: block;
@@ -29,6 +28,23 @@
       height: 100%;
       margin: 0;
     }
+
+    .still-image--play-on-hover::before {
+      content: 'GIF';
+      position: absolute;
+      color: var(--primary-text-color);
+      background: var(--foreground-color);
+      top: 6px;
+      left: 6px;
+      padding: 2px 6px;
+      border-radius: 2px;
+      font-size: 11px;
+      font-weight: 600;
+      pointer-events: none;
+      opacity: 0.9;
+      transition: opacity 0.1s ease;
+      line-height: 18px;
+    }
   }
 
   &__bar {
@@ -58,6 +74,23 @@
       background-size: 200px 200px;
     }
 
+    .still-image--play-on-hover::before {
+      content: 'GIF';
+      position: absolute;
+      color: var(--primary-text-color);
+      background: var(--foreground-color);
+      bottom: 15%;
+      left: 15%;
+      padding: 1px 4px;
+      border-radius: 2px;
+      font-size: 8px;
+      font-weight: 600;
+      pointer-events: none;
+      opacity: 0.9;
+      transition: opacity 0.1s ease;
+      line-height: 13px;
+    }
+
     @media screen and (max-width: 895px) {
       top: -45px;
       left: 10px;