From GET /config/server/info I get a PluginConfigInfo with:

"plugin" : {
   "js_resource_paths" : [
      "plugins/codemirror-editor/static/codemirror_editor.js",
      "plugins/delete-project/static/delete-project.js",
      "plugins/lfs/static/gr-lfs.js",
      "plugins/reviewers/static/rv-reviewers.js",
      "plugins/zuul/static/zuul.js"
   ]
},

The doc states:

has_avatars: not set if false. Whether an avatar provider is registered.

js_resource_paths: A list of relative paths (strings). Each path points to a frontend plugin that should be loaded, e.g. plugins/codemirror_editor/static/codemirror_editor.js.

Thus we do not have an avatar provider.

In polygerrit-ui/app/elements/shared/gr-avatar/gr-avatars.ts, the GrAvatar element has:

@property({type: Boolean})
_hasAvatars = false;

And:

this._hasAvatars = !!(cfg && cfg.plugin && cfg.plugin.has_avatars);

Which should hide it:

_updateAvatarURL() {
  if (!this._hasAvatars || !this.account) {
    this.hidden = true;
    return;
  }
  this.hidden = false;

And in the DOM I see: <gr-avatar image-size="32" hidden="">. Gotta file it to Upstream :)

Fixed with https://gerrit-review.googlesource.com/c/gerrit/+/313983 and https://gerrit-review.googlesource.com/c/gerrit/+/313982/7.

I guess needs backporting.

https://gerrit-review.googlesource.com/c/gerrit/+/313982/7 Was merged on 3.4 and I’ve backported https://gerrit-review.googlesource.com/c/gerrit/+/336094 to 3.4

Upstream fix has been released in Gerrit 3.4.5