diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/services/AvatarService.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/services/AvatarService.java
index 3ac4462d..f28dc24e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/services/AvatarService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/services/AvatarService.java
@@ -212,7 +212,8 @@ public class AvatarService {
 		}
 		bitmap = Bitmap.createBitmap(size, size, Bitmap.Config.ARGB_8888);
 		Canvas canvas = new Canvas(bitmap);
-		final String letter = name.isEmpty() ? "X" : name.substring(0,1);
+		final String trimmedName = name.trim();
+		final String letter = trimmedName.isEmpty() ? "X" : trimmedName.substring(0,1);
 		final int color = UIHelper.getColorForName(name);
 		drawTile(canvas, letter, color, 0, 0, size, size);
 		mXmppConnectionService.getBitmapCache().put(KEY, bitmap);
diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/UIHelper.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/UIHelper.java
index ed1db287..b00447a4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/UIHelper.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/UIHelper.java
@@ -212,9 +212,9 @@ public class UIHelper {
 		if (counterpart==null) {
 			return "";
 		} else if (!counterpart.isBareJid()) {
-			return counterpart.getResourcepart();
+			return counterpart.getResourcepart().trim();
 		} else {
-			return counterpart.toString();
+			return counterpart.toString().trim();
 		}
 	}
 }