diff --git a/ui/src/common/ImageUploadOverlay.jsx b/ui/src/common/ImageUploadOverlay.jsx
index 119426c73..03144ddc0 100644
--- a/ui/src/common/ImageUploadOverlay.jsx
+++ b/ui/src/common/ImageUploadOverlay.jsx
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ export const ImageUploadOverlay = ({
           body: formData,
         })
         notify(msg.uploaded, 'success')
-        if (onImageChange) onImageChange()
+        if (onImageChange) onImageChange(true)
         refresh()
       } catch (err) {
         notify(msg.uploadError, 'warning')
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ export const ImageUploadOverlay = ({
           method: 'DELETE',
         })
         notify(msg.removed, 'success')
-        if (onImageChange) onImageChange()
+        if (onImageChange) onImageChange(false)
         refresh()
       } catch (err) {
         notify(msg.removeError, 'warning')
diff --git a/ui/src/layout/UserMenu.jsx b/ui/src/layout/UserMenu.jsx
index 49c64928d..1b465ed35 100644
--- a/ui/src/layout/UserMenu.jsx
+++ b/ui/src/layout/UserMenu.jsx
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import {
   useState,
 } from 'react'
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types'
-import { useTranslate, useGetIdentity } from 'react-admin'
+import { useTranslate, useGetIdentity, useVersion } from 'react-admin'
 import {
   Tooltip,
   IconButton,
@@ -52,15 +52,24 @@ const UserMenu = (props) => {
   const [anchorEl, setAnchorEl] = useState(null)
   const translate = useTranslate()
   const { loaded, identity } = useGetIdentity()
+  const version = useVersion()
+  const [avatarTag, setAvatarTag] = useState(null)
   const classes = useStyles(props)
   const dispatch = useDispatch()
 
   const { children, label, icon, logout } = props
 
-  // identity.id is the username (see authProvider.getIdentity); avatarTag is only set when an avatar was uploaded
-  const avatarUrl = identity?.avatarTag
-    ? `${subsonic.getAvatarUrl(identity.id)}&_=${identity.avatarTag}`
-    : identity?.avatar
+  // The tag is only set when an avatar was uploaded, and it changes mid-session on upload or
+  // removal, so the identity is re-read on every refresh instead of trusting the login snapshot.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    authProvider.getIdentity().then((user) => setAvatarTag(user?.avatarTag))
+  }, [version])
+
+  // identity.id is the username (see authProvider.getIdentity)
+  const avatarUrl =
+    avatarTag && identity?.id
+      ? `${subsonic.getAvatarUrl(identity.id)}&_=${avatarTag}`
+      : identity?.avatar
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (config.devActivityPanel) {
diff --git a/ui/src/layout/UserMenu.test.jsx b/ui/src/layout/UserMenu.test.jsx
index 15c42e81b..4a21b94ca 100644
--- a/ui/src/layout/UserMenu.test.jsx
+++ b/ui/src/layout/UserMenu.test.jsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import React from 'react'
 import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react'
-import { describe, it, expect, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
 import UserMenu from './UserMenu'
 
 vi.mock('../subsonic', () => ({
@@ -14,34 +14,42 @@ vi.mock('react-redux', () => ({
 }))
 
 let mockIdentity
+let mockVersion
 vi.mock('react-admin', () => ({
   useTranslate: () => (x) => x,
   useGetIdentity: () => ({ loaded: true, identity: mockIdentity }),
+  useVersion: () => mockVersion,
 }))
 
 const renderUserMenu = (identity) => {
   mockIdentity = identity
-  render(<UserMenu label="menu.settings" logout={<div>Logout</div>} />)
+  return render(<UserMenu label="menu.settings" logout={<div>Logout</div>} />)
 }
 
 describe('<UserMenu />', () => {
-  it('uses the uploaded avatar when the identity has an avatarTag', () => {
-    renderUserMenu({ id: 'u1', username: 'deluan', avatarTag: 'abc123' })
-    expect(screen.getByRole('img')).toHaveAttribute(
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    localStorage.clear()
+    mockVersion = 1
+  })
+
+  it('uses the uploaded avatar when there is an avatar tag', async () => {
+    localStorage.setItem('avatarTag', 'abc123')
+    renderUserMenu({ id: 'deluan', fullName: 'Deluan' })
+    expect(await screen.findByRole('img')).toHaveAttribute(
       'src',
       expect.stringContaining('getAvatar'),
     )
   })
 
   it('falls back to the generic icon with no avatar and no gravatar', () => {
-    renderUserMenu({ id: 'u1', username: 'deluan' })
+    renderUserMenu({ id: 'deluan', fullName: 'Deluan' })
     expect(screen.queryByRole('img')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
   })
 
-  it('uses the gravatar url when there is no avatarTag', () => {
+  it('uses the gravatar url when there is no avatar tag', () => {
     renderUserMenu({
-      id: 'u1',
-      username: 'deluan',
+      id: 'deluan',
+      fullName: 'Deluan',
       avatar: 'https://gravatar/u1',
     })
     expect(screen.getByRole('img')).toHaveAttribute(
@@ -49,4 +57,32 @@ describe('<UserMenu />', () => {
       'https://gravatar/u1',
     )
   })
+
+  it('picks up an avatar uploaded during the session', async () => {
+    const { rerender } = renderUserMenu({ id: 'deluan', fullName: 'Deluan' })
+    expect(screen.queryByRole('img')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+
+    localStorage.setItem('avatarTag', 'newtag')
+    mockVersion = 2
+    rerender(<UserMenu label="menu.settings" logout={<div>Logout</div>} />)
+
+    expect(await screen.findByRole('img')).toHaveAttribute(
+      'src',
+      expect.stringContaining('newtag'),
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('goes back to the generic icon when the avatar is removed during the session', async () => {
+    localStorage.setItem('avatarTag', 'abc123')
+    const { rerender } = renderUserMenu({ id: 'deluan', fullName: 'Deluan' })
+    expect(await screen.findByRole('img')).toBeInTheDocument()
+
+    localStorage.removeItem('avatarTag')
+    mockVersion = 2
+    rerender(<UserMenu label="menu.settings" logout={<div>Logout</div>} />)
+
+    await vi.waitFor(() =>
+      expect(screen.queryByRole('img')).not.toBeInTheDocument(),
+    )
+  })
 })
diff --git a/ui/src/setupTests.js b/ui/src/setupTests.js
index ddb999f3c..7cb46e09c 100644
--- a/ui/src/setupTests.js
+++ b/ui/src/setupTests.js
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ const localStorageMock = (function () {
     setItem: function (key, value) {
       store[key] = value.toString()
     },
+    removeItem: function (key) {
+      delete store[key]
+    },
     clear: function () {
       store = {}
     },
diff --git a/ui/src/user/UserEdit.jsx b/ui/src/user/UserEdit.jsx
index b6523bc2b..567709832 100644
--- a/ui/src/user/UserEdit.jsx
+++ b/ui/src/user/UserEdit.jsx
@@ -87,6 +87,19 @@ const AvatarField = () => {
   const canEdit = config.enableUserAvatarUpload && (isAdmin || isMyself)
   const classes = useAvatarStyles()
 
+  const handleImageChange = useCallback(
+    (hasImage) => {
+      if (!isMyself) return
+      // Only a cache-buster: the server sends the authoritative ETag, so any changing value works
+      if (hasImage) {
+        localStorage.setItem('avatarTag', Date.now().toString())
+      } else {
+        localStorage.removeItem('avatarTag')
+      }
+    },
+    [isMyself],
+  )
+
   if (!record?.id) return null
 
   return (
@@ -104,6 +117,7 @@ const AvatarField = () => {
         entityType="user"
         entityId={record.id}
         hasUploadedImage={!!record.uploadedImage}
+        onImageChange={handleImageChange}
         canEdit={canEdit}
         messages={{
           uploaded: 'message.avatarUploaded',
diff --git a/ui/src/user/UserEdit.test.jsx b/ui/src/user/UserEdit.test.jsx
index 0f5dd5a1c..52e955ed7 100644
--- a/ui/src/user/UserEdit.test.jsx
+++ b/ui/src/user/UserEdit.test.jsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import * as React from 'react'
-import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react'
+import { render, screen, fireEvent } from '@testing-library/react'
 import UserEdit from './UserEdit'
 import config from '../config'
 import { describe, it, expect, vi, afterEach } from 'vitest'
@@ -86,8 +86,23 @@ vi.mock('./DeleteUserButton', () => ({
 
 vi.mock('../common', () => ({
   Title: ({ subTitle }) => <div data-testid="title">{subTitle}</div>,
-  ImageUploadOverlay: ({ canEdit, messages }) =>
-    canEdit ? <button aria-label={messages.uploadLabel}>upload</button> : null,
+  ImageUploadOverlay: ({ canEdit, messages, onImageChange }) =>
+    canEdit ? (
+      <>
+        <button
+          aria-label={messages.uploadLabel}
+          onClick={() => onImageChange(true)}
+        >
+          upload
+        </button>
+        <button
+          aria-label={messages.removeLabel}
+          onClick={() => onImageChange(false)}
+        >
+          remove
+        </button>
+      </>
+    ) : null,
 }))
 
 vi.mock('../subsonic', () => ({
@@ -235,6 +250,42 @@ describe('<UserEdit />', () => {
       expect(screen.getByLabelText('message.uploadAvatar')).toBeInTheDocument()
     })
 
+    it('stores a new avatar tag when the user uploads their own avatar', () => {
+      config.enableUserAvatarUpload = true
+      renderUserEdit({ id: 'u1', userName: 'deluan' }, { isMyself: true })
+
+      fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText('message.uploadAvatar'))
+
+      expect(localStorage.getItem('avatarTag')).toBeTruthy()
+    })
+
+    it('removes the avatar tag when the user removes their own avatar', () => {
+      config.enableUserAvatarUpload = true
+      localStorage.setItem('avatarTag', 'oldtag')
+      renderUserEdit(
+        { id: 'u1', userName: 'deluan', uploadedImage: 'u1_deluan.png' },
+        { isMyself: true },
+      )
+
+      fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText('message.removeAvatar'))
+
+      expect(localStorage.getItem('avatarTag')).toBeNull()
+    })
+
+    it('does not touch the admin own tag when editing another user', () => {
+      config.enableUserAvatarUpload = true
+      renderUserEdit(
+        { id: 'u1', userName: 'deluan', uploadedImage: 'u1_deluan.png' },
+        { isMyself: false, role: 'admin' },
+      )
+      localStorage.setItem('avatarTag', 'mytag')
+
+      fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText('message.uploadAvatar'))
+      fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText('message.removeAvatar'))
+
+      expect(localStorage.getItem('avatarTag')).toEqual('mytag')
+    })
+
     it('hides the control when the feature is off and the viewer is not an admin', () => {
       config.enableUserAvatarUpload = false
       renderUserEdit(