diff --git a/app/controllers/user_avatars_controller.rb b/app/controllers/user_avatars_controller.rb
index 39050be70bd..a7f32b11710 100644
--- a/app/controllers/user_avatars_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/user_avatars_controller.rb
@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ class UserAvatarsController < ApplicationController
 
   def get_optimized_image(upload, size)
     return if !upload
+    return upload if upload.extension == "svg"
 
     upload.get_optimized_image(size, size, allow_animation: SiteSetting.allow_animated_avatars)
     # TODO decide if we want to detach here
diff --git a/app/models/optimized_image.rb b/app/models/optimized_image.rb
index fbf8b60bec7..c9cdbd94ef5 100644
--- a/app/models/optimized_image.rb
+++ b/app/models/optimized_image.rb
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ class OptimizedImage < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
 
   def self.create_for(upload, width, height, opts = {})
+
     return unless width > 0 && height > 0
     return if upload.try(:sha1).blank?
 
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ class OptimizedImage < ActiveRecord::Base
       upload.fix_image_extension
     end
 
-    if !upload.extension.match?(IM_DECODERS)
+    if !upload.extension.match?(IM_DECODERS) && upload.extension != "svg"
       if !opts[:raise_on_error]
         # nothing to do ... bad extension, not an image
         return
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ class OptimizedImage < ActiveRecord::Base
         temp_file = Tempfile.new(["discourse-thumbnail", extension])
         temp_path = temp_file.path
 
-        if extension =~ /\.svg$/i
+        if upload.extension == "svg"
           FileUtils.cp(original_path, temp_path)
           resized = true
         elsif opts[:crop]
@@ -86,7 +87,6 @@ class OptimizedImage < ActiveRecord::Base
         end
 
         if resized
-
           thumbnail = OptimizedImage.create!(
             upload_id: upload.id,
             sha1: Upload.generate_digest(temp_path),
diff --git a/lib/upload_creator.rb b/lib/upload_creator.rb
index 04c3e670ec4..431f4f6b94a 100644
--- a/lib/upload_creator.rb
+++ b/lib/upload_creator.rb
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class UploadCreator
         extract_image_info!
         return @upload if @upload.errors.present?
 
-        if @filename[/\.svg$/i]
+        if @image_info.type.to_s == "svg"
           whitelist_svg!
         elsif !Rails.env.test? || @opts[:force_optimize]
           convert_to_jpeg! if should_convert_to_jpeg?
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ class UploadCreator
         end
       end
 
-      if @upload.errors.empty? && is_image && @opts[:type] == "avatar"
+      if @upload.errors.empty? && is_image && @opts[:type] == "avatar" && @upload.extension != "svg"
         Jobs.enqueue(:create_avatar_thumbnails, upload_id: @upload.id, user_id: user_id)
       end
 
diff --git a/spec/models/optimized_image_spec.rb b/spec/models/optimized_image_spec.rb
index caef6150f11..1eefbb01c35 100644
--- a/spec/models/optimized_image_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/optimized_image_spec.rb
@@ -185,6 +185,21 @@ describe OptimizedImage do
 
   describe ".create_for" do
 
+    it "is able to 'optimize' an svg" do
+
+      # we don't really optimize anything, we simply copy
+      # but at least this confirms this actually works
+
+      SiteSetting.authorized_extensions = 'svg'
+      svg = file_from_fixtures('image.svg')
+      upload = UploadCreator.new(svg, 'image.svg').create_for(Discourse.system_user.id)
+      resized = upload.get_optimized_image(50, 50, {})
+
+      # we perform some basic svg mangling but expect the string Discourse to be there
+      expect(File.read(Discourse.store.path_for(resized))).to include("Discourse")
+      expect(File.read(Discourse.store.path_for(resized))).to eq(File.read(Discourse.store.path_for(upload)))
+    end
+
     context "when using an internal store" do
 
       let(:store) { FakeInternalStore.new }