diff --git a/pkg/gomuks/media.go b/pkg/gomuks/media.go
index c6d847f..fe03c96 100644
--- a/pkg/gomuks/media.go
+++ b/pkg/gomuks/media.go
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ func (new *noErrorWriter) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
 
 // note: this should stay in sync with makeAvatarFallback in web/src/api/media.ts
 const fallbackAvatarTemplate = `<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1000 1000">
-  <circle cx="500" cy="500" r="500" fill="%s"/>
+  <rect x="0" y="0" width="1000" height="1000" fill="%s"/>
   <text x="500" y="750" text-anchor="middle" fill="#fff" font-weight="bold" font-size="666"
     font-family="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"
   >%s</text>
diff --git a/web/src/api/media.ts b/web/src/api/media.ts
index 5c97ac1..33ad9ea 100644
--- a/web/src/api/media.ts
+++ b/web/src/api/media.ts
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export const getUserColor = (userID: UserID) => {
 // note: this should stay in sync with fallbackAvatarTemplate in cmd/gomuks.media.go
 function makeFallbackAvatar(backgroundColor: string, fallbackCharacter: string): string {
 	return "data:image/svg+xml," + encodeURIComponent(`<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1000 1000">
-  <circle cx="500" cy="500" r="500" fill="${backgroundColor}"/>
+  <rect x="0" y="0" width="1000" height="1000" fill="${backgroundColor}"/>
   <text x="500" y="750" text-anchor="middle" fill="#fff" font-weight="bold" font-size="666"
     font-family="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"
   >${escapeHTMLChar(fallbackCharacter)}</text>