diff --git a/addons/hr/tests/test_hr_employee.py b/addons/hr/tests/test_hr_employee.py
index cc5fcbcf196..642aa233409 100644
--- a/addons/hr/tests/test_hr_employee.py
+++ b/addons/hr/tests/test_hr_employee.py
@@ -7,6 +7,20 @@ from odoo.addons.hr.tests.common import TestHrCommon
 
 class TestHrEmployee(TestHrCommon):
 
+    def setUp(self):
+        super().setUp()
+        self.user_without_image = self.env['res.users'].create({
+            'name': 'Marc Demo',
+            'email': 'mark.brown23@example.com',
+            'image_1920': False,
+            'login': 'demo_1',
+            'password': 'demo_123'
+        })
+        self.employee_without_image = self.env['hr.employee'].create({
+            'user_id': self.user_without_image.id,
+            'image_1920': False
+        })
+
     def test_employee_resource(self):
         _tz = 'Pacific/Apia'
         self.res_users_hr_officer.company_id.resource_calendar_id.tz = _tz
@@ -45,3 +59,13 @@ class TestHrEmployee(TestHrCommon):
         self.assertEqual(employee.name, 'Raoul Grosbedon')
         self.assertEqual(employee.work_email, self.res_users_hr_officer.email)
         self.assertEqual(employee.tz, _tz)
+
+    def test_employee_has_avatar_even_if_it_has_no_image(self):
+        self.assertTrue(self.employee_without_image.avatar_128)
+        self.assertTrue(self.employee_without_image.avatar_256)
+        self.assertTrue(self.employee_without_image.avatar_512)
+        self.assertTrue(self.employee_without_image.avatar_1024)
+        self.assertTrue(self.employee_without_image.avatar_1920)
+
+    def test_employee_has_same_avatar_as_corresponding_user(self):
+        self.assertEqual(self.employee_without_image.avatar_1920, self.user_without_image.avatar_1920)
diff --git a/odoo/addons/base/tests/__init__.py b/odoo/addons/base/tests/__init__.py
index 3faec4f0a5b..41312bff550 100644
--- a/odoo/addons/base/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/odoo/addons/base/tests/__init__.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from . import test_float
 from . import test_func
 from . import test_http_case
 from . import test_image
+from . import test_avatar_mixin
 from . import test_ir_actions
 from . import test_ir_attachment
 from . import test_ir_cron
diff --git a/odoo/addons/base/tests/test_avatar_mixin.py b/odoo/addons/base/tests/test_avatar_mixin.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d6d4cf23cda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/odoo/addons/base/tests/test_avatar_mixin.py
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+# Part of Odoo. See LICENSE file for full copyright and licensing details.
+
+from base64 import b64decode
+
+from odoo.tests.common import TransactionCase
+
+class TestAvatarMixin(TransactionCase):
+
+    """ tests the avatar mixin """
+    def setUp(self):
+        super().setUp()
+        self.user_without_image = self.env['res.users'].create({
+            'name': 'Marc Demo',
+            'email': 'mark.brown23@example.com',
+            'image_1920': False,
+            'create_date': '2015-11-12 00:00:00',
+            'login': 'demo_1',
+            'password': 'demo_1'
+        })
+        self.user_without_image.partner_id.create_date = '2015-11-12 00:00:00'
+
+        self.user_without_name = self.env['res.users'].create({
+            'name': '',
+            'email': 'marc.grey25@example.com',
+            'image_1920': False,
+            'login': 'marc_1',
+            'password': 'marc_1',
+        })
+        self.external_partner = self.env['res.partner'].create({
+            'name': 'Josh Demo',
+            'email': 'josh.brown23@example.com',
+            'image_1920': False
+        })
+
+    def test_partner_has_avatar_even_if_it_has_no_image(self):
+        self.assertTrue(self.user_without_image.partner_id.avatar_128)
+        self.assertTrue(self.user_without_image.partner_id.avatar_256)
+        self.assertTrue(self.user_without_image.partner_id.avatar_512)
+        self.assertTrue(self.user_without_image.partner_id.avatar_1024)
+        self.assertTrue(self.user_without_image.partner_id.avatar_1920)
+
+    def test_content_of_generated_partner_avatar(self):
+        expectedAvatar = (
+            "<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' ?>"
+            "<svg height='180' width='180' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink'>"
+            "<rect fill='hsl(184, 40%, 45%)' height='180' width='180'/>"
+            "<text fill='#ffffff' font-size='96' text-anchor='middle' x='90' y='125' font-family='sans-serif'>M</text>"
+            "</svg>"
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(expectedAvatar, b64decode(self.user_without_image.partner_id.avatar_1920).decode('utf-8'))
+
+    def test_partner_without_name_has_default_placeholder_image_as_avatar(self):
+        self.assertEqual(self.user_without_name.partner_id._avatar_get_placeholder(), self.user_without_name.partner_id.avatar_1920)
+
+    def test_external_partner_has_default_placeholder_image_as_avatar(self):
+        self.assertEqual(self.external_partner._avatar_get_placeholder(), self.external_partner.avatar_1920)
+
+    def test_partner_and_user_have_the_same_avatar(self):
+        self.assertEqual(self.user_without_image.partner_id.avatar_1920, self.user_without_image.avatar_1920)