diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index cc75a890..e8628ecc 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "impro",
-  "version": "0.18.184",
+  "version": "0.18.185",
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
     "start": "rm -rf \"${BUILD_DIR:-build}\" && NODE_ENV=development eleventy --serve",
diff --git a/src/css/style.css b/src/css/style.css
index 870ec5f8..2febc4ff 100644
--- a/src/css/style.css
+++ b/src/css/style.css
@@ -874,7 +874,8 @@ input[type="color"]::-moz-color-swatch {
   width: var(--avatar-size-post);
   height: var(--avatar-size-post);
   border-radius: var(--avatar-border-radius);
-  background-color: var(--generic-border-color);
+  border: var(--hair) solid var(--post-border-color);
+  background-color: var(--skeleton-color);
 }
 
 header {
@@ -1216,12 +1217,6 @@ tab-bar:not([full-width]) {
   border: var(--hair) solid var(--post-border-color);
 }
 
-.sidebar-profile-avatar .avatar-placeholder {
-  border-radius: var(--avatar-border-radius);
-  background-color: var(--skeleton-color);
-  border: var(--hair) solid var(--post-border-color);
-}
-
 .sidebar-profile-info {
   margin-bottom: 12px;
 }
@@ -1556,12 +1551,9 @@ button.sidebar-plugin-nav-item {
   height: var(--avatar-size-footer-nav);
 }
 
-.footer-nav-item .avatar-image-placeholder {
+.footer-nav-item .avatar-placeholder {
   width: var(--avatar-size-footer-nav);
   height: var(--avatar-size-footer-nav);
-  border-radius: var(--avatar-border-radius);
-  background-color: var(--skeleton-color);
-  border: var(--hair) solid var(--post-border-color);
 }
 
 .footer-nav-item[disabled] {
@@ -3568,7 +3560,8 @@ image-carousel {
   flex-shrink: 0;
 }
 
-.convo-avatar .avatar-image-frame {
+.convo-avatar .avatar-image-frame,
+.convo-avatar .avatar-placeholder {
   width: var(--avatar-size-convo);
   height: var(--avatar-size-convo);
 }
@@ -3579,10 +3572,16 @@ image-carousel {
   height: var(--avatar-size-convo);
 }
 
+.avatar-group > .avatar-placeholder {
+  width: 100%;
+  height: 100%;
+}
+
 .avatar-group-item {
   position: absolute;
 }
 
+.avatar-group-item .avatar,
 .avatar-group-item .avatar-image-frame {
   display: block;
   width: 100%;
@@ -4122,7 +4121,8 @@ image-carousel {
   align-self: flex-start;
 }
 
-.message-avatar .avatar-image-frame {
+.message-avatar .avatar-image-frame,
+.message-avatar .avatar-placeholder {
   width: var(--avatar-size-message);
   height: var(--avatar-size-message);
 }
@@ -5071,6 +5071,7 @@ chat-input .rich-text-input-placeholder {
 
 .reaction-row-avatar .avatar,
 .reaction-row-avatar .avatar-image-frame,
+.reaction-row-avatar .avatar-placeholder,
 .reaction-row-avatar .avatar-image {
   width: 42px;
   height: 42px;
@@ -8486,7 +8487,7 @@ context-menu-item-group > context-menu-item > button {
 }
 
 .account-switcher-item .avatar,
-.account-switcher-item .avatar-image-placeholder,
+.account-switcher-item .avatar-placeholder,
 .account-switcher-item .skeleton-avatar {
   width: 40px;
   height: 40px;
diff --git a/src/js/components/account-switcher-dialog.js b/src/js/components/account-switcher-dialog.js
index 5042448c..9da2ba3f 100644
--- a/src/js/components/account-switcher-dialog.js
+++ b/src/js/components/account-switcher-dialog.js
@@ -181,9 +181,7 @@ class AccountSwitcherDialog extends Component {
                                   author: profile,
                                   clickAction: "none",
                                 })
-                              : html`<div
-                                  class="avatar-image-placeholder"
-                                ></div>`}
+                              : html`<div class="avatar-placeholder"></div>`}
                           </span>
                           <span class="account-switcher-names">
                             <span class="account-switcher-display-name">
diff --git a/src/js/templates/avatarGroup.template.js b/src/js/templates/avatarGroup.template.js
index d2bc2174..30eb883b 100644
--- a/src/js/templates/avatarGroup.template.js
+++ b/src/js/templates/avatarGroup.template.js
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ import { avatarTemplate } from "/js/templates/avatar.template.js";
 
 export function avatarGroupTemplate({ authors }) {
   if (authors.length === 0) {
-    return html`<div class="avatar-placeholder"></div>`;
+    return html`<div class="avatar-group">
+      <div class="avatar-placeholder"></div>
+    </div>`;
   }
   if (authors.length === 1) {
     return avatarTemplate({ author: authors[0], clickAction: "none" });
diff --git a/src/js/templates/footer.template.js b/src/js/templates/footer.template.js
index 25f58aac..fff673db 100644
--- a/src/js/templates/footer.template.js
+++ b/src/js/templates/footer.template.js
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ export function footerTemplate({
       template: () =>
         html`${currentUser
           ? avatarTemplate({ author: currentUser, clickAction: "none" })
-          : html`<div class="avatar-image-placeholder"></div>`}`,
+          : html`<div class="avatar-placeholder"></div>`}`,
     },
   ];
 
diff --git a/src/js/views/chatDetail.view.js b/src/js/views/chatDetail.view.js
index 33af1e6a..714e23a9 100644
--- a/src/js/views/chatDetail.view.js
+++ b/src/js/views/chatDetail.view.js
@@ -1297,7 +1297,6 @@ class ChatDetailView extends View {
       const reversedMessages = messages.toReversed();
       const messageGroups = groupMessages(reversedMessages, currentUserDid);
       const days = groupMessageGroupsByDay(messageGroups);
-      // const message
       return html`
         <infinite-scroll-container
           ${ref((el) => {
diff --git a/tests/unit/specs/templates/avatarGroup.template.test.js b/tests/unit/specs/templates/avatarGroup.template.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..75cf66ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/specs/templates/avatarGroup.template.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+import { describe, it } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { avatarGroupTemplate } from "/js/templates/avatarGroup.template.js";
+import { render } from "/js/lib/lit-html.js";
+import { createProfile } from "../../../shared/factories.js";
+
+describe("avatarGroupTemplate", () => {
+  function renderTemplate(authors) {
+    const container = document.createElement("div");
+    render(avatarGroupTemplate({ authors }), container);
+    return container;
+  }
+
+  function makeAuthors(count) {
+    return Array.from({ length: count }, (_unused, index) =>
+      createProfile({
+        did: `did:plc:member${index}`,
+        handle: `member${index}.bsky.social`,
+        displayName: `Member ${index}`,
+      }),
+    );
+  }
+
+  it("should render a placeholder inside the group wrapper when there are no authors", () => {
+    const container = renderTemplate([]);
+    const group = container.querySelector(".avatar-group");
+    assert(group !== null);
+    assert(group.querySelector(".avatar-placeholder") !== null);
+  });
+
+  it("should render a single avatar without the group wrapper", () => {
+    const container = renderTemplate(makeAuthors(1));
+    assert(container.querySelector(".avatar-group") === null);
+    assert(container.querySelector("[data-testid='avatar']") !== null);
+  });
+
+  it("should stack at most four avatars", () => {
+    const container = renderTemplate(makeAuthors(6));
+    const group = container.querySelector("[data-testid='avatar-group']");
+    assert(group.classList.contains("avatar-group-4"));
+    assert.equal(group.querySelectorAll(".avatar-group-item").length, 4);
+  });
+});