diff --git a/src/chat.rs b/src/chat.rs
index 445a0efe9..e9d63e609 100644
--- a/src/chat.rs
+++ b/src/chat.rs
@@ -1797,7 +1797,8 @@ impl Chat {
 
     /// Returns chat avatar color.
     ///
-    /// For 1:1 chats, the color is calculated from the contact's address.
+    /// For 1:1 chats, the color is calculated from the contact's address
+    /// for address-contacts and from the OpenPGP key fingerprint for key-contacts.
     /// For group chats the color is calculated from the grpid, if present, or the chat name.
     pub async fn get_color(&self, context: &Context) -> Result<u32> {
         let mut color = 0;
diff --git a/src/contact.rs b/src/contact.rs
index 18893e98e..2eb8bda66 100644
--- a/src/contact.rs
+++ b/src/contact.rs
@@ -1575,11 +1575,16 @@ impl Contact {
     }
 
     /// Get a color for the contact.
-    /// The color is calculated from the contact's email address
-    /// and can be used for an fallback avatar with white initials
+    /// The color is calculated from the contact's fingerprint (for key-contacts)
+    /// or email address (for address-contacts) and can be used
+    /// for an fallback avatar with white initials
     /// as well as for headlines in bubbles of group chats.
     pub fn get_color(&self) -> u32 {
-        str_to_color(&self.addr.to_lowercase())
+        if let Some(fingerprint) = self.fingerprint() {
+            str_to_color(&fingerprint.hex())
+        } else {
+            str_to_color(&self.addr.to_lowercase())
+        }
     }
 
     /// Gets the contact's status.