diff --git a/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs b/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
index e63cf5f2b..cc139e326 100644
--- a/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
+++ b/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
@@ -1786,7 +1786,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_chat_get_profile_image(chat: *mut dc_chat_t) -> *mut
     let chat = &*chat;
 
     match chat.get_profile_image() {
-        Some(i) => i.strdup(),
+        Some(p) => p.to_str().unwrap().to_string().strdup(),
         None => ptr::null_mut(),
     }
 }
@@ -2403,7 +2403,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_contact_get_profile_image(
 
     contact
         .get_profile_image()
-        .map(|s| s.strdup())
+        .map(|p| p.to_str().unwrap().to_string().strdup())
         .unwrap_or_else(|| std::ptr::null_mut())
 }
 
diff --git a/python/src/deltachat/chatting.py b/python/src/deltachat/chatting.py
index 9d3d73df1..0f0bbd11f 100644
--- a/python/src/deltachat/chatting.py
+++ b/python/src/deltachat/chatting.py
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ class Chat(object):
         """Get group profile image.
 
         For groups, this is the image set by any group member using
-        dc_set_chat_profile_image(). For normal chats, this is the image
+        set_chat_profile_image(). For normal chats, this is the image
         set by each remote user on their own using dc_set_config(context,
         "selfavatar", image).
         :returns: path to profile image, None if no profile image exists.
diff --git a/python/tests/test_account.py b/python/tests/test_account.py
index a2dfe2056..009511503 100644
--- a/python/tests/test_account.py
+++ b/python/tests/test_account.py
@@ -609,15 +609,15 @@ class TestOnlineAccount:
         chat = ac1.create_group_chat("hello")
         p = data.get_path("d.png")
 
-        lp.sec("set profile image")
+        lp.sec("ac1: set profile image on unpromoted chat")
         chat.set_profile_image(p)
         ac1._evlogger.get_matching("DC_EVENT_CHAT_MODIFIED")
         assert not chat.is_promoted()
 
-        # XXX first promote the chat before setting group image
-        # because DC does not honor it before promotion happened
-        # unless you add yet another member, see step below.
-
+        lp.sec("ac1: send text to promote chat (XXX without contact added)")
+        # XXX first promote the chat before adding contact
+        # because DC does not send out profile images for unpromoted chats
+        # otherwise
         chat.send_text("ac1: initial message to promote chat (workaround)")
         assert chat.is_promoted()
 
@@ -628,7 +628,7 @@ class TestOnlineAccount:
 
         lp.sec("ac1: add ac2 to promoted group chat")
         c2 = ac1.create_contact(email=ac2.get_config("addr"))
-        contact1 = chat.add_contact(c2)
+        chat.add_contact(c2)
 
         lp.sec("ac1: send a first message to ac2")
         chat.send_text("hi")
@@ -654,9 +654,3 @@ class TestOnlineAccount:
         chat1b = ac1.create_chat_by_message(ev[2])
         assert chat1b.get_profile_image() is None
         assert chat.get_profile_image() is None
-
-
-
-
-
-
diff --git a/src/chat.rs b/src/chat.rs
index 3d00d0861..d7e55cb14 100644
--- a/src/chat.rs
+++ b/src/chat.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use std::ffi::CString;
-use std::path::Path;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
 use crate::chatlist::*;
 use crate::constants::*;
@@ -187,15 +187,10 @@ impl<'a> Chat<'a> {
             .ok()
     }
 
-    pub fn get_profile_image(&self) -> Option<String> {
+    pub fn get_profile_image(&self) -> Option<PathBuf> {
         if let Some(image_rel) = self.param.get(Param::ProfileImage) {
             if !image_rel.is_empty() {
-                return Some(
-                    dc_get_abs_path_safe(self.context, image_rel)
-                        .to_str()
-                        .unwrap()
-                        .to_string(),
-                );
+                return Some(dc_get_abs_path_safe(self.context, image_rel));
             }
         } else if self.typ == Chattype::Single {
             let contacts = get_chat_contacts(self.context, self.id);
@@ -1658,13 +1653,14 @@ pub unsafe fn set_chat_name(
 pub fn set_chat_profile_image(
     context: &Context,
     chat_id: u32,
-    new_image: impl AsRef<str>,
+    new_image: impl AsRef<str>, // XXX use PathBuf
 ) -> Result<(), Error> {
     ensure!(chat_id > DC_CHAT_ID_LAST_SPECIAL, "Invalid chat ID");
 
     let mut chat = Chat::load_from_db(context, chat_id)?;
 
     if real_group_exists(context, chat_id) {
+        /* we should respect this - whatever we send to the group, it gets discarded anyway! */
         if !(is_contact_in_chat(context, chat_id, DC_CONTACT_ID_SELF) == 1i32) {
             log_event!(
                 context,
@@ -1672,7 +1668,6 @@ pub fn set_chat_profile_image(
                 0,
                 "Cannot set chat profile image; self not in group.",
             );
-            /* we should respect this - whatever we send to the group, it gets discarded anyway! */
             bail!("Failed to set profile image");
         }
         let mut new_image_rel: String;
diff --git a/src/contact.rs b/src/contact.rs
index f28cacd7d..606fa8a34 100644
--- a/src/contact.rs
+++ b/src/contact.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use deltachat_derive::*;
 use itertools::Itertools;
 use rusqlite;
+use std::path::PathBuf;
 
 use crate::aheader::EncryptPreference;
 use crate::config::Config;
@@ -766,9 +767,11 @@ impl<'a> Contact<'a> {
     /// Get the contact's profile image.
     /// This is the image set by each remote user on their own
     /// using dc_set_config(context, "selfavatar", image).
-    pub fn get_profile_image(&self) -> Option<String> {
+    pub fn get_profile_image(&self) -> Option<PathBuf> {
         if self.id == DC_CONTACT_ID_SELF {
-            return self.context.get_config(Config::Selfavatar);
+            if let Some(p) = self.context.get_config(Config::Selfavatar) {
+                return Some(PathBuf::from(p));
+            }
         }
         // TODO: else get image_abs from contact param
         None