diff --git a/migrations/20241025174046_actors_avatars.js b/migrations/20241025174046_actors_avatars.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..32132e81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/migrations/20241025174046_actors_avatars.js
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+exports.up = async function(knex) {
+	// restore avatars in table in case of rollback and rerun
+	const avatars = await knex('actors_avatars')
+		.select('actors_avatars.*', 'actors_profiles.actor_id')
+		.leftJoin('actors_profiles', 'actors_profiles.id', 'actors_avatars.profile_id');
+
+	await knex('actors_avatars').delete();
+
+	await knex.schema.alterTable('actors_avatars', (table) => {
+		table.integer('profile_id')
+			.nullable()
+			.alter();
+
+		table.integer('actor_id')
+			.notNullable()
+			.references('id')
+			.inTable('actors');
+
+		table.datetime('created_at')
+			.notNullable()
+			.defaultTo(knex.fn.now());
+
+		table.dropUnique('profile_id');
+		table.unique(['profile_id', 'media_id']);
+	});
+
+	await knex.schema.alterTable('media', (table) => {
+		// actor avatars often retain the same URL when updated, handle URL-deduping in app code
+		table.dropUnique('source');
+		table.string('source_version'); // usually etag
+	});
+
+	await knex.raw('CREATE UNIQUE INDEX unique_main_avatars ON actors_avatars (actor_id) WHERE (profile_id IS NULL);');
+
+	if (avatars.length > 0) {
+		await knex('actors_avatars').insert(avatars);
+	}
+
+	const profiles = await knex('actors_profiles')
+		.select('id', 'actor_id', 'avatar_media_id')
+		.whereNotNull('avatar_media_id');
+
+	await knex('actors_avatars')
+		.insert(profiles.map((profile) => ({
+			actor_id: profile.actor_id,
+			profile_id: profile.id,
+			media_id: profile.avatar_media_id,
+		})))
+		.onConflict()
+		.ignore();
+};
+
+exports.down = async function(knex) {
+	// no need to delete all entries, only the ones incompatible with the old scheme
+	await knex('actors_avatars')
+		.whereNull('profile_id')
+		.delete();
+
+	await knex.schema.alterTable('actors_avatars', (table) => {
+		table.integer('profile_id')
+			.notNullable()
+			.alter();
+
+		table.dropColumn('actor_id');
+		table.dropColumn('created_at');
+
+		table.unique('profile_id');
+		table.dropUnique(['profile_id', 'media_id']);
+	});
+
+	await knex.schema.alterTable('media', (table) => {
+		table.dropColumn('source_version');
+		table.unique('source');
+	});
+};