diff --git a/src/backend.rs b/src/backend.rs
index 98b1a747..1418517f 100644
--- a/src/backend.rs
+++ b/src/backend.rs
@@ -373,14 +373,16 @@ impl Backend {
         let userid = self.data.lock().unwrap().user_id.clone();
 
         let tx = self.tx.clone();
-        match get_user_avatar(&baseu, &userid) {
-            Ok(fname) => {
-                tx.send(BKResponse::Avatar(fname)).unwrap();
-            },
-            Err(err) => {
-                tx.send(BKResponse::AvatarError(err)).unwrap();
+        thread::spawn(move || {
+            match get_user_avatar(&baseu, &userid) {
+                Ok(fname) => {
+                    tx.send(BKResponse::Avatar(fname)).unwrap();
+                },
+                Err(err) => {
+                    tx.send(BKResponse::AvatarError(err)).unwrap();
+                }
             }
-        };
+        });
 
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -562,14 +564,16 @@ impl Backend {
         let baseu = self.get_base_url()?;
 
         let tx = self.tx.clone();
-        match thumb!(&baseu, &avatar_url) {
-            Ok(fname) => {
-                tx.send(BKResponse::RoomMemberAvatar(memberid, fname)).unwrap();
-            },
-            Err(err) => {
-                tx.send(BKResponse::RoomMemberAvatarError(err)).unwrap();
+        thread::spawn(move || {
+            match thumb!(&baseu, &avatar_url) {
+                Ok(fname) => {
+                    tx.send(BKResponse::RoomMemberAvatar(memberid, fname)).unwrap();
+                },
+                Err(err) => {
+                    tx.send(BKResponse::RoomMemberAvatarError(err)).unwrap();
+                }
             }
-        }
+        });
 
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -584,8 +588,10 @@ impl Backend {
         let base = self.get_base_url()?;
 
         let u = url.clone();
-        let fname = thumb!(&base, &u)?;
-        tx.send(fname).unwrap();
+        thread::spawn(move || {
+            let fname = thumb!(&base, &u).unwrap();
+            tx.send(fname).unwrap();
+        });
 
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -594,10 +600,12 @@ impl Backend {
         let baseu = self.get_base_url()?;
 
         let u = String::from(uid);
-        match get_user_avatar(&baseu, &u) {
-            Ok(fname) => { tx.send(fname).unwrap(); },
-            Err(_) => { tx.send(String::from("")).unwrap(); }
-        };
+        thread::spawn(move || {
+            match get_user_avatar(&baseu, &u) {
+                Ok(fname) => { tx.send(fname).unwrap(); },
+                Err(_) => { tx.send(String::from("")).unwrap(); }
+            };
+        });
 
         Ok(())
     }