diff --git a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
index 045a3d3f3..37da2903d 100644
--- a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
@@ -233,11 +233,25 @@ module ApplicationHelper
       raw(user_description) + raw('" >') + user_name + raw('</a>')
   end
 
+  # Dirty, dirty hack for displaying images in reports
   def user_avatar_absolute_url(user, style)
-    unless user.avatar(style) == '/images/icon_small/missing.png'
-      return user.avatar(style)
+    prefix = ''
+    if ENV['PAPERCLIP_STORAGE'].present? &&
+       ENV['MAIL_SERVER_URL'].present? &&
+       ENV['PAPERCLIP_STORAGE'] != 'filesystem'
+      prefix = ENV['MAIL_SERVER_URL']
     end
-    URI.join(Rails.application.routes.url_helpers.root_url,
-             "/images/#{style}/missing.png").to_s
+    # for development
+    prefix = 'localhost:3000' if ENV['MAIL_SERVER_URL'] == 'localhost'
+    if !prefix.empty? &&
+       !prefix.include?('http://') &&
+       !prefix.include?('https://')
+      prefix = request.ssl? ? "https://#{prefix}" : "http://#{prefix}"
+    end
+
+    unless user.avatar(style) == '/images/icon_small/missing.png'
+      return user.avatar(style, timeout: Constants::URL_LONG_EXPIRE_TIME)
+    end
+    url_for(prefix + "/images/#{style}/missing.png")
   end
 end