diff --git a/lib/weblib.php b/lib/weblib.php
index b8fd62491d5..c142f8bf949 100644
--- a/lib/weblib.php
+++ b/lib/weblib.php
@@ -3688,7 +3688,10 @@ function print_file_picture($path, $courseid=0, $height='', $width='', $link='',
 /**
  * Print the specified user's avatar.
  *
- * @param int $userid ?
+ * If you pass a $user object that has id, picture, imagealt, firstname, lastname
+ * you save a DB query. 
+ *
+ * @param int $user takes a userid, or a userobj 
  * @param int $courseid ?
  * @param boolean $picture Print the user picture?
  * @param int $size Size in pixels.  Special values are (true/1 = 100px) and (false/0 = 35px) for backward compatability
@@ -3699,14 +3702,46 @@ function print_file_picture($path, $courseid=0, $height='', $width='', $link='',
  * return string
  * @todo Finish documenting this function
  */
-function print_user_picture($userid, $courseid, $picture, $size=0, $return=false, $link=true, $target='', $alttext=true) {
+function print_user_picture($user, $courseid, $picture=NULL, $size=0, $return=false, $link=true, $target='', $alttext=true) {
     global $CFG;
 
+    $needrec = false;
+    // only touch the DB if we are missing data...
+    if (is_object($user)) {
+        // Note - both picture and imagealt _can_ be empty
+        // what we are trying to see here is if they have been fetched
+        // from the DB. We should use isset() _except_ that some installs
+        // have those fields as nullable, and isset() will return false
+        // on null. The only safe thing is to ask array_key_exists()
+        // which works on objects. property_exists() isn't quite
+        // what we want here...
+        if (! (array_key_exists('picture', $user)
+               && ($alttext && array_key_exists('imagealt', $user)
+                   || (isset($user->firstname) && isset($user->lastname)))) ) {
+            $needrec = true;
+            $user = $user->id;
+        }
+    } else {
+        if ($alttext) {
+            // we need firstname, lastname, imagealt, can't escape...
+            $needrec = true;
+        } else {
+            $userobj = new StdObj; // fake it to save DB traffic
+            $userobj->id = $user;
+            $userobj->picture = $picture;
+            $user = $userobj;
+            unset($userobj);
+        }
+    }
+    if ($needrec) {
+        $user = get_record('user','id',$user);   
+    }
+
     if ($link) {
         if ($target) {
             $target=' target="_blank"';
         }
-        $output = '<a '.$target.' href="'. $CFG->wwwroot .'/user/view.php?id='. $userid .'&amp;course='. $courseid .'">';
+        $output = '<a '.$target.' href="'. $CFG->wwwroot .'/user/view.php?id='. $user->id .'&amp;course='. $courseid .'">';
     } else {
         $output = '';
     }
@@ -3722,18 +3757,24 @@ function print_user_picture($userid, $courseid, $picture, $size=0, $return=false
         $file = 'f2';
     }
     $class = "userpicture";
+
+
+    if (is_null($picture)) {
+        $picture = $user->picture;
+    }
+    
     if ($picture) {  // Print custom user picture
         if ($CFG->slasharguments) {        // Use this method if possible for better caching
-            $src =  $CFG->wwwroot .'/user/pix.php/'. $userid .'/'. $file .'.jpg';
+            $src =  $CFG->wwwroot .'/user/pix.php/'. $user->id .'/'. $file .'.jpg';
         } else {
-            $src =  $CFG->wwwroot .'/user/pix.php?file=/'. $userid .'/'. $file .'.jpg';
+            $src =  $CFG->wwwroot .'/user/pix.php?file=/'. $user->id .'/'. $file .'.jpg';
         }
     } else {         // Print default user pictures (use theme version if available)
         $class .= " defaultuserpic";
         $src =  "$CFG->pixpath/u/$file.png";
     }
     $imagealt = '';
-    if ($alttext and $user = get_record('user','id',$userid)) {
+    if ($alttext) {
         if (!empty($user->imagealt)) {
             $imagealt = $user->imagealt;
         } else {
@@ -3794,6 +3835,8 @@ function print_user($user, $course, $messageselect=false, $return=false) {
         $datestring->mins    = get_string('mins');
         $datestring->sec     = get_string('sec');
         $datestring->secs    = get_string('secs');
+        $datestring->year    = get_string('year');
+        $datestring->years   = get_string('years');
 
         $countries = get_list_of_countries();
     }
@@ -3808,7 +3851,7 @@ function print_user($user, $course, $messageselect=false, $return=false) {
     $output .= '<table class="userinfobox">';
     $output .= '<tr>';
     $output .= '<td class="left side">';
-    $output .= print_user_picture($user->id, $course->id, $user->picture, true, true);
+    $output .= print_user_picture($user, $course->id, $user->picture, true, true);
     $output .= '</td>';
     $output .= '<td class="content">';
     $output .= '<div class="username">'.fullname($user, has_capability('moodle/site:viewfullnames', $context)).'</div>';