diff --git a/lib/outputrenderers.php b/lib/outputrenderers.php
index 53e5e70093f..70307a4671c 100644
--- a/lib/outputrenderers.php
+++ b/lib/outputrenderers.php
@@ -3182,7 +3182,7 @@ EOD;
         }
 
         // Get some navigation opts.
-        $opts = user_get_user_navigation_info($user, $this->page, $this->page->course);
+        $opts = user_get_user_navigation_info($user, $this->page);
 
         $avatarclasses = "avatars";
         $avatarcontents = html_writer::span($opts->metadata['useravatar'], 'avatar current');
diff --git a/user/lib.php b/user/lib.php
index cf5c7eb929a..c8d27ddea78 100644
--- a/user/lib.php
+++ b/user/lib.php
@@ -727,6 +727,9 @@ function user_convert_text_to_menu_items($text, $page) {
  *
  * @param stdclass $user user object.
  * @param moodle_page $page page object.
+ * @param array $options associative array.
+ *     options are:
+ *     - avatarsize=35 (size of avatar image)
  * @return stdClass $returnobj navigation information object, where:
  *
  *      $returnobj->navitems    array    array of links where each link is a
@@ -769,7 +772,7 @@ function user_convert_text_to_menu_items($text, $page) {
  *          mnetidprovidername    string name of the MNet provider
  *          mnetidproviderwwwroot string URL of the MNet provider
  */
-function user_get_user_navigation_info($user, $page) {
+function user_get_user_navigation_info($user, $page, $options = null) {
     global $OUTPUT, $DB, $SESSION, $CFG;
 
     $returnobject = new stdClass();
@@ -787,12 +790,13 @@ function user_get_user_navigation_info($user, $page) {
     $returnobject->metadata['userprofileurl'] = new moodle_url('/user/profile.php', array(
         'id' => $user->id
     ));
+
+    $avataroptions = array('link' => false, 'visibletoscreenreaders' => false);
+    if (!empty($options['avatarsize'])) {
+        $avataroptions['size'] = $options['avatarsize'];
+    }
     $returnobject->metadata['useravatar'] = $OUTPUT->user_picture (
-        $user,
-        array(
-            'link' => false,
-            'visibletoscreenreaders' => false
-        )
+        $user, $avataroptions
     );
     // Build a list of items for a regular user.
 
diff --git a/user/tests/userlib_test.php b/user/tests/userlib_test.php
index 99d2dd4a5f0..e176922db31 100644
--- a/user/tests/userlib_test.php
+++ b/user/tests/userlib_test.php
@@ -377,4 +377,25 @@ class core_userliblib_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
 
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Test setting the user menu avatar size.
+     */
+    public function test_user_menu_custom_avatar_size() {
+        global $PAGE;
+        $this->resetAfterTest(true);
+
+        $testsize = 100;
+
+        $user = $this->getDataGenerator()->create_user();
+        $opts = user_get_user_navigation_info($user, $PAGE, array('avatarsize' => $testsize));
+        $avatarhtml = $opts->metadata['useravatar'];
+
+        $matches = [];
+        preg_match('/(?:.*width=")(\d*)(?:" height=")(\d*)(?:".*\/>)/', $avatarhtml, $matches);
+        $this->assertCount(3, $matches);
+
+        $this->assertEquals(intval($matches[1]), $testsize);
+        $this->assertEquals(intval($matches[2]), $testsize);
+    }
+
 }