--- a/avatar.js
+++ b/avatar.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ function initAvatar(connection) {
     const avatar_change = document.getElementById('avatar-change');
     const avatar_access = document.getElementById('avatar-access');
     const spinner_img = document.getElementById('avatar-spinner');
-    const access_model_spinner_img = document.getElementById('access-model-avatar-spinner');
+    const access_spinner_img = document.getElementById('access-model-avatar-spinner');
 
     avatar_img.src = DEFAULT_AVATAR;
     const iq = $iq({type: 'get'})
@@ -19,6 +19,28 @@ function initAvatar(connection) {
             .c('items', {node: 'urn:xmpp:avatar:metadata'});
     connection.sendIQ(iq, onAvatarMetadata, onAvatarRetrievalError.bind(null, 'PubSub metadata query failed.'));
     displaySpinner(spinner_img);
+    getAccessModel();
+
+    function getAccessModel()
+    {
+        avatar_access.disabled = true;
+        displaySpinner(access_spinner_img);
+        retrieveConfiguration(connection, 'urn:xmpp:avatar:metadata').then((access_model) => {
+            if (access_model !== null) {
+                if (access_model === 'open')
+                    avatar_access.value = 'open';
+                else if (access_model === 'presence')
+                    avatar_access.value = 'presence';
+                else
+                    console.log('Unsupported avatar access model: ' + access_model);
+                avatar_access.disabled = false;
+            }
+            hideSpinner(access_spinner_img);
+        }, (reason) => {
+            console.log('Failed to retrieve avatar configuration: ' + reason);
+            hideSpinner(access_spinner_img);
+        });
+    }
 
     function onAvatarMetadata(result_iq)
     {
@@ -68,6 +90,7 @@ function initAvatar(connection) {
         */
         avatar_img.src = url;
         hideSpinner(spinner_img);
+        getAccessModel();
     }
 
     function onAvatarRetrievalError(string)
@@ -75,6 +98,7 @@ function initAvatar(connection) {
         console.log('Failed to retrieve avatar, an empty one is displayed instead: ' + string);
         avatar_img.src = DEFAULT_AVATAR;
         hideSpinner(spinner_img);
+        avatar_access.disabled = true;
     }
 
     avatar_upload.addEventListener('click', function (evt) {
@@ -96,6 +120,7 @@ function initAvatar(connection) {
                             });
         connection.sendIQ(metadata_iq, onAvatarMetadataUpload, onAvatarUploadError);
         displaySpinner(spinner_img);
+        avatar_access.disabled = true;
     });
 
     function onAvatarMetadataUpload(iq)
@@ -115,12 +140,14 @@ function initAvatar(connection) {
         avatar_change.hidden = true;
         avatar_size.innerHTML = '';
         spinnerOk(spinner_img);
+        getAccessModel();
     }
 
     function onAvatarUploadError(iq)
     {
         console.log("onAvatarUploadError", iq);
         spinnerError(spinner_img);
+        avatar_access.disabled = true;
     }
 
     avatar_file.addEventListener('change', function (evt) {
@@ -180,7 +207,7 @@ function initAvatar(connection) {
     avatar_access.addEventListener('change', function (evt) {
         const iq = configurePEPField('urn:xmpp:avatar:metadata', 'pubsub#access_model', evt.target.value);
         connection.sendIQ(iq, onAvatarMetadataConfigured, onAvatarConfigureError.bind(null, 'PubSub configuration of metadata failed.'));
-        displaySpinner(access_model_spinner_img);
+        displaySpinner(access_spinner_img);
     });
 
     function onAvatarMetadataConfigured(result_iq)
@@ -192,12 +219,12 @@ function initAvatar(connection) {
     function onAvatarConfigured(result_iq)
     {
         console.log('Successfully set avatar access model.')
-        spinnerOk(access_model_spinner_img);
+        spinnerOk(access_spinner_img);
     }
 
     function onAvatarConfigureError(string)
     {
         console.log('Failed to configure avatar node: ' + string);
-        spinnerError(access_model_spinner_img);
+        spinnerError(access_spinner_img);
     }
 }