diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index abc239b6..9127cd74 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   has_many :activities
   before_save :ensure_authentication_token
+  before_save :ensure_gravatar_hash
   
   # Include default devise modules. Others available are:
   # :token_authenticatable, :encryptable, :confirmable, :lockable, :timeoutable and :omniauthable
@@ -16,4 +17,8 @@ def bushido_extra_attributes(extra_attributes)
     self.email      = extra_attributes["email"]
   end
 
+  def ensure_gravatar_hash
+    self.gravatar_hash = Digest::MD5.hexdigest self.email
+  end
+
 end
diff --git a/db/migrate/20120322155347_add_gravatar_hash_to_users.rb b/db/migrate/20120322155347_add_gravatar_hash_to_users.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8252cac0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20120322155347_add_gravatar_hash_to_users.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+class AddGravatarHashToUsers < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  def change
+    add_column :users, :gravatar_hash, :text
+
+  end
+end
diff --git a/db/schema.rb b/db/schema.rb
index 0405faf1..fe4dc76d 100644
--- a/db/schema.rb
+++ b/db/schema.rb
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 #
 # It's strongly recommended to check this file into your version control system.
 
-ActiveRecord::Schema.define(:version => 20120306163143) do
+ActiveRecord::Schema.define(:version => 20120322155347) do
 
   create_table "activities", :force => true do |t|
     t.text     "content"
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@
     t.string   "locale"
     t.datetime "created_at",                                            :null => false
     t.datetime "updated_at",                                            :null => false
+    t.text     "gravatar_hash"
   end
 
   add_index "users", ["authentication_token"], :name => "index_users_on_authentication_token", :unique => true
diff --git a/spec/models/user_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
index 0f6ecc75..90acdf78 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
@@ -7,8 +7,13 @@
     end
   end
 
-  it "user should have authentication token on creation" do
+  it "should have authentication token on creation" do
     @user = Factory :user
     @user.authentication_token.should_not be_nil
   end
+
+  it "should have gravatar hash on creation" do
+    @user = Factory :user
+    @user.gravatar_hash.should_not be_nil
+  end
 end