diff --git a/lib/libpk/src/db/repository/avatars.rs b/lib/libpk/src/db/repository/avatars.rs
index 6732ac67..1ff10cc7 100644
--- a/lib/libpk/src/db/repository/avatars.rs
+++ b/lib/libpk/src/db/repository/avatars.rs
@@ -33,6 +33,23 @@ pub async fn get_by_attachment_id(
     )
 }
 
+pub async fn remove_deletion_queue(pool: &PgPool, attachment_id: u64) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    sqlx::query(
+        r#"
+            delete from image_cleanup_jobs
+            where id in (
+                select id from images
+                where original_attachment_id = $1
+            )
+        "#,
+    )
+    .bind(attachment_id as i64)
+    .execute(pool)
+    .await?;
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 pub async fn pop_queue(
     pool: &PgPool,
 ) -> anyhow::Result<Option<(Transaction<Postgres>, ImageQueueEntry)>> {
diff --git a/services/avatars/src/cleanup.rs b/services/avatars/src/cleanup.rs
index 428d034e..0fb815e3 100644
--- a/services/avatars/src/cleanup.rs
+++ b/services/avatars/src/cleanup.rs
@@ -54,13 +54,14 @@ struct CleanupJobEntry {
 async fn cleanup_job(pool: sqlx::PgPool, bucket: Arc<s3::Bucket>) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let mut tx = pool.begin().await?;
 
-    let image_id: Option<CleanupJobEntry> =
-        sqlx::query_as(r#"
+    let image_id: Option<CleanupJobEntry> = sqlx::query_as(
+        r#"
                 select id from image_cleanup_jobs
                 where ts < now() - interval '1 day'
-                for update skip locked limit 1;"#)
-            .fetch_optional(&mut *tx)
-            .await?;
+                for update skip locked limit 1;"#,
+    )
+    .fetch_optional(&mut *tx)
+    .await?;
     if image_id.is_none() {
         info!("no job to run, sleeping for 1 minute");
         tokio::time::sleep(tokio::time::Duration::from_secs(60)).await;
diff --git a/services/avatars/src/main.rs b/services/avatars/src/main.rs
index 6a294f2d..dca35f77 100644
--- a/services/avatars/src/main.rs
+++ b/services/avatars/src/main.rs
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ async fn pull(
 
     if !req.force {
         if let Some(existing) = db::get_by_attachment_id(&state.pool, parsed.attachment_id).await? {
+            // remove any pending image cleanup
+            db::remove_deletion_queue(&state.pool, parsed.attachment_id).await?;
             return Ok(Json(PullResponse {
                 url: existing.url,
                 new: false,