diff --git a/phpBB/common.php b/phpBB/common.php
index f502d37c8f..5c0feb87db 100644
--- a/phpBB/common.php
+++ b/phpBB/common.php
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ require($phpbb_root_path . 'includes/class_loader.' . $phpEx);
 require($phpbb_root_path . 'includes/functions.' . $phpEx);
 require($phpbb_root_path . 'includes/functions_content.' . $phpEx);
 require($phpbb_root_path . 'includes/functions_container.' . $phpEx);
+include($phpbb_root_path . 'includes/functions_compatibility.' . $phpEx);
 
 require($phpbb_root_path . 'includes/constants.' . $phpEx);
 require($phpbb_root_path . 'includes/utf/utf_tools.' . $phpEx);
diff --git a/phpBB/includes/functions_compatibility.php b/phpBB/includes/functions_compatibility.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..68298449c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/phpBB/includes/functions_compatibility.php
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+<?php
+/**
+*
+* @package phpBB3
+* @copyright (c) 2005 phpBB Group
+* @license http://opensource.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.php GNU General Public License v2
+*
+*/
+
+/**
+* @ignore
+*/
+if (!defined('IN_PHPBB'))
+{
+	exit;
+}
+
+/**
+* Get user avatar
+*
+* @param string $avatar Users assigned avatar name
+* @param int $avatar_type Type of avatar
+* @param string $avatar_width Width of users avatar
+* @param string $avatar_height Height of users avatar
+* @param string $alt Optional language string for alt tag within image, can be a language key or text
+* @param bool $ignore_config Ignores the config-setting, to be still able to view the avatar in the UCP
+*
+* @return string Avatar image
+*/
+function get_user_avatar($avatar, $avatar_type, $avatar_width, $avatar_height, $alt = 'USER_AVATAR', $ignore_config = false)
+{
+	// map arguments to new function phpbb_get_avatar()
+	$row = array(
+		'avatar'		=> $avatar,
+		'avatar_type'	=> $avatar_type,
+		'avatar_width'	=> $avatar_width,
+		'avatar_height'	=> $avatar_height,
+	);
+
+	return phpbb_get_avatar($row, $alt, $ignore_config);
+}