diff --git a/backend/accounts-service/src/accounts/handlers.rs b/backend/accounts-service/src/accounts/handlers.rs
index 577f7c5..2e91735 100644
--- a/backend/accounts-service/src/accounts/handlers.rs
+++ b/backend/accounts-service/src/accounts/handlers.rs
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ pub async fn me(
     let account = repo::find_by_id(&state.pool, identity.account_id)
         .await?
         .ok_or(AppError::Unauthorized)?;
-    let avatar_url = repo::avatar_key(&state.pool, account.id)
+    let avatar_url = repo::avatar_ref(&state.pool, account.id)
         .await?
-        .map(|key| format!("{}/{key}", state.avatar_base_url));
+        .map(|(key, v)| format!("{}/{key}?v={v}", state.avatar_base_url));
     Ok(Json(MeResponse {
         id: account.id,
         email: account.email,
@@ -69,9 +69,9 @@ pub async fn public_profile(
     let account = repo::find_by_id(&state.pool, id)
         .await?
         .ok_or_else(not_found)?;
-    let avatar_url = repo::avatar_key(&state.pool, account.id)
+    let avatar_url = repo::avatar_ref(&state.pool, account.id)
         .await?
-        .map(|key| format!("{}/{key}", state.avatar_base_url));
+        .map(|(key, v)| format!("{}/{key}?v={v}", state.avatar_base_url));
     let rank = repo::account_rank(&state.pool, account.created_at).await?;
     let badges = if rank < EARLY_ADOPTER_LIMIT {
         vec!["early".to_owned()]
diff --git a/backend/accounts-service/src/accounts/repo.rs b/backend/accounts-service/src/accounts/repo.rs
index 3cab080..fd2db91 100644
--- a/backend/accounts-service/src/accounts/repo.rs
+++ b/backend/accounts-service/src/accounts/repo.rs
@@ -58,21 +58,30 @@ pub async fn set_avatar(pool: &PgPool, account_id: Uuid, s3_key: &str) -> Result
     Ok(())
 }
 
-pub async fn avatar_key(pool: &PgPool, account_id: Uuid) -> Result<Option<String>, sqlx::Error> {
-    sqlx::query_scalar("SELECT s3_key FROM avatars WHERE account_id = $1")
-        .bind(account_id)
-        .fetch_optional(pool)
-        .await
+/// Avatar reference for one account: its storage key plus an `uploaded_at`
+/// version (epoch seconds) used to cache-bust the served image URL.
+pub async fn avatar_ref(
+    pool: &PgPool,
+    account_id: Uuid,
+) -> Result<Option<(String, i64)>, sqlx::Error> {
+    let row: Option<(String, i64)> = sqlx::query_as(
+        "SELECT s3_key, EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM uploaded_at)::bigint FROM avatars WHERE account_id = $1",
+    )
+    .bind(account_id)
+    .fetch_optional(pool)
+    .await?;
+    Ok(row)
 }
 
-/// Nick + avatar key for the given accounts (showcase authors etc.).
+/// Nick + avatar (key, version) for the given accounts (showcase authors etc.).
 /// Missing ids are simply absent from the result.
 pub async fn public_profiles(
     pool: &PgPool,
     ids: &[Uuid],
-) -> Result<Vec<(Uuid, String, Option<String>)>, sqlx::Error> {
+) -> Result<Vec<(Uuid, String, Option<String>, Option<i64>)>, sqlx::Error> {
     sqlx::query_as(
-        "SELECT a.id, a.display_nick, av.s3_key FROM accounts a
+        "SELECT a.id, a.display_nick, av.s3_key, EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM av.uploaded_at)::bigint
+         FROM accounts a
          LEFT JOIN avatars av ON av.account_id = a.id
          WHERE a.id = ANY($1)",
     )
diff --git a/backend/accounts-service/src/grpc/mod.rs b/backend/accounts-service/src/grpc/mod.rs
index bf48ba2..a2eda70 100644
--- a/backend/accounts-service/src/grpc/mod.rs
+++ b/backend/accounts-service/src/grpc/mod.rs
@@ -74,12 +74,13 @@ impl AccountsInternal for AccountsGrpc {
             })?;
         let profiles = rows
             .into_iter()
-            .map(|(id, nick, key)| PublicProfile {
+            .map(|(id, nick, key, version)| PublicProfile {
                 account_id: id.to_string(),
                 display_nick: nick,
-                avatar_url: key
-                    .map(|k| format!("{}/{k}", self.avatar_base_url))
-                    .unwrap_or_default(),
+                avatar_url: match (key, version) {
+                    (Some(k), Some(v)) => format!("{}/{k}?v={v}", self.avatar_base_url),
+                    _ => String::new(),
+                },
             })
             .collect();
         Ok(Response::new(GetPublicProfilesReply { profiles }))