diff --git a/src/bot/profile.test.ts b/src/bot/profile.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..38f7d12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/bot/profile.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, vi } from "vitest";
+import { BotProfileManager } from "./profile.js";
+import type { TS3Client } from "../ts-protocol/client.js";
+
+function makeMockTs(): TS3Client & {
+  uploadCalls: Buffer[];
+  clearCalls: number;
+} {
+  const calls: Buffer[] = [];
+  let clears = 0;
+  const ts: any = {
+    uploadCalls: calls,
+    get clearCalls() { return clears; },
+    getHost: () => "127.0.0.1",
+    getHttpQuery: () => null,
+    fileTransferInitUpload: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({}),
+    uploadFileData: vi.fn().mockImplementation(async (_h: any, _i: any, stream: any) => {
+      const chunks: Buffer[] = [];
+      for await (const c of stream) chunks.push(c as Buffer);
+      calls.push(Buffer.concat(chunks));
+    }),
+    fileTransferDeleteFile: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+    sendCommandNoWait: vi.fn().mockImplementation(async (cmd: string) => {
+      if (/client_flag_avatar=$/.test(cmd)) clears++;
+    }),
+  };
+  return ts;
+}
+
+const noopLogger: any = { child: () => noopLogger, info: () => {}, debug: () => {}, warn: () => {}, error: () => {} };
+
+const cfgOn = { avatarEnabled: true, descriptionEnabled: false, nicknameEnabled: false, awayStatusEnabled: false, channelDescEnabled: false, nowPlayingMsgEnabled: false };
+const cfgOff = { ...cfgOn, avatarEnabled: false };
+
+describe("BotProfileManager custom avatar precedence", () => {
+  let ts: ReturnType<typeof makeMockTs>;
+  beforeEach(() => { ts = makeMockTs(); });
+
+  it("on stop with custom avatar set + sync on, uploads custom (does not clear)", async () => {
+    const pm = new BotProfileManager(ts as any, noopLogger, cfgOn, "Bot");
+    const custom = Buffer.from([1, 2, 3, 4]);
+    pm.setCustomAvatar(custom);
+    await pm.onSongChange(null);
+    expect(ts.uploadCalls.at(-1)?.equals(custom)).toBe(true);
+    expect(ts.clearCalls).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it("on stop with no custom avatar, falls back to clear", async () => {
+    const pm = new BotProfileManager(ts as any, noopLogger, cfgOn, "Bot");
+    await pm.onSongChange(null);
+    expect(ts.clearCalls).toBe(1);
+    expect(ts.uploadCalls.length).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it("on connect with sync off + custom avatar set, applies custom immediately", async () => {
+    const pm = new BotProfileManager(ts as any, noopLogger, cfgOff, "Bot");
+    pm.setCustomAvatar(Buffer.from([9, 9]));
+    await pm.onConnect();
+    // onConnect fires the upload but may be async fire-and-forget; flush microtasks:
+    await new Promise((r) => setImmediate(r));
+    expect(ts.uploadCalls.length).toBe(1);
+    expect(ts.uploadCalls[0].equals(Buffer.from([9, 9]))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("on connect with sync off + no custom avatar, does not touch avatar", async () => {
+    const pm = new BotProfileManager(ts as any, noopLogger, cfgOff, "Bot");
+    await pm.onConnect();
+    await new Promise((r) => setImmediate(r));
+    expect(ts.uploadCalls.length).toBe(0);
+    expect(ts.clearCalls).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it("setCustomAvatar(null) makes subsequent onSongChange(null) clear again", async () => {
+    const pm = new BotProfileManager(ts as any, noopLogger, cfgOn, "Bot");
+    pm.setCustomAvatar(Buffer.from([1]));
+    pm.setCustomAvatar(null);
+    await pm.onSongChange(null);
+    expect(ts.clearCalls).toBe(1);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/bot/profile.ts b/src/bot/profile.ts
index 778ba68..039ee5a 100644
--- a/src/bot/profile.ts
+++ b/src/bot/profile.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ export class BotProfileManager {
   private logger: Logger;
   private config: ProfileConfig;
   private defaultNickname: string;
+  private customAvatar: Buffer | null = null;
 
   /** Per-feature permission-denied flags. Reset on reconnect. */
   private permDenied = {
@@ -58,6 +59,11 @@ export class BotProfileManager {
 
   // --- Public API ---
 
+  /** Set/clear the persistent idle avatar. Pass null to remove. */
+  setCustomAvatar(buffer: Buffer | null): void {
+    this.customAvatar = buffer;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Called when a new song starts playing (song != null) or playback
    * stops (song == null).
@@ -99,6 +105,10 @@ export class BotProfileManager {
       channelDesc: false,
       nowPlayingMsg: false,
     };
+    if (!this.config.avatarEnabled && this.customAvatar) {
+      const gen = this.generation;
+      void this.applyIdleAvatar(gen);
+    }
   }
 
   getConfig(): ProfileConfig {
@@ -171,6 +181,10 @@ export class BotProfileManager {
   }
 
   private async clearAvatar(gen: number): Promise<void> {
+    if (this.customAvatar && this.customAvatar.length > 0) {
+      await this.applyIdleAvatar(gen);
+      return;
+    }
     try {
       await this.withTimeout(
         this.tsClient.fileTransferDeleteFile(0n, ["/avatar"]),
@@ -179,7 +193,6 @@ export class BotProfileManager {
     } catch {
       // File may not exist or transfer timed out — that's fine
     }
-    // Bail if a newer song started while we were deleting
     if (this.generation !== gen) return;
     try {
       await this.tsClient.sendCommandNoWait("clientupdate client_flag_avatar=");
@@ -188,6 +201,18 @@ export class BotProfileManager {
     }
   }
 
+  private async applyIdleAvatar(gen: number): Promise<void> {
+    if (!this.customAvatar || this.customAvatar.length === 0) return;
+    if (this.permDenied.avatar) return;
+    try {
+      await this.withTimeout(this.doAvatarUpload(this.customAvatar), FILE_TRANSFER_TIMEOUT_MS);
+      if (this.generation !== gen) return;
+      this.logger.info({ bytes: this.customAvatar.length }, "Idle (custom) avatar applied");
+    } catch (err) {
+      this.handleFeatureError("avatar", err);
+    }
+  }
+
   private async updateDescription(song: QueuedSong | null): Promise<void> {
     if (!this.config.descriptionEnabled || this.permDenied.description) return;
     try {