diff --git a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/avatar/UserAvatarManager.java b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/avatar/UserAvatarManager.java
index a240000ea..72c51d9f9 100644
--- a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/avatar/UserAvatarManager.java
+++ b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/avatar/UserAvatarManager.java
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ public final class UserAvatarManager extends Manager {
      */
     public void unpublishAvatar()
             throws NoResponseException, XMPPErrorException, NotConnectedException, InterruptedException, PubSubException.NotALeafNodeException {
-        getOrCreateMetadataNode().publish(new PayloadItem<>(new MetadataExtension(null)));
+        getOrCreateMetadataNode().publish(new PayloadItem<>(new MetadataExtension()));
     }
 
     @SuppressWarnings("UnnecessaryAnonymousClass")
diff --git a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/avatar/element/MetadataExtension.java b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/avatar/element/MetadataExtension.java
index f1fe0d3ac..0d79ed4a5 100644
--- a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/avatar/element/MetadataExtension.java
+++ b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/avatar/element/MetadataExtension.java
@@ -44,6 +44,13 @@ public class MetadataExtension implements ExtensionElement {
     private final List<MetadataInfo> infos;
     private final List<MetadataPointer> pointers;
 
+    /**
+     * Empty constructor.
+     */
+    public MetadataExtension() {
+        this(null);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Metadata Extension constructor.
      *
diff --git a/smack-extensions/src/test/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/avatar/MetadataExtensionTest.java b/smack-extensions/src/test/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/avatar/MetadataExtensionTest.java
index a1cf7ed29..02ea291d6 100644
--- a/smack-extensions/src/test/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/avatar/MetadataExtensionTest.java
+++ b/smack-extensions/src/test/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/avatar/MetadataExtensionTest.java
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ public class MetadataExtensionTest {
 
     @Test
     public void checkEmptyMetadataExtensionParse() {
-        MetadataExtension metadataExtension = new MetadataExtension(null);
+        MetadataExtension metadataExtension = new MetadataExtension();
         assertEquals(emptyMetadataExtensionExample, metadataExtension.toXML().toString());
     }