diff --git a/test/org/jivesoftware/smack/test/SmackTestCase.java b/test/org/jivesoftware/smack/test/SmackTestCase.java
index 4ab780820..4231eab78 100644
--- a/test/org/jivesoftware/smack/test/SmackTestCase.java
+++ b/test/org/jivesoftware/smack/test/SmackTestCase.java
@@ -349,4 +349,20 @@ public abstract class SmackTestCase extends TestCase {
         return "config/" + fullClassName.substring(firstChar) + ".xml";
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Compares two contents of two byte arrays to make sure that they are equal
+     *
+     * @param message The message to show in the case of failure
+     * @param byteArray1 The first byte array.
+     * @param byteArray2 The second byte array.
+     */
+    public static void assertEquals(String message, byte [] byteArray1, byte [] byteArray2) {
+        if(byteArray1.length != byteArray2.length) {
+            fail(message);
+        }
+        for(int i = 0; i < byteArray1.length; i++) {
+            assertEquals(message, byteArray1[i], byteArray2[i]);
+        }
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/test/org/jivesoftware/smackx/VCardTest.java b/test/org/jivesoftware/smackx/VCardTest.java
index 36cede217..6911a004b 100644
--- a/test/org/jivesoftware/smackx/VCardTest.java
+++ b/test/org/jivesoftware/smackx/VCardTest.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package org.jivesoftware.smackx;
 
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.XMPPException;
+import org.jivesoftware.smack.util.StringUtils;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.test.SmackTestCase;
 import org.jivesoftware.smackx.packet.VCard;
 import org.jivesoftware.smackx.provider.VCardProvider;
@@ -82,6 +83,90 @@ public class VCardTest extends SmackTestCase {
        // assertEquals("kir max", card.getFullName());
     }
 
+    public void testBinaryAvatar() throws Throwable {
+        VCard card = new VCard();
+        card.setAvatar(getAvatarBinary());
+        card.save(getConnection(0));
+        System.out.println(card.getChildElementXML());
+
+        VCard loaded = new VCard();
+        try {
+            loaded.load(getConnection(0));
+        }
+        catch (XMPPException e) {
+            e.printStackTrace();
+            fail(e.getMessage());
+        }
+        System.out.println(StringUtils.encodeBase64(loaded.getAvatar()));
+        assertEquals("Should load own Avatar successfully", card.getAvatar(), loaded.getAvatar());
+
+        loaded = new VCard();
+        try {
+            loaded.load(getConnection(1), getBareJID(0));
+        }
+        catch (XMPPException e) {
+            e.printStackTrace();
+            fail(e.getMessage());
+        }
+
+        assertEquals("Should load avatar successfully", card.getAvatar(), loaded.getAvatar());
+    }
+
+    private byte[] getAvatarBinary() {
+        return StringUtils.decodeBase64(getAvatarEnconded());
+    }
+
+    private String getAvatarEnconded() {
+        return "/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQEASABIAAD/4QAWRXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgAAAAAAAD/2wBDAAUDBAQEAwUE\n" +
+                "BAQFBQUGBwwIBwcHBw8LCwkMEQ8SEhEPERETFhwXExQaFRERGCEYGh0dHx8fExciJCIeJBweHx7/\n" +
+                "2wBDAQUFBQcGBw4ICA4eFBEUHh4eHh4eHh4eHh4eHh4eHh4eHh4eHh4eHh4eHh4eHh4eHh4eHh4e\n" +
+                "Hh4eHh4eHh4eHh7/wAARCABQAFADASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAHAAAAgIDAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAABwgFBgID\n" +
+                "BAkB/8QAORAAAgEDAwIDBwIDBwUAAAAAAQIDBAURAAYSITEHE0EIFBUiMlFxYbEjUqEkQoGR0eHw\n" +
+                "M0NicsH/xAAZAQADAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAwQBAAX/xAAgEQACAgMAAwADAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIR\n" +
+                "AxIhBBMxMmGR/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDOor6ir6RqwhH0hfX9fx++t1FbGmYRUyEg4A6k5Ot9staw\n" +
+                "ny4FP8R+RDNkE9s6s1TR2yzW0190QVGOiq/0k/bj21Ko2/0Miv6bKSOKyW1aeAqzjq5B+pvXXKdy\n" +
+                "BRyYkYOqVd9xw1crSQWiCKnXIXCDl/nj9tUu80016u8dPPdKyC3ypzMMT4ZmGAUz9hkHJz3xqlTa\n" +
+                "4ilRk/oYJd8WunJjlr6NJT2RplB/fWUO7AwBDhhjIIPTVSsXhltF6FXlslLKGHzNLlmb9e+uC8bC\n" +
+                "t9muNHJa2qKeJ5eJhErFGABbA69Ppx+M6KUnR3Y/UFa17pilK8I5JSTjIIA/rqJ3TYWeve8UlH5a\n" +
+                "VKjzgGGCw7N+cd/wNDykNdBKI5KgD5sjI6aJW3qyueDyJI/MjIwSDlW/00vdPjMyRlVFMqoOMhjZ\n" +
+                "WR/5WGD/AIffUVUUoZ8EaIlDQJXVr0VTGfLlbA/8WJ6ah9zbdms1XGkh5JMnJGx9uhB/UHQShy0T\n" +
+                "X2iatSxSX96RXTIYRL64Oev761+L7UduTlc3ZII8BEHdjj0GrPZbRTVV5MskKJ5vE5Ax17Hr/wA9\n" +
+                "NUv2p57BtHbluul4q55qjzpFo7fM4Z6h1CgovqEGQWbOACO5KqdriDxy1fQSVO8DXF4LfZ3SmQdW\n" +
+                "diCfX0H21Xqu+Ri726oWadY3ZgyDDBBhcgEfc4z+NBi7XGqula9VVPlmJIUdFQfZR6D/AIdc8Ukk\n" +
+                "MqSxO0ciMGR1OCpHYg+h0aib7h69rCoa2RK7FSVGVHpqq+KNS1NV2aGeOsZ0qTxkhcqEVhxYnH5H\n" +
+                "X0xoXeDfjlNZsWnejz1dGSiwV0cYaSEDCkSAYLrj5uXV8g/VkYZyJbRfrRDdqCWiudG2QskTpLFK\n" +
+                "uSGAIJBwQR+Rps6cEGpbWAzdFpv07T8I63hEAIwwPXPc4Hr+dTnh8246CzPdUmm8mneNJ6eo+vkx\n" +
+                "IIH3HTP40cK+009SvvMYCiTv9gfXX21USUswWWKCcN0yy9QNI1oZJ7dIinSasus7UsL8iiuxxhQD\n" +
+                "+v37nXd4g2mtjstFVVlQ0s5qWV1KBRllznH7/jVlsdsaTckwY8YXwf0C46n/AC1xeLknvtdQW2PJ\n" +
+                "bLSOq+nLB/Yf10VtRaJH+RYLrZaSyxz1k9XFT0VPG0ss8zBI4kUFmLMegUKCST0AGvNvxs35W+JH\n" +
+                "iRdN0VUk3u8r+TQRSEjyaZOka8eTBSR8zBTjm7kd9Nr7fPiDd7LsW0bZs881Ku4pJxWzxS8S1PEq\n" +
+                "coCMZw5mXJBHRCpyHI0i2iquAXfSV2rYLnuW8xWq1QiSaTqzMcJEg7u59FGf2AySASJv3wVu1ktE\n" +
+                "V0sM816jBVJ6dIP46HAHNVBPJS2eg6qCPqALC5+DO2327sVLpMh9+uwWpIDdocfwh0JByCWz0Pz4\n" +
+                "PbRXscVQLYWqj8zDOMems7ZbHxl69m+iOa6fiFf8L+Fe/VPw/wA/3j3XzW8nzePHzOGccuPTljOO\n" +
+                "mmO8TPDSy7qc1dseC1Xnk7M6wgRVGcn+IB2bkf8AqDJwTkN0wud5oJrVd622VDxvNR1EkEjRklSy\n" +
+                "MVJGQDjI+w0TVE08cofQneylfrlafF2gt9NXSQ2+5RzR11PnMc4SGR05A+oYDBHUZIzhiC5lPV07\n" +
+                "SBlmHQ9j/rpV/ZB2tSXw7pu3u6SXS1rS+5yN1KLJ53mADsCQijPfGR2Jywe3qoeeUcYcdMY7aXKT\n" +
+                "TLfGxp47YSTc/crcayni8xuisxOPxqFo6ee43ISVEhWpq34tIf8Atqx/c6kaFTLZ5CygoHQnp07j\n" +
+                "UxV0kFPNNIsfFoqlXBX8jQyl0kyJKXBS/boqZrpZtk3CKCY00T1sckvA8UZxAUUnsCQjED14t9jp\n" +
+                "W9ej1bbrbuKxVtnvlFFWUFbmOaGQfKQT0P3BBAIIwQQCCCAdKn4kezjuayxz3Pacvx+2qSwp8BKy\n" +
+                "NfmOOPaXACjK4ZmPRNV5MTXUIj8Iza/jfclaODdlL8QiUn+1UyKk3949U6I390dOOAM/MdT27vaF\n" +
+                "5U4ptq2Tjzw0k9xHUd8qqI3/AKnkW+44+ugPV01RR1c1JVwS09RBI0csUqFXjdTgqwPUEEEEHWrS\n" +
+                "KH+/JVWXCbxM3nJVvULdhGWYkKtPGVUfYZUnA/Uk6gNxXu5bguJuN2mjnqigRpFgSMsB25cAMnHT\n" +
+                "J64AHYDVs234Q75vfkyfDIrbTy8szXCdYfLxn6kyZBkjA+X1B7ddWOP2e94StxhvO25TnrwqJiF/\n" +
+                "J8rWnOOWa7ZXtgeMO/djW2ntW3rnSwW2Kfz3pGoICs7Egt5j8PMbIAXPLkFAAIwMNB4d7xsW/bdS\n" +
+                "3iyAwVYZYq+hZ8yUrkdc/wAynB4t2IB7EMoTbeG3rjtXctbt+6iL3ujcK5ifmjggMrKfsVIIyAev\n" +
+                "UA5GurZ28dwbRW5fAK+Sje40vu0siMQyDkDzTrgSABlDd1DtjBIIySs7HkeN9HFvftPeGFjWp2/D\n" +
+                "T326SU8oV6yhghemkYYzwZpVLAHI5YwcZBIIJLuyN5WDxB2jJubbVX59FUModJFCy08gC8opFyeL\n" +
+                "rkZGSCCCCVIJ8vdO97EsZtfgZWS148lbjeZZ6Y8gecYSKItgHp88bjBwemexBIuKF3bCZMDTgggg\n" +
+                "GZSNStuhLRlyAAGP9P8AfOoKW6Udbeqe38i0kANQwHoFHrq0WpG9yp+fdkBb8nrr1GhexDbk2zaN\n" +
+                "x0vul8tlHcaZG8xI6qBZVVwCOYDAjOCRn9Toe1GwNsWyqBpduWihqkBaKogoo43AIwcMoBHQkaNP\n" +
+                "lgxYx6ai9xWb4lQfwQBURLyjP3HqupM2NfUPwZNWAi4WmvimKxvLxB6FW1O7XpK1VXzeROe7tqSq\n" +
+                "/PilaGWNkkU4ZWHUayo5nV8Fv8MakU2uHr+1uIvHtW+Hl5oNy1G+6fFZaK4RLO0a/NRyKixgOP5W\n" +
+                "4jD9snicHiWBGvTnaFtnnmSeZCsQIKgj6v8AbV5jlDS1AXsqBRqqGJyVs8bM0pcEL9mz2e7pvivi\n" +
+                "3BvCirLZteMLLDHKjRS3QlQyiPsRCQQTIO4PFDnLI9NBZKKgpaCjtdPDR0YaPhBGgRI1UfKiqOgA\n" +
+                "CgADtrKoqPLpKaXPVXUdPtnXTNUBLlTQR4xHlj+gHT/7pjw8oTsf/9k=";
+    }
+
     /*
     public void testFullName() throws Throwable {
         VCard card = new VCard();