diff --git a/src/gui/src/helpers.js b/src/gui/src/helpers.js
index f855fa62e..ab8500b86 100644
--- a/src/gui/src/helpers.js
+++ b/src/gui/src/helpers.js
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ window.check_fsentry_against_allowed_file_types_string =function (fsentry, allow
 window.refresh_user_data = async (auth_token)=>{
     let whoami
     try{
-        whoami = await puter.os.user();
+        whoami = await puter.os.user({query: 'icon_size=64'});
     }catch(e){
         // Ignored
     }
diff --git a/src/gui/src/initgui.js b/src/gui/src/initgui.js
index 59a8e4ddd..b1d3491b3 100644
--- a/src/gui/src/initgui.js
+++ b/src/gui/src/initgui.js
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ window.initgui = async function(options){
         puter.setAuthToken(query_param_auth_token);
 
         try{
-            whoami = await puter.os.user();
+            whoami = await puter.os.user({query: 'icon_size=64'});
         }catch(e){
             if(e.status === 401){
                 window.logout();
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ window.initgui = async function(options){
         // try to get user data using /whoami, only if that data is missing
         if(!whoami){
             try{
-                whoami = await puter.os.user();
+                whoami = await puter.os.user({query: 'icon_size=64'});
             }catch(e){
                 if(e.status === 401){
                     bad_session_logout();
diff --git a/src/puter-js/src/modules/OS.js b/src/puter-js/src/modules/OS.js
index 4b66b0f30..ac98481e3 100644
--- a/src/puter-js/src/modules/OS.js
+++ b/src/puter-js/src/modules/OS.js
@@ -51,8 +51,13 @@ class OS{
             };
         }
 
+        let query = '';
+        if(options?.query){
+            query = '?' + new URLSearchParams(options.query).toString();
+        }
+
         return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-            const xhr = utils.initXhr('/whoami', this.APIOrigin, this.authToken, 'get');
+            const xhr = utils.initXhr('/whoami' + query, this.APIOrigin, this.authToken, 'get');
 
             // set up event handlers for load and error events
             utils.setupXhrEventHandlers(xhr, options.success, options.error, resolve, reject);