diff --git a/.env b/.env
index 421fce63526..c14a1ae41b9 100644
--- a/.env
+++ b/.env
@@ -129,6 +129,4 @@ EXPOSE_API=true
 # PUBLIC_APP_DATA_SHARING=1
 # PUBLIC_APP_DISCLAIMER=1
 
-ENABLE_ASSISTANTS=false #set to true to enable assistants feature
-ASSISTANTS_GENERATE_AVATAR=true #requires an hf token, uses the model description and name to generate an avatar using a text to image model
-TEXT_TO_IMAGE_MODEL="runwayml/stable-diffusion-v1-5"
+ENABLE_ASSISTANTS=false #set to true to enable assistants feature
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/lib/components/AssistantSettings.svelte b/src/lib/components/AssistantSettings.svelte
index 6511ee7bee0..85394e8d6cf 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/AssistantSettings.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/AssistantSettings.svelte
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
 	import { applyAction, enhance } from "$app/forms";
 	import { base } from "$app/paths";
 	import CarbonPen from "~icons/carbon/pen";
+	import CarbonUpload from "~icons/carbon/upload";
 	import { useSettingsStore } from "$lib/stores/settings";
-	import { page } from "$app/stores";
 	import IconLoading from "./icons/IconLoading.svelte";
 
 	type ActionData = {
@@ -41,10 +41,19 @@
 	let inputMessage3 = assistant?.exampleInputs[2] ?? "";
 	let inputMessage4 = assistant?.exampleInputs[3] ?? "";
 
+	function resetErrors() {
+		if (form) {
+			form.errors = [];
+			form.error = false;
+		}
+	}
+
 	function onFilesChange(e: Event) {
 		const inputEl = e.target as HTMLInputElement;
 		if (inputEl.files?.length) {
 			files = inputEl.files;
+			resetErrors();
+			deleteExistingAvatar = false;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -52,9 +61,9 @@
 		return returnForm?.errors.find((error) => error.field === field)?.message ?? "";
 	}
 
-	let loading = false;
+	let deleteExistingAvatar = false;
 
-	let generateAvatar = false;
+	let loading = false;
 </script>
 
 <form
@@ -63,10 +72,8 @@
 	enctype="multipart/form-data"
 	use:enhance={async ({ formData }) => {
 		loading = true;
-		const avatar = formData.get("avatar");
-
-		if (avatar && typeof avatar !== "string" && avatar.size > 0 && compress) {
-			await compress(avatar, {
+		if (files?.[0] && files[0].size > 0 && compress) {
+			await compress(files[0], {
 				maxWidth: 500,
 				maxHeight: 500,
 				quality: 1,
@@ -75,6 +82,16 @@
 			});
 		}
 
+		if (deleteExistingAvatar === true) {
+			if (assistant?.avatar) {
+				// if there is an avatar we explicitly removei t
+				formData.set("avatar", "null");
+			} else {
+				// else we just remove it from the input
+				formData.delete("avatar");
+			}
+		}
+
 		return async ({ result }) => {
 			loading = false;
 			await applyAction(result);
@@ -93,73 +110,72 @@
 		</p>
 	{/if}
 
-	<div class="grid flex-1 grid-cols-2 gap-4 max-sm:grid-cols-1">
+	<div class="mx-1 grid flex-1 grid-cols-2 gap-4 max-sm:grid-cols-1">
 		<div class="flex flex-col gap-4">
-			<label class="truncate">
-				<span class="mb-1 block text-sm font-semibold">Avatar</span>
+			<div>
+				<span class="mb-1 block pb-2 text-sm font-semibold">Avatar</span>
 				<input
 					type="file"
 					accept="image/*"
 					name="avatar"
-					class="invisible z-10 block h-0 w-0"
-					disabled={generateAvatar}
+					id="avatar"
+					class="hidden"
 					on:change={onFilesChange}
 				/>
-				{#if (files && files[0]) || assistant?.avatar}
-					<div class="group relative h-12 w-12">
+
+				{#if (files && files[0]) || (assistant?.avatar && !deleteExistingAvatar)}
+					<div class="group relative mx-auto h-12 w-12">
 						{#if files && files[0]}
 							<img
 								src={URL.createObjectURL(files[0])}
 								alt="avatar"
-								class="crop mx-auto h-12 w-12 cursor-pointer rounded-full"
+								class="crop mx-auto h-12 w-12 cursor-pointer rounded-full object-cover"
 							/>
 						{:else if assistant?.avatar}
 							<img
 								src="{base}/settings/assistants/{assistant._id}/avatar?hash={assistant.avatar}"
 								alt="avatar"
-								class="crop mx-auto h-12 w-12 cursor-pointer rounded-full"
+								class="crop mx-auto h-12 w-12 cursor-pointer rounded-full object-cover"
 							/>
 						{/if}
 
-						<div
+						<label
+							for="avatar"
 							class="invisible absolute bottom-0 h-12 w-12 rounded-full bg-black bg-opacity-50 p-1 group-hover:visible hover:visible"
 						>
 							<CarbonPen class="mx-auto my-auto h-full cursor-pointer text-center text-white" />
-						</div>
+						</label>
+					</div>
+					<div class="mx-auto w-max pt-1">
+						<button
+							type="button"
+							on:click|stopPropagation|preventDefault={() => {
+								files = null;
+								deleteExistingAvatar = true;
+							}}
+							class="mx-auto w-max text-center text-xs text-gray-600 hover:underline"
+						>
+							Delete
+						</button>
 					</div>
-					<button
-						type="button"
-						on:click|stopPropagation|preventDefault={() => (files = null)}
-						class="mt-1 text-xs text-gray-600 hover:underline"
-					>
-						Reset
-					</button>
 				{:else}
-					<span
-						class="text-xs text-gray-500"
-						class:hover:underline={!generateAvatar}
-						class:cursor-pointer={!generateAvatar}>Click to upload</span
-					>
-				{/if}
-				<p class="text-xs text-red-500">{getError("avatar", form)}</p>
-				{#if !files?.[0] && $page.data.avatarGeneration && !assistant?.avatar}
-					<label class="text-xs text-gray-500">
-						<input
-							type="checkbox"
-							name="generateAvatar"
-							class="text-xs text-gray-500"
-							bind:checked={generateAvatar}
-						/>
-						Generate avatar from description
-					</label>
+					<div class="mb-1 flex w-max flex-row gap-4">
+						<label
+							for="avatar"
+							class="btn flex h-8 rounded-lg border bg-white px-3 py-1 text-gray-500 shadow-sm transition-all hover:bg-gray-100"
+						>
+							<CarbonUpload class="mr-2 text-xs " /> Upload
+						</label>
+					</div>
+					<p class="text-xs text-red-500">{getError("avatar", form)}</p>
 				{/if}
-			</label>
+			</div>
 
 			<label>
 				<span class="mb-1 text-sm font-semibold">Name</span>
 				<input
 					name="name"
-					class=" w-full rounded-lg border-2 border-gray-200 bg-gray-100 p-2"
+					class="w-full rounded-lg border-2 border-gray-200 bg-gray-100 p-2"
 					placeholder="My awesome model"
 					value={assistant?.name ?? ""}
 				/>
@@ -228,14 +244,12 @@
 
 		<label class="flex flex-col">
 			<span class="mb-1 text-sm font-semibold"> Instructions (system prompt) </span>
-
 			<textarea
 				name="preprompt"
-				class="flex-1 rounded-lg border-2 border-gray-200 bg-gray-100 p-2 text-sm"
+				class="min-h-[8lh] flex-1 rounded-lg border-2 border-gray-200 bg-gray-100 p-2 text-sm"
 				placeholder="You'll act as..."
 				value={assistant?.preprompt ?? ""}
 			/>
-
 			<p class="text-xs text-red-500">{getError("preprompt", form)}</p>
 		</label>
 	</div>
@@ -245,7 +259,6 @@
 			href={assistant ? `${base}/settings/assistants/${assistant?._id}` : `${base}/settings`}
 			class="rounded-full bg-gray-200 px-8 py-2 font-semibold text-gray-600">Cancel</a
 		>
-
 		<button
 			type="submit"
 			disabled={loading}
diff --git a/src/lib/components/NavConversationItem.svelte b/src/lib/components/NavConversationItem.svelte
index 6ce88deb76d..ce5325f0d80 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/NavConversationItem.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/NavConversationItem.svelte
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 			<img
 				src="{base}/settings/assistants/{conv.assistantId}/avatar?hash={conv.avatarHash}"
 				alt="Assistant avatar"
-				class="mr-1.5 inline size-4 rounded-full"
+				class="mr-1.5 inline size-4 rounded-full object-cover"
 			/>
 			{conv.title.replace(/\p{Emoji}/gu, "")}
 		{:else if conv.assistantId}
diff --git a/src/lib/utils/generateAvatar.ts b/src/lib/utils/generateAvatar.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 2cd1b291dcd..00000000000
--- a/src/lib/utils/generateAvatar.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-import { HF_TOKEN, TEXT_TO_IMAGE_MODEL } from "$env/static/private";
-import { generateFromDefaultEndpoint } from "$lib/server/generateFromDefaultEndpoint";
-import { HfInference } from "@huggingface/inference";
-
-export async function generateAvatar(description?: string, name?: string): Promise<File> {
-	const queryPrompt = `Generate a prompt for an image-generation model for the following: 
-Name: ${name}
-Description: ${description}
-`;
-	const imagePrompt = await generateFromDefaultEndpoint({
-		messages: [{ from: "user", content: queryPrompt }],
-		preprompt:
-			"You are an assistant tasked with generating simple image descriptions. The user will ask you for an image, based on the name and a description of what they want, and you should reply with a short, concise, safe, descriptive sentence.",
-	});
-
-	const hf = new HfInference(HF_TOKEN);
-
-	const blob = await hf.textToImage({
-		inputs: imagePrompt,
-		model: TEXT_TO_IMAGE_MODEL,
-	});
-
-	return new File([blob], "avatar.png");
-}
diff --git a/src/routes/+layout.server.ts b/src/routes/+layout.server.ts
index 36682018e9b..fcf4069d50a 100644
--- a/src/routes/+layout.server.ts
+++ b/src/routes/+layout.server.ts
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@ import {
 	YDC_API_KEY,
 	USE_LOCAL_WEBSEARCH,
 	ENABLE_ASSISTANTS,
-	ASSISTANTS_GENERATE_AVATAR,
-	TEXT_TO_IMAGE_MODEL,
 } from "$env/static/private";
 import { ObjectId } from "mongodb";
 import type { ConvSidebar } from "$lib/types/ConvSidebar";
@@ -163,7 +161,6 @@ export const load: LayoutServerLoad = async ({ locals, depends }) => {
 			email: locals.user.email,
 		},
 		assistant,
-		avatarGeneration: ASSISTANTS_GENERATE_AVATAR === "true" && !!TEXT_TO_IMAGE_MODEL,
 		enableAssistants,
 		loginRequired,
 		loginEnabled: requiresUser,
diff --git a/src/routes/settings/+layout.svelte b/src/routes/settings/+layout.svelte
index 827bed88a9d..dba111364b2 100644
--- a/src/routes/settings/+layout.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/settings/+layout.svelte
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@
 				Application Settings
 			</a>
 		</div>
-		<div class="col-span-1 overflow-y-auto max-md:pt-6 md:col-span-2">
+		<div class="col-span-1 overflow-y-auto px-4 max-md:-mx-4 max-md:pt-6 md:col-span-2">
 			<slot />
 		</div>
 
diff --git a/src/routes/settings/assistants/[assistantId]/edit/+page.server.ts b/src/routes/settings/assistants/[assistantId]/edit/+page.server.ts
index 020bae01128..22716f4a764 100644
--- a/src/routes/settings/assistants/[assistantId]/edit/+page.server.ts
+++ b/src/routes/settings/assistants/[assistantId]/edit/+page.server.ts
@@ -7,9 +7,6 @@ import { ObjectId } from "mongodb";
 import { z } from "zod";
 import sizeof from "image-size";
 import { sha256 } from "$lib/utils/sha256";
-import { ASSISTANTS_GENERATE_AVATAR, HF_TOKEN } from "$env/static/private";
-import { generateAvatar } from "$lib/utils/generateAvatar";
-import { timeout } from "$lib/utils/timeout";
 
 const newAsssistantSchema = z.object({
 	name: z.string().min(1),
@@ -20,11 +17,7 @@ const newAsssistantSchema = z.object({
 	exampleInput2: z.string().optional(),
 	exampleInput3: z.string().optional(),
 	exampleInput4: z.string().optional(),
-	avatar: z.instanceof(File).optional(),
-	generateAvatar: z
-		.literal("on")
-		.optional()
-		.transform((el) => !!el),
+	avatar: z.union([z.instanceof(File), z.literal("null")]).optional(),
 });
 
 const uploadAvatar = async (avatar: File, assistantId: ObjectId): Promise<string> => {
@@ -87,8 +80,10 @@ export const actions: Actions = {
 			parse?.data?.exampleInput4 ?? "",
 		].filter((input) => !!input);
 
+		const deleteAvatar = parse.data.avatar === "null";
+
 		let hash;
-		if (parse.data.avatar && parse.data.avatar.size > 0) {
+		if (parse.data.avatar && parse.data.avatar !== "null" && parse.data.avatar.size > 0) {
 			const dims = sizeof(Buffer.from(await parse.data.avatar.arrayBuffer()));
 
 			if ((dims.height ?? 1000) > 512 || (dims.width ?? 1000) > 512) {
@@ -106,28 +101,14 @@ export const actions: Actions = {
 			}
 
 			hash = await uploadAvatar(parse.data.avatar, assistant._id);
-		} else if (
-			ASSISTANTS_GENERATE_AVATAR === "true" &&
-			HF_TOKEN !== "" &&
-			parse.data.generateAvatar
-		) {
-			try {
-				const avatar = await timeout(
-					generateAvatar(parse.data.description, parse.data.name),
-					30000
-				);
-
-				hash = await uploadAvatar(avatar, assistant._id);
-			} catch (err) {
-				return fail(400, {
-					error: true,
-					errors: [
-						{
-							field: "avatar",
-							message: "Avatar generation failed. Try again or disable the feature.",
-						},
-					],
-				});
+		} else if (deleteAvatar) {
+			// delete the avatar
+			const fileCursor = collections.bucket.find({ filename: assistant._id.toString() });
+
+			let fileId = await fileCursor.next();
+			while (fileId) {
+				await collections.bucket.delete(fileId._id);
+				fileId = await fileCursor.next();
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -140,7 +121,7 @@ export const actions: Actions = {
 				createdByName: locals.user?.username ?? locals.user?.name,
 				...parse.data,
 				exampleInputs,
-				avatar: hash ?? assistant.avatar,
+				avatar: deleteAvatar ? undefined : hash ?? assistant.avatar,
 				createdAt: new Date(),
 				updatedAt: new Date(),
 			}
diff --git a/src/routes/settings/assistants/new/+page.server.ts b/src/routes/settings/assistants/new/+page.server.ts
index 71a51dc746a..bdb077c761a 100644
--- a/src/routes/settings/assistants/new/+page.server.ts
+++ b/src/routes/settings/assistants/new/+page.server.ts
@@ -7,9 +7,6 @@ import { ObjectId } from "mongodb";
 import { z } from "zod";
 import sizeof from "image-size";
 import { sha256 } from "$lib/utils/sha256";
-import { ASSISTANTS_GENERATE_AVATAR, HF_TOKEN } from "$env/static/private";
-import { timeout } from "$lib/utils/timeout";
-import { generateAvatar } from "$lib/utils/generateAvatar";
 
 const newAsssistantSchema = z.object({
 	name: z.string().min(1),
@@ -21,10 +18,6 @@ const newAsssistantSchema = z.object({
 	exampleInput3: z.string().optional(),
 	exampleInput4: z.string().optional(),
 	avatar: z.instanceof(File).optional(),
-	generateAvatar: z
-		.literal("on")
-		.optional()
-		.transform((el) => !!el),
 });
 
 const uploadAvatar = async (avatar: File, assistantId: ObjectId): Promise<string> => {
@@ -95,29 +88,6 @@ export const actions: Actions = {
 			}
 
 			hash = await uploadAvatar(parse.data.avatar, newAssistantId);
-		} else if (
-			ASSISTANTS_GENERATE_AVATAR === "true" &&
-			HF_TOKEN !== "" &&
-			parse.data.generateAvatar
-		) {
-			try {
-				const avatar = await timeout(
-					generateAvatar(parse.data.description, parse.data.name),
-					30000
-				);
-
-				hash = await uploadAvatar(avatar, newAssistantId);
-			} catch (err) {
-				return fail(400, {
-					error: true,
-					errors: [
-						{
-							field: "avatar",
-							message: "Avatar generation failed. Try again or disable the feature.",
-						},
-					],
-				});
-			}
 		}
 
 		const { insertedId } = await collections.assistants.insertOne({