diff --git a/development.ini b/development.ini
--- a/development.ini
+++ b/development.ini
@@ -66,11 +66,11 @@ use_gravatar = true
 
 ## alternative_gravatar_url allows you to use your own avatar server application
 ## the following parts of the URL will be replaced
-## %(email)s        user email
-## %(md5email)s     md5 hash of the user email (like at gravatar.com)
-## %(size)s         size of the image that is expected from the server application
-#alternative_gravatar_url = http://myavatarserver.com/getbyemail/%(email)s/%(size)s
-#alternative_gravatar_url = http://myavatarserver.com/getbymd5/%(md5email)s?s=%(size)s
+## {email}        user email
+## {md5email}     md5 hash of the user email (like at gravatar.com)
+## {size}         size of the image that is expected from the server application
+#alternative_gravatar_url = http://myavatarserver.com/getbyemail/{email}/{size}
+#alternative_gravatar_url = http://myavatarserver.com/getbymd5/{md5email}?s={size}
 
 container_auth_enabled = false
 proxypass_auth_enabled = false
diff --git a/production.ini b/production.ini
--- a/production.ini
+++ b/production.ini
@@ -66,11 +66,11 @@ use_gravatar = true
 
 ## alternative_gravatar_url allows you to use your own avatar server application
 ## the following parts of the URL will be replaced
-## %(email)s        user email
-## %(md5email)s     md5 hash of the user email (like at gravatar.com)
-## %(size)s         size of the image that is expected from the server application
-#alternative_gravatar_url = http://myavatarserver.com/getbyemail/%(email)s/%(size)s
-#alternative_gravatar_url = http://myavatarserver.com/getbymd5/%(md5email)s?s=%(size)s
+## {email}        user email
+## {md5email}     md5 hash of the user email (like at gravatar.com)
+## {size}         size of the image that is expected from the server application
+#alternative_gravatar_url = http://myavatarserver.com/getbyemail/{email}/{size}
+#alternative_gravatar_url = http://myavatarserver.com/getbymd5/{md5email}?s={size}
 
 container_auth_enabled = false
 proxypass_auth_enabled = false
diff --git a/rhodecode/config/deployment.ini_tmpl b/rhodecode/config/deployment.ini_tmpl
--- a/rhodecode/config/deployment.ini_tmpl
+++ b/rhodecode/config/deployment.ini_tmpl
@@ -66,11 +66,11 @@ use_gravatar = true
 
 ## alternative_gravatar_url allows you to use your own avatar server application
 ## the following parts of the URL will be replaced
-## %(email)s        user email
-## %(md5email)s     md5 hash of the user email (like at gravatar.com)
-## %(size)s         size of the image that is expected from the server application
-#alternative_gravatar_url = http://myavatarserver.com/getbyemail/%(email)s/%(size)s
-#alternative_gravatar_url = http://myavatarserver.com/getbymd5/%(md5email)s?s=%(size)s
+## {email}        user email
+## {md5email}     md5 hash of the user email (like at gravatar.com)
+## {size}         size of the image that is expected from the server application
+#alternative_gravatar_url = http://myavatarserver.com/getbyemail/{email}/{size}
+#alternative_gravatar_url = http://myavatarserver.com/getbymd5/{md5email}?s={size}
 
 container_auth_enabled = false
 proxypass_auth_enabled = false
diff --git a/rhodecode/lib/helpers.py b/rhodecode/lib/helpers.py
--- a/rhodecode/lib/helpers.py
+++ b/rhodecode/lib/helpers.py
@@ -713,9 +713,12 @@ HasRepoPermissionAny, HasRepoPermissionA
 def gravatar_url(email_address, size=30):
     if(str2bool(config['app_conf'].get('use_gravatar')) and
        config['app_conf'].get('alternative_gravatar_url')):
-        return config['app_conf'].get('alternative_gravatar_url') % {'email': email_address,
-                                                                     'md5email': hashlib.md5(email_address.lower()).hexdigest(),
-                                                                     'size': size}
+        tmpl = config['app_conf'].get('alternative_gravatar_url', '')
+        tmpl = tmpl.replace('{email}', email_address)\
+                   .replace('{md5email}', hashlib.md5(email_address.lower()).hexdigest())\
+                   .replace('{size}', str(size))
+        return tmpl
+
     if (not str2bool(config['app_conf'].get('use_gravatar')) or
         not email_address or email_address == 'anonymous@rhodecode.org'):
         f = lambda a, l: min(l, key=lambda x: abs(x - a))