--- a/scripts/setup-seafile-mysql.py
+++ b/scripts/setup-seafile-mysql.py
@@ -1203,7 +1203,7 @@ USER_STRONG_PASSWORD_REQUIRED = True
 
         try:
             media_dir = os.path.join(env_mgr.install_path, 'seahub', 'media')
-            orig_avatar_dir = os.path.join(media_dir, 'avatars')
+            orig_avatar_dir = os.path.join(media_dir, 'avatars_default')
 
             seahub_data_dir = os.path.join(os.environ.get('SEAFILE_UCI_DATA_DIR', env_mgr.top_dir), 'seahub-data')
             dest_avatar_dir = os.path.join(seahub_data_dir, 'avatars')
@@ -1214,8 +1214,8 @@ USER_STRONG_PASSWORD_REQUIRED = True
             if not os.path.exists(seahub_data_dir):
                 os.mkdir(seahub_data_dir)
 
-            shutil.move(orig_avatar_dir, dest_avatar_dir)
-            os.symlink(dest_avatar_dir, orig_avatar_dir)
+            shutil.copytree(orig_avatar_dir, dest_avatar_dir)
+            os.symlink(dest_avatar_dir, os.path.join(media_dir, 'avatars'))
         except Exception as e:
             Utils.error('Failed to prepare seahub avatars dir: %s' % e)
 
--- a/scripts/setup-seafile.sh
+++ b/scripts/setup-seafile.sh
@@ -676,12 +676,12 @@ echo "Done."
 # prepare avatar folder
 
 media_dir=${INSTALLPATH}/seahub/media
-orig_avatar_dir=${INSTALLPATH}/seahub/media/avatars
+orig_avatar_dir=${INSTALLPATH}/seahub/media/avatars_default
 dest_avatar_dir=${SEAFILE_UCI_DATA_DIR-$TOPDIR}/seahub-data/avatars
 
 if [[ ! -d ${dest_avatar_dir} ]]; then
     mkdir -p "${SEAFILE_UCI_DATA_DIR-$TOPDIR}/seahub-data"
-    mv "${orig_avatar_dir}" "${dest_avatar_dir}"
+    cp -pr "${orig_avatar_dir}" "${dest_avatar_dir}"
     ln -s ${SEAFILE_UCI_DATA_DIR-$TOPDIR}/seahub-data/avatars ${media_dir}
 fi
 
