diff --git a/ts/util/getProfile.ts b/ts/util/getProfile.ts
index 8c4ca6a949..c31ff62af0 100644
--- a/ts/util/getProfile.ts
+++ b/ts/util/getProfile.ts
@@ -131,7 +131,9 @@ async function doGetProfile(c: ConversationModel): Promise<void> {
           throw error;
         }
         if (error.code === 401 || error.code === 403) {
-          await c.setProfileKey(undefined);
+          if (!isMe(c.attributes)) {
+            await c.setProfileKey(undefined);
+          }
 
           // Retry fetch using last known profileKeyVersion or fetch
           // unversioned profile.
@@ -306,7 +308,9 @@ async function doGetProfile(c: ConversationModel): Promise<void> {
           log.warn(
             `getProfile: Got 401/403 when using accessKey for ${idForLogging}, removing profileKey`
           );
-          c.setProfileKey(undefined);
+          if (!isMe(c.attributes)) {
+            await c.setProfileKey(undefined);
+          }
         }
         if (c.get('sealedSender') === SEALED_SENDER.UNKNOWN) {
           log.warn(
@@ -363,11 +367,8 @@ async function doGetProfile(c: ConversationModel): Promise<void> {
     if (error instanceof HTTPError) {
       if (error.code === 403 || error.code === 404) {
         log.warn(
-          `getProfile: clearing profile avatar for conversation ${idForLogging}`
+          `getProfile: profile avatar is missing for conversation ${idForLogging}`
         );
-        c.set({
-          profileAvatar: null,
-        });
       }
     } else {
       log.warn(