diff --git a/ghost/sodo-search/src/search-index.js b/ghost/sodo-search/src/search-index.js
index 0f887b172a..b1a1bf4e70 100644
--- a/ghost/sodo-search/src/search-index.js
+++ b/ghost/sodo-search/src/search-index.js
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ export default class SearchIndex {
             this.authorsIndex.addDoc({
                 id: author.id,
                 name: author.name,
-                url: author.url
+                url: author.url,
+                profile_image: author.profile_image
             });
         });
     }
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ export default class SearchIndex {
         this.authorsIndex = elasticlunr();
         this.authorsIndex.addField('name');
         this.authorsIndex.addField('url');
+        this.authorsIndex.addField('profile_image');
         this.authorsIndex.setRef('id');
 
         if (authors.authors.length > 0) {
diff --git a/ghost/sodo-search/src/search-index.test.js b/ghost/sodo-search/src/search-index.test.js
index c68dfbd392..1618a65a5f 100644
--- a/ghost/sodo-search/src/search-index.test.js
+++ b/ghost/sodo-search/src/search-index.test.js
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ describe('search index', function () {
         expect(searchResults.authors.length).toEqual(1);
         expect(searchResults.authors[0].name).toEqual('Barcelona Author');
         expect(searchResults.authors[0].url).toEqual('http://localhost/ghost/authors/barcelona-author/');
+        expect(searchResults.authors[0].profile_image).toEqual('https://url_to_avatar/barcelona.png');
 
         expect(searchResults.tags.length).toEqual(1);
         expect(searchResults.tags[0].name).toEqual('Barcelona Tag');