diff --git a/apps/desktop/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/components/cathash/BucketConfig.java b/apps/desktop/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/components/cathash/BucketConfig.java
index f6dc5f14b9..f02bd24602 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/components/cathash/BucketConfig.java
+++ b/apps/desktop/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/components/cathash/BucketConfig.java
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 @Slf4j
 public abstract class BucketConfig {
-    static final String CURRENT_VERSION = "v1";
+    static final int CURRENT_VERSION = 0;
     static final String DIGIT = "#";
     static final String SHAPE_NUMBER = "#SHAPE_NUMBER#";
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/components/cathash/CatHash.java b/apps/desktop/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/components/cathash/CatHash.java
index f3d8a76475..0eada4e31a 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/components/cathash/CatHash.java
+++ b/apps/desktop/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/components/cathash/CatHash.java
@@ -38,11 +38,11 @@ public static Image getImage(UserProfile userProfile) {
                 userProfile.getAvatarVersion(), true);
     }
 
-    public static Image getImage(byte[] pubKeyHash, byte[] powSolution, String avatarVersion) {
+    public static Image getImage(byte[] pubKeyHash, byte[] powSolution, int avatarVersion) {
         return getImage(pubKeyHash, powSolution, avatarVersion, true);
     }
 
-    public static Image getImage(byte[] pubKeyHash, byte[] powSolution, String avatarVersion, boolean useCache) {
+    public static Image getImage(byte[] pubKeyHash, byte[] powSolution, int avatarVersion, boolean useCache) {
         byte[] combined = ByteArrayUtils.concat(powSolution, pubKeyHash);
         BigInteger input = new BigInteger(combined);
         if (useCache && CACHE.containsKey(input)) {
@@ -61,14 +61,14 @@ public static Image getImage(byte[] pubKeyHash, byte[] powSolution, String avata
         return image;
     }
 
-    public static String currentAvatarsVersion() {
+    public static int currentAvatarsVersion() {
         return BucketConfig.CURRENT_VERSION;
     }
 
-    private static BucketConfig getBucketConfig(String avatarVersion) {
+    private static BucketConfig getBucketConfig(int avatarVersion) {
         BucketConfig bucketConfig;
         switch (avatarVersion) {
-            case "v1": {
+            case 0: {
                 bucketConfig = new BucketConfigV1();
                 log.info("Creating v1 BucketConfig: {}", bucketConfig.getClass().getName());
             }
diff --git a/apps/desktop/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/main/content/user/user_profile/create/step2/CreateNewProfileStep2Controller.java b/apps/desktop/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/main/content/user/user_profile/create/step2/CreateNewProfileStep2Controller.java
index 3a86bf3869..9ab66ae5c0 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/main/content/user/user_profile/create/step2/CreateNewProfileStep2Controller.java
+++ b/apps/desktop/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/main/content/user/user_profile/create/step2/CreateNewProfileStep2Controller.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 
 @Slf4j
 public class CreateNewProfileStep2Controller implements InitWithDataController<CreateNewProfileStep2Controller.InitData> {
-    private static final String CURRENT_AVATARS_VERSION = CatHash.currentAvatarsVersion();
+    private static final int CURRENT_AVATARS_VERSION = CatHash.currentAvatarsVersion();
 
     @Getter
     @ToString
diff --git a/apps/desktop/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/overlay/onboarding/create_profile/CreateProfileController.java b/apps/desktop/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/overlay/onboarding/create_profile/CreateProfileController.java
index cc64ca0560..5bfe7df0ea 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/overlay/onboarding/create_profile/CreateProfileController.java
+++ b/apps/desktop/desktop/src/main/java/bisq/desktop/overlay/onboarding/create_profile/CreateProfileController.java
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
 
 @Slf4j
 public class CreateProfileController implements Controller {
-    private static final String CURRENT_AVATARS_VERSION = CatHash.currentAvatarsVersion();
+    private static final int CURRENT_AVATARS_VERSION = CatHash.currentAvatarsVersion();
 
     protected final CreateProfileModel model;
     @Getter
diff --git a/user/src/main/java/bisq/user/identity/UserIdentityService.java b/user/src/main/java/bisq/user/identity/UserIdentityService.java
index fd1ca20acc..f7b3cf85e2 100644
--- a/user/src/main/java/bisq/user/identity/UserIdentityService.java
+++ b/user/src/main/java/bisq/user/identity/UserIdentityService.java
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ public CompletableFuture<UserIdentity> createAndPublishNewUserProfile(String nic
                                                                           KeyPair keyPair,
                                                                           byte[] pubKeyHash,
                                                                           ProofOfWork proofOfWork,
-                                                                          String avatarVersion,
+                                                                          int avatarVersion,
                                                                           String terms,
                                                                           String statement) {
         String identityTag = nickName + "-" + Hex.encode(pubKeyHash);
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ private CompletableFuture<BroadcastResult> publishPublicUserProfile(UserProfile
 
     private UserIdentity createUserIdentity(String nickName,
                                             ProofOfWork proofOfWork,
-                                            String avatarVersion,
+                                            int avatarVersion,
                                             String terms,
                                             String statement,
                                             Identity identity) {
diff --git a/user/src/main/java/bisq/user/profile/UserProfile.java b/user/src/main/java/bisq/user/profile/UserProfile.java
index 9f33bf4384..aa7d321bb6 100644
--- a/user/src/main/java/bisq/user/profile/UserProfile.java
+++ b/user/src/main/java/bisq/user/profile/UserProfile.java
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public static UserProfile from(UserProfile userProfile, String terms, String sta
     private final String nickName;
     // We need the proofOfWork for verification of the nym and cathash icon
     private final ProofOfWork proofOfWork;
-    private final String avatarVersion;
+    private final int avatarVersion;
     private final NetworkId networkId;
     private final String terms;
     private final String statement;
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public static UserProfile from(UserProfile userProfile, String terms, String sta
 
     public UserProfile(String nickName,
                        ProofOfWork proofOfWork,
-                       String avatarVersion,
+                       int avatarVersion,
                        NetworkId networkId,
                        String terms,
                        String statement) {
diff --git a/user/src/main/proto/user.proto b/user/src/main/proto/user.proto
index 9196a7e852..bb42540a3b 100644
--- a/user/src/main/proto/user.proto
+++ b/user/src/main/proto/user.proto
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ message UserProfile {
   security.ProofOfWork proofOfWork = 3;
   string terms = 4;
   string statement = 5;
-  string avatarVersion = 6;
+  sint32 avatarVersion = 6;
 }
 
 message UserIdentity {