diff --git a/partials/landing/account/dashboard.php b/partials/landing/account/dashboard.php
index baa824b..0d5395c 100755
--- a/partials/landing/account/dashboard.php
+++ b/partials/landing/account/dashboard.php
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 $app = app();
 $vm = \App\AccountPages::dashboard($app);
 extract($vm, EXTR_OVERWRITE);
+$avatarPlaceholder = 'data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22 viewBox=%220 0 12 12%22%3E%3Crect width=%2212%22 height=%2212%22 fill=%22%23f7efe6%22/%3E%3C/svg%3E';
 $editing = isset($editEvent) && $editEvent !== null;
 $actionEvent = $editing ? 'event_update' : 'event_add';
 $startVal = $editEvent ? date('Y-m-d\TH:i', strtotime((string)$editEvent['starts_at'])) : '';
@@ -343,11 +344,14 @@ $sectionLinks = [
                         >
                         <span class="avatar-component-card__thumb">
                           <img
-                            src="<?= htmlspecialchars((string)$choice['image'], ENT_QUOTES) ?>"
+                            src="<?= htmlspecialchars($avatarPlaceholder, ENT_QUOTES) ?>"
                             alt="<?= htmlspecialchars((string)$choice['label'], ENT_QUOTES) ?>"
                             data-avatar-option-thumb
+                            data-avatar-option-src="<?= htmlspecialchars((string)$choice['image'], ENT_QUOTES) ?>"
                             data-avatar-option-field="<?= htmlspecialchars((string)$field, ENT_QUOTES) ?>"
                             data-avatar-option-value="<?= htmlspecialchars((string)$choice['value'], ENT_QUOTES) ?>"
+                            loading="lazy"
+                            decoding="async"
                           >
                         </span>
                         <span class="avatar-component-card__label"><?= htmlspecialchars((string)$choice['label'], ENT_QUOTES) ?></span>
@@ -593,7 +597,10 @@ $sectionLinks = [
     btn.addEventListener('click', () => {
       const id = btn.getAttribute('data-modal-open');
       const modal = document.getElementById(id);
-      if (modal) modal.classList.add('open');
+      if (modal) {
+        modal.classList.add('open');
+        document.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('pkt:modal-open', { detail: { id } }));
+      }
     });
   });
   document.querySelectorAll('[data-modal-close]').forEach(btn => {
@@ -759,7 +766,10 @@ $sectionLinks = [
   <?php if ($editing): ?>
   (function(){
     const modal = document.getElementById('modalEvent');
-    if (modal) { modal.classList.add('open'); }
+    if (modal) {
+      modal.classList.add('open');
+      document.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('pkt:modal-open', { detail: { id: 'modalEvent' } }));
+    }
   })();
   <?php endif; ?>
 
diff --git a/public/assets/js/app.js b/public/assets/js/app.js
index f12bce3..ff394b0 100755
--- a/public/assets/js/app.js
+++ b/public/assets/js/app.js
@@ -788,17 +788,34 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
     image.src = url;
   };
 
-  const updateAvatarOptionPreviews = (form) => {
-    form.querySelectorAll('[data-avatar-option-thumb]').forEach((image) => {
+  const getActiveAvatarField = (form) => {
+    const activeTab = form.querySelector('[data-avatar-component-tab].is-active');
+    return activeTab?.getAttribute('data-avatar-component-tab') || 'avatar_lorelei_eyes_variant';
+  };
+
+  const updateAvatarOptionPreviews = (form, activeField = null) => {
+    const selector = activeField
+      ? `[data-avatar-component-panel="${activeField}"] [data-avatar-option-thumb]`
+      : '[data-avatar-option-thumb]';
+
+    form.querySelectorAll(selector).forEach((image) => {
       const field = image.getAttribute('data-avatar-option-field') || '';
       const value = image.getAttribute('data-avatar-option-value') || '';
       const params = buildAvatarParams(form, { [field]: value });
       if (!params) return;
 
+      image.dataset.avatarLoaded = 'true';
       image.src = `${avatarEndpoint}?${params.toString()}`;
     });
   };
 
+  const ensureAvatarBuilderLoaded = (form) => {
+    if (form.dataset.avatarInitialized === 'true') return;
+    form.dataset.avatarInitialized = 'true';
+    updateAvatarPreview(form);
+    updateAvatarOptionPreviews(form, getActiveAvatarField(form));
+  };
+
   const renderAvatarSeedChoices = (form, seeds) => {
     const picker = form.querySelector('[data-avatar-seed-picker]');
     const grid = form.querySelector('[data-avatar-seed-picker-grid]');
@@ -824,8 +841,9 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
         if (!(seedField instanceof HTMLInputElement)) return;
         seedField.value = seed;
         picker.hidden = true;
+        ensureAvatarBuilderLoaded(form);
         updateAvatarPreview(form);
-        updateAvatarOptionPreviews(form);
+        updateAvatarOptionPreviews(form, getActiveAvatarField(form));
       });
       grid.appendChild(card);
     });
@@ -834,16 +852,16 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
   };
 
   document.querySelectorAll('[data-avatar-builder]').forEach((form) => {
-    updateAvatarPreview(form);
-    updateAvatarOptionPreviews(form);
     form.querySelectorAll('[data-avatar-field]').forEach((field) => {
       field.addEventListener('change', () => {
+        ensureAvatarBuilderLoaded(form);
         updateAvatarPreview(form);
-        updateAvatarOptionPreviews(form);
+        updateAvatarOptionPreviews(form, getActiveAvatarField(form));
       });
       field.addEventListener('input', () => {
+        ensureAvatarBuilderLoaded(form);
         updateAvatarPreview(form);
-        updateAvatarOptionPreviews(form);
+        updateAvatarOptionPreviews(form, getActiveAvatarField(form));
       });
     });
 
@@ -856,6 +874,7 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
       form.querySelectorAll('[data-avatar-component-panel]').forEach((panel) => {
         panel.classList.toggle('is-active', panel.getAttribute('data-avatar-component-panel') === field);
       });
+      updateAvatarOptionPreviews(form, field);
     };
 
     form.querySelectorAll('[data-avatar-component-tab]').forEach((button) => {
@@ -913,6 +932,13 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  document.addEventListener('pkt:modal-open', (event) => {
+    if (event.detail?.id !== 'modalAvatar') return;
+    const form = document.querySelector('#modalAvatar [data-avatar-builder]');
+    if (!form) return;
+    ensureAvatarBuilderLoaded(form);
+  });
+
   document.querySelectorAll('[data-nav-events]').forEach(link => {
     link.addEventListener('click', async () => {
       if (window.location.pathname === '/' && window.location.hash === '#events') {