diff --git a/examples/set_avatar.py b/examples/set_avatar.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ec32a7c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/set_avatar.py
@@ -0,0 +1,174 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+"""
+    SleekXMPP: The Sleek XMPP Library
+    Copyright (C) 2012  Nathanael C. Fritz
+    This file is part of SleekXMPP.
+
+    See the file LICENSE for copying permission.
+"""
+
+import os
+import sys
+import imghdr
+import logging
+import getpass
+import threading
+from optparse import OptionParser
+
+import sleekxmpp
+from sleekxmpp.exceptions import XMPPError
+
+
+# Python versions before 3.0 do not use UTF-8 encoding
+# by default. To ensure that Unicode is handled properly
+# throughout SleekXMPP, we will set the default encoding
+# ourselves to UTF-8.
+if sys.version_info < (3, 0):
+    reload(sys)
+    sys.setdefaultencoding('utf8')
+else:
+    raw_input = input
+
+
+class AvatarSetter(sleekxmpp.ClientXMPP):
+
+    """
+    A basic script for downloading the avatars for a user's contacts.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, jid, password, filepath):
+        sleekxmpp.ClientXMPP.__init__(self, jid, password)
+
+        self.add_event_handler("session_start", self.start, threaded=True)
+
+        self.filepath = filepath
+
+    def start(self, event):
+        """
+        Process the session_start event.
+
+        Typical actions for the session_start event are
+        requesting the roster and broadcasting an initial
+        presence stanza.
+
+        Arguments:
+            event -- An empty dictionary. The session_start
+                     event does not provide any additional
+                     data.
+        """
+        self.send_presence()
+        self.get_roster()
+
+        avatar_file = None
+        try:
+            avatar_file = open(os.path.expanduser(self.filepath))
+        except IOError:
+            print('Could not find file: %s' % self.filepath)
+            return self.disconnect()
+
+        avatar = avatar_file.read()
+
+        avatar_type = 'image/%s' % imghdr.what('', avatar)
+        avatar_id = self['xep_0084'].generate_id(avatar)
+        avatar_bytes = len(avatar)
+
+        avatar_file.close()
+
+        used_xep84 = False
+        try:
+            print('Publish XEP-0084 avatar data')
+            self['xep_0084'].publish_avatar(avatar)
+            used_xep84 = True
+        except XMPPError:
+            print('Could not publish XEP-0084 avatar')
+
+        try:
+            print('Update vCard with avatar')
+            self['xep_0153'].set_avatar(avatar=avatar, mtype=avatar_type)
+        except XMPPError:
+            print('Could not set vCard avatar')
+
+        if used_xep84:
+            try:
+                print('Advertise XEP-0084 avatar metadata')
+                self['xep_0084'].publish_avatar_metadata([
+                    {'id': avatar_id,
+                     'type': avatar_type,
+                     'bytes': avatar_bytes}
+                    # We could advertise multiple avatars to provide
+                    # options in image type, source (HTTP vs pubsub),
+                    # size, etc.
+                    # {'id': ....}
+                ])
+            except XMPPError:
+                print('Could not publish XEP-0084 metadata')
+
+        print('Wait for presence updates to propagate...')
+        self.schedule('end', 5, self.disconnect, kwargs={'wait': True})
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    # Setup the command line arguments.
+    optp = OptionParser()
+    optp.add_option('-q','--quiet', help='set logging to ERROR',
+                    action='store_const',
+                    dest='loglevel',
+                    const=logging.ERROR,
+                    default=logging.ERROR)
+    optp.add_option('-d','--debug', help='set logging to DEBUG',
+                    action='store_const',
+                    dest='loglevel',
+                    const=logging.DEBUG,
+                    default=logging.ERROR)
+    optp.add_option('-v','--verbose', help='set logging to COMM',
+                    action='store_const',
+                    dest='loglevel',
+                    const=5,
+                    default=logging.ERROR)
+
+    # JID and password options.
+    optp.add_option("-j", "--jid", dest="jid",
+                    help="JID to use")
+    optp.add_option("-p", "--password", dest="password",
+                    help="password to use")
+    optp.add_option("-f", "--file", dest="filepath",
+                    help="path to the avatar file")
+    opts,args = optp.parse_args()
+
+    # Setup logging.
+    logging.basicConfig(level=opts.loglevel,
+                        format='%(levelname)-8s %(message)s')
+
+    if opts.jid is None:
+        opts.jid = raw_input("Username: ")
+    if opts.password is None:
+        opts.password = getpass.getpass("Password: ")
+    if opts.filepath is None:
+        opts.filepath = raw_input("Avatar file location: ")
+
+    xmpp = AvatarSetter(opts.jid, opts.password, opts.filepath)
+    xmpp.register_plugin('xep_0054')
+    xmpp.register_plugin('xep_0153')
+    xmpp.register_plugin('xep_0084')
+
+    # If you are working with an OpenFire server, you may need
+    # to adjust the SSL version used:
+    # xmpp.ssl_version = ssl.PROTOCOL_SSLv3
+
+    # If you want to verify the SSL certificates offered by a server:
+    # xmpp.ca_certs = "path/to/ca/cert"
+
+    # Connect to the XMPP server and start processing XMPP stanzas.
+    if xmpp.connect():
+        # If you do not have the dnspython library installed, you will need
+        # to manually specify the name of the server if it does not match
+        # the one in the JID. For example, to use Google Talk you would
+        # need to use:
+        #
+        # if xmpp.connect(('talk.google.com', 5222)):
+        #     ...
+        xmpp.process(block=True)
+    else:
+        print("Unable to connect.")