diff --git a/gallery_dl/extractor/instagram.py b/gallery_dl/extractor/instagram.py
index c6b7fb79..24ad873b 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/extractor/instagram.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/extractor/instagram.py
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ class InstagramAvatarExtractor(InstagramExtractor):
 
     def posts(self):
         if self._logged_in:
-            user_id = self.api.user_id(self.item)
+            user_id = self.api.user_id(self.item, check_private=False)
             user = self.api.user_by_id(user_id)
             avatar = (user.get("hd_profile_pic_url_info") or
                       user["hd_profile_pic_versions"][-1])
@@ -780,14 +780,15 @@ class InstagramRestAPI():
         endpoint = "/v1/users/{}/info/".format(user_id)
         return self._call(endpoint)["user"]
 
-    def user_id(self, screen_name):
+    def user_id(self, screen_name, check_private=True):
         if screen_name.startswith("id:"):
             return screen_name[3:]
         user = self.user_by_name(screen_name)
         if user is None:
             raise exception.AuthorizationError(
                 "Login required to access this profile")
-        if user["is_private"] and not user["followed_by_viewer"]:
+        if check_private and user["is_private"] and \
+                not user["followed_by_viewer"]:
             name = user["username"]
             s = "" if name.endswith("s") else "s"
             raise exception.StopExtraction("%s'%s posts are private", name, s)