diff --git a/gallery_dl/extractor/deviantart.py b/gallery_dl/extractor/deviantart.py
index fb163085..9cbb21c2 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/extractor/deviantart.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/extractor/deviantart.py
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@ import binascii
 import time
 import re
 
-
 BASE_PATTERN = (
     r"(?:https?://)?(?:"
     r"(?:www\.)?(?:fx)?deviantart\.com/(?!watch/)([\w-]+)|"
     r"(?!www\.)([\w-]+)\.(?:fx)?deviantart\.com)"
 )
+DEFAULT_AVATAR = "https://a.deviantart.net/avatars/default.gif"
 
 
 class DeviantartExtractor(Extractor):
@@ -177,6 +177,10 @@ class DeviantartExtractor(Extractor):
                 for comment in deviation["comments"]:
                     user = comment["user"]
                     name = user["username"].lower()
+                    if user["usericon"] == DEFAULT_AVATAR:
+                        self.log.debug(
+                            "Skipping avatar of '%s' (default)", name)
+                        continue
                     _user_details.update(name, user)
 
                     url = "{}/{}/avatar/".format(self.root, name)
@@ -585,6 +589,10 @@ class DeviantartAvatarExtractor(DeviantartExtractor):
             return ()
 
         icon = user["usericon"]
+        if icon == DEFAULT_AVATAR:
+            self.log.debug("Skipping avatar of '%s' (default)", name)
+            return ()
+
         _, sep, index = icon.rpartition("?")
         if not sep:
             index = "0"
diff --git a/test/results/deviantart.py b/test/results/deviantart.py
index 599ca9ff..2ffc485a 100644
--- a/test/results/deviantart.py
+++ b/test/results/deviantart.py
@@ -252,6 +252,14 @@ __tests__ = (
     ),
 },
 
+{
+    "#url"     : "https://deviantart.com/h3813067/avatar",
+    "#comment" : "default avatar (#5276)",
+    "#category": ("", "deviantart", "avatar"),
+    "#class"   : deviantart.DeviantartAvatarExtractor,
+    "#count"   : 0,
+},
+
 {
     "#url"     : "https://deviantart.com/gdldev/banner",
     "#category": ("", "deviantart", "background"),