diff --git a/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.module.css b/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.module.css
index df4d6e0d..f27442a7 100644
--- a/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.module.css
+++ b/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.module.css
@@ -16,80 +16,75 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 .avatar {
   display: inline-block;
-  aspect-ratio: 1 / 1;
-  width: var(--cpd-avatar-size);
+  box-sizing: border-box;
   line-height: var(--cpd-avatar-size);
   text-align: center;
-  font-size: min(calc(var(--cpd-avatar-size) * 0.75), 60px);
-  border-radius: var(--cpd-avatar-radius);
+  font-size: min(calc(var(--cpd-avatar-size) * 0.5625), 60px);
   text-transform: uppercase;
   speak: none;
-  pointer-events: none;
-  font-weight: normal;
+  font-weight: bold;
   overflow: hidden;
   user-select: none;
 }
 
-img.avatar {
+.avatar,
+.image {
+  aspect-ratio: 1 / 1;
+  width: var(--cpd-avatar-size);
+  border-radius: var(--cpd-avatar-radius);
+}
+
+.image {
   object-fit: cover;
   overflow: hidden;
 }
 
-.avatar:not([src]) {
+.avatar:not(:has(.image)) {
   /* In the future we'd prefer to pass the HEX code as the data attr
      and use `attr(data-color)` to avoid the style declaration from below
      but this is currently not supported in all browsers */
   background: var(--cpd-avatar-bg);
-  border: 1px solid var(--cpd-avatar-border);
   color: var(--cpd-avatar-color);
 }
 
 .avatar[data-color] {
   --cpd-avatar-bg: var(--cpd-color-blue-300);
-  --cpd-avatar-border: var(--cpd-color-blue-400);
-  --cpd-avatar-color: var(--cpd-color-blue-900);
+  --cpd-avatar-color: var(--cpd-color-blue-1200);
 }
 
 .avatar[data-color="2"] {
   --cpd-avatar-bg: var(--cpd-color-fuchsia-300);
-  --cpd-avatar-border: var(--cpd-color-fuchsia-400);
-  --cpd-avatar-color: var(--cpd-color-fuchsia-900);
+  --cpd-avatar-color: var(--cpd-color-fuchsia-1200);
 }
 
 .avatar[data-color="3"] {
   --cpd-avatar-bg: var(--cpd-color-green-300);
-  --cpd-avatar-border: var(--cpd-color-green-400);
-  --cpd-avatar-color: var(--cpd-color-green-900);
+  --cpd-avatar-color: var(--cpd-color-green-1200);
 }
 
 .avatar[data-color="4"] {
   --cpd-avatar-bg: var(--cpd-color-pink-300);
-  --cpd-avatar-border: var(--cpd-color-pink-400);
-  --cpd-avatar-color: var(--cpd-color-pink-900);
+  --cpd-avatar-color: var(--cpd-color-pink-1200);
 }
 
 .avatar[data-color="5"] {
   --cpd-avatar-bg: var(--cpd-color-orange-300);
-  --cpd-avatar-border: var(--cpd-color-orange-400);
-  --cpd-avatar-color: var(--cpd-color-orange-900);
+  --cpd-avatar-color: var(--cpd-color-orange-1200);
 }
 
 .avatar[data-color="6"] {
   --cpd-avatar-bg: var(--cpd-color-cyan-300);
-  --cpd-avatar-border: var(--cpd-color-cyan-400);
-  --cpd-avatar-color: var(--cpd-color-cyan-900);
+  --cpd-avatar-color: var(--cpd-color-cyan-1200);
 }
 
 .avatar[data-color="7"] {
   --cpd-avatar-bg: var(--cpd-color-purple-300);
-  --cpd-avatar-border: var(--cpd-color-purple-400);
-  --cpd-avatar-color: var(--cpd-color-purple-900);
+  --cpd-avatar-color: var(--cpd-color-purple-1200);
 }
 
 .avatar[data-color="8"] {
   --cpd-avatar-bg: var(--cpd-color-lime-300);
-  --cpd-avatar-border: var(--cpd-color-lime-400);
-  --cpd-avatar-color: var(--cpd-color-lime-900);
+  --cpd-avatar-color: var(--cpd-color-lime-1200);
 }
 
 .avatar[data-type="round"] {
diff --git a/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.tsx b/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.tsx
index 0ea09c5b..4d1dd288 100644
--- a/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.tsx
@@ -15,60 +15,68 @@ limitations under the License.
 */
 
 import classnames from "classnames";
-import React, { Suspense } from "react";
+import React, { Suspense, forwardRef } from "react";
 import { getInitialLetter } from "../../utils/string";
 import { SuspenseImg } from "../../utils/SuspenseImg";
 import styles from "./Avatar.module.css";
 import { useIdColorHash } from "./useIdColorHash";
 
-type AvatarProps = {
-  src?: string;
+type AvatarProps = JSX.IntrinsicElements["span"] & {
+  src?: React.ComponentProps<typeof SuspenseImg>["src"];
   id: string;
   name: string;
   type?: "square" | "round";
-  className?: string;
   size?: CSSStyleDeclaration["height"];
+  onError?: React.ComponentProps<typeof SuspenseImg>["onError"];
 };
 
-export const Avatar: React.FC<AvatarProps> = ({
-  src,
-  id,
-  name = "",
-  type = "round",
-  className = "",
-  size,
-}) => {
+export const Avatar = forwardRef<HTMLSpanElement, AvatarProps>(function Avatar(
+  {
+    src,
+    id,
+    name = "",
+    type = "round",
+    className = "",
+    size,
+    onError,
+    ...props
+  },
+  ref,
+) {
   const hash = useIdColorHash(id);
   const style = {
     "--cpd-avatar-size": size,
   } as React.CSSProperties;
-  const imagelessAvatar = (
+  const fallbackInitial = <>{getInitialLetter(name)}</>;
+
+  return (
     <span
+      ref={ref}
       role="img"
+      title={id}
+      {...props}
       aria-label=""
       data-type={type}
       data-color={hash}
       className={classnames(styles.avatar, className)}
       style={style}
-      title={id}
     >
-      {getInitialLetter(name)}
+      {!src ? (
+        fallbackInitial
+      ) : (
+        <Suspense fallback={fallbackInitial}>
+          <SuspenseImg
+            src={src}
+            className={classnames(styles.image, className)}
+            data-type={type}
+            style={style}
+            width={size}
+            height={size}
+            title={id}
+            onError={onError}
+          />
+        </Suspense>
+      )}
     </span>
   );
-
-  return !src ? (
-    imagelessAvatar
-  ) : (
-    <Suspense fallback={imagelessAvatar}>
-      <SuspenseImg
-        src={src}
-        className={classnames(styles.avatar, className)}
-        data-type={type}
-        style={style}
-        width={size}
-        height={size}
-        title={id}
-      />
-    </Suspense>
-  );
-};
+});
diff --git a/src/utils/SuspenseImg.tsx b/src/utils/SuspenseImg.tsx
index 1d7750b8..3e4aeae0 100644
--- a/src/utils/SuspenseImg.tsx
+++ b/src/utils/SuspenseImg.tsx
@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@ const imgCache = {
   },
 };
 
-type SuspenseImgProps = {
+type SuspenseImgProps = JSX.IntrinsicElements["img"] & {
   src: string;
-} & React.ImgHTMLAttributes<HTMLImageElement>;
+};
 
 export const SuspenseImg: React.FC<SuspenseImgProps> = ({ src, ...props }) => {
   /**