diff --git a/RMuseum/Controllers/DiwanController.cs b/RMuseum/Controllers/DiwanController.cs
index 21705150..d5d8ff66 100644
--- a/RMuseum/Controllers/DiwanController.cs
+++ b/RMuseum/Controllers/DiwanController.cs
@@ -315,6 +315,12 @@ namespace RMuseum.Controllers
             return Ok();
         }
 
+        private const string PoetImagePlaceholderSvg =
+            "<svg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' width='200' height='200' viewBox='0 0 200 200'>" +
+            "<rect width='200' height='200' fill='#efe7d6'/>" +
+            "<circle cx='100' cy='78' r='34' fill='#c9b896'/>" +
+            "<path d='M40 176c6-38 32-58 60-58s54 20 60 58z' fill='#c9b896'/></svg>";
+
         /// <summary>
         /// get poet image with png ext
         /// </summary>
@@ -355,7 +361,11 @@ namespace RMuseum.Controllers
                     return BadRequest(poet.ExceptionString);
 
                 if (poet.Result == Guid.Empty)
-                    return NotFound();
+                {
+                    // diwan: portraits are optional (deferred); serve a neutral placeholder instead of a broken image
+                    Response.Headers.CacheControl = "public,max-age=86400";
+                    return Content(PoetImagePlaceholderSvg, "image/svg+xml");
+                }
 
 
                 RServiceResult<RImage> img =
diff --git a/RMuseum/Services/Implementation/DiwanService-Partials/DiwanService-PublicDataExport.cs b/RMuseum/Services/Implementation/DiwanService-Partials/DiwanService-PublicDataExport.cs
index cb8532d7..b3ba90e3 100644
--- a/RMuseum/Services/Implementation/DiwanService-Partials/DiwanService-PublicDataExport.cs
+++ b/RMuseum/Services/Implementation/DiwanService-Partials/DiwanService-PublicDataExport.cs
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ namespace RMuseum.Services.Implementation
                 Nickname = poet.Nickname,
                 Description = poet.Description,
                 FullUrl = catPoet.FullUrl,
-                ImageUrl = poet.RImageId == null ? null : $"https://ganjoor.net/api/diwan/poet/image{catPoet.FullUrl}.gif",
+                ImageUrl = poet.RImageId == null ? null : $"{WebServiceUrl.Url}/api/diwan/poet/image{catPoet.FullUrl}.gif", // diwan: own API, not ganjoor.net
                 BirthYearInLHijri = poet.BirthYearInLHijri,
                 ValidBirthDate = poet.ValidBirthDate,
                 DeathYearInLHijri = poet.DeathYearInLHijri,
diff --git a/RMuseum/Services/Implementation/DiwanService.cs b/RMuseum/Services/Implementation/DiwanService.cs
index 8103a221..29f04dc3 100644
--- a/RMuseum/Services/Implementation/DiwanService.cs
+++ b/RMuseum/Services/Implementation/DiwanService.cs
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ namespace RMuseum.Services.Implementation
                       RootCatId = cat.Id,
                       Nickname = poet.Nickname,
                       Published = poet.Published,
-                      ImageUrl = poet.RImageId == null ? "" : $"/api/diwan/poet/image{cat.FullUrl}.gif",
+                      ImageUrl = $"/api/diwan/poet/image{cat.FullUrl}.gif",
                       BirthYearInLHijri = poet.BirthYearInLHijri,
                       DeathYearInLHijri = poet.DeathYearInLHijri,
                       ValidBirthDate = poet.ValidBirthDate,
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ namespace RMuseum.Services.Implementation
                                             RootCatId = context.DiwanCategories.Where(c => c.PoetId == poet.Id && c.ParentId == null).Single().Id,
                                             Nickname = poet.Nickname,
                                             Published = poet.Published,
-                                            ImageUrl = poet.RImageId == null ? "" : $"/api/diwan/poet/image{context.DiwanCategories.Where(c => c.PoetId == poet.Id && c.ParentId == null).Single().FullUrl}.gif",
+                                            ImageUrl = $"/api/diwan/poet/image{context.DiwanCategories.Where(c => c.PoetId == poet.Id && c.ParentId == null).Single().FullUrl}.gif",
                                             BirthYearInLHijri = poet.BirthYearInLHijri,
                                             DeathYearInLHijri = poet.DeathYearInLHijri,
                                             ValidBirthDate = poet.ValidBirthDate,
@@ -623,7 +623,7 @@ namespace RMuseum.Services.Implementation
                           RootCatId = cat.Id,
                           Nickname = poet.Nickname,
                           Published = poet.Published,
-                          ImageUrl = poet.RImageId == null ? "" : $"/api/diwan/poet/image{cat.FullUrl}.gif",
+                          ImageUrl = $"/api/diwan/poet/image{cat.FullUrl}.gif",
                           BirthYearInLHijri = poet.BirthYearInLHijri,
                           ValidBirthDate = poet.ValidBirthDate,
                           ValidDeathDate = poet.ValidDeathDate,