diff --git a/public/js/controllers/rootCtrl.js b/public/js/controllers/rootCtrl.js
index be95206e0f..f3a52e90d9 100644
--- a/public/js/controllers/rootCtrl.js
+++ b/public/js/controllers/rootCtrl.js
@@ -21,6 +21,16 @@ habitrpg.controller("RootCtrl", ['$scope', '$rootScope', '$location', 'User', '$
       return haystack && ~haystack.indexOf(needle);
     }
 
+    // styling helpers
+    $scope.userLevelStyle = function(user,style){
+      style = style || '';
+      if(user.backer.npc)
+        style += ' label-npc';
+      if(user.contributor.level)
+        style += ' label-contributor-'+user.contributor.level;
+      return style;
+    }
+
     // count pets, mounts collected totals, etc
     $rootScope.countExists = function(items) {return _.reduce(items,function(m,v){return m+(v?1:0)},0)}
 
diff --git a/views/shared/header/avatar.jade b/views/shared/header/avatar.jade
index 5d06782413..8655764885 100644
--- a/views/shared/header/avatar.jade
+++ b/views/shared/header/avatar.jade
@@ -27,5 +27,5 @@ figure.herobox(ng-click='clickMember(profile._id)', data-name='{{profile.profile
     // Pet
     // FIXME handle @minimal, this might have to be a directive
     span.current-pet(class='Pet-{{profile.items.currentPet}}', ng-show='profile.items.currentPet && !minimal')
-  .avatar-level(ng-class='{label:profile, "label-contributor- + profile.contributor.level": profile.contributor, "label-npc": profile.backer.npc}')
+  .avatar-level(ng-class='userLevelStyle(profile,"label")')
     | Lvl {{profile.stats.lvl}}