diff --git a/cypress/integration/common/profile.js b/cypress/integration/common/profile.js
index cb5689f63..1df1e2652 100644
--- a/cypress/integration/common/profile.js
+++ b/cypress/integration/common/profile.js
@@ -12,14 +12,16 @@ Then('I should be able to change my profile picture', () => {
   cy.fixture(avatarUpload, 'base64').then(fileContent => {
     cy.get('#customdropzone').upload(
       { fileContent, fileName: avatarUpload, mimeType: 'image/png' },
-      { subjectType: 'drag-n-drop' },
+      { subjectType: 'drag-n-drop' }
     )
   })
-  cy.get('#customdropzone')
-    .should('have.attr', 'style')
+  cy.get('.profile-avatar img')
+    .should('have.attr', 'src')
     .and('contains', 'onourjourney')
-  cy.contains('.iziToast-message', 'Upload successful')
-    .should('have.length', 1)
+  cy.contains('.iziToast-message', 'Upload successful').should(
+    'have.length',
+    1
+  )
 })
 
 When("I visit another user's profile page", () => {
@@ -31,4 +33,4 @@ Then('I cannot upload a picture', () => {
     .children()
     .should('not.have.id', 'customdropzone')
     .should('have.class', 'ds-avatar')
-})
\ No newline at end of file
+})
diff --git a/webapp/components/Upload/index.vue b/webapp/components/Upload/index.vue
index a1ea4ab55..f7f730632 100644
--- a/webapp/components/Upload/index.vue
+++ b/webapp/components/Upload/index.vue
@@ -4,21 +4,30 @@
       id="customdropzone"
       :key="user.avatar"
       ref="el"
+      :use-custom-slot="true"
       :options="dropzoneOptions"
-      :include-styling="false"
-      :style="backgroundImage"
-      @vdropzone-thumbnail="thumbnail"
       @vdropzone-error="verror"
-    />
+    >
+      <div class="dz-message" @mouseover="hover = true" @mouseleave="hover = false">
+        <hc-avatar :user="user" class="profile-avatar" size="x-large"></hc-avatar>
+        <div class="hc-attachments-upload-area">
+          <div class="hc-drag-marker">
+            <ds-icon v-if="hover" name="image" size="xxx-large" />
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    </vue-dropzone>
   </div>
 </template>
 <script>
 import vueDropzone from 'nuxt-dropzone'
 import gql from 'graphql-tag'
+import HcAvatar from '~/components/Avatar/Avatar.vue'
 
 export default {
   components: {
     vueDropzone,
+    HcAvatar,
   },
   props: {
     user: { type: Object, default: null },
@@ -29,22 +38,11 @@ export default {
         url: this.vddrop,
         maxFilesize: 5.0,
         previewTemplate: this.template(),
-        dictDefaultMessage: '',
       },
       error: false,
+      hover: false,
     }
   },
-  computed: {
-    backgroundImage() {
-      const avatar =
-        this.user.avatar ||
-        'https://human-connection.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/human-connection-logo.svg'
-      const userAvatar = avatar.startsWith('/') ? avatar.replace('/', '/api/') : avatar
-      return {
-        backgroundImage: `url(${userAvatar})`,
-      }
-    },
-  },
   watch: {
     error() {
       let that = this
@@ -62,20 +60,6 @@ export default {
               </div>
       `
     },
-    thumbnail(file, dataUrl) {
-      let j, len, ref, thumbnailElement
-      if (file.previewElement) {
-        this.$refs.el.$el.style.backgroundImage = ''
-        file.previewElement.classList.remove('dz-file-preview')
-        ref = file.previewElement.querySelectorAll('[data-dz-thumbnail-bg]')
-        for (j = 0, len = ref.length; j < len; j++) {
-          thumbnailElement = ref[j]
-          thumbnailElement.alt = file.name
-          thumbnailElement.style.backgroundImage = 'url("' + dataUrl + '")'
-        }
-        file.previewElement.classList.add('dz-image-preview')
-      }
-    },
     vddrop(file) {
       const avatarUpload = file[0]
       this.$apollo
@@ -107,25 +91,7 @@ export default {
   },
 }
 </script>
-<style>
-#customdropzone {
-  margin: -60px auto auto;
-  width: 122px;
-  min-height: 122px;
-  background-size: cover;
-  background-repeat: no-repeat;
-  border-radius: 50%;
-  font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif;
-  letter-spacing: 0.2px;
-  color: #777;
-  transition: background-color 0.2s linear;
-  padding: 40px;
-}
-
-#customdropzone:hover {
-  cursor: pointer;
-}
-
+<style lang="scss">
 #customdropzone .dz-preview {
   transition: all 0.2s ease-out;
   width: 160px;
@@ -150,15 +116,59 @@ export default {
   width: 100%;
 }
 
-#customdropzone .dz-preview .dz-details {
-  color: white;
-  transition: opacity 0.2s linear;
-  text-align: center;
+.hc-attachments-upload-area {
+  position: relative;
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  cursor: pointer;
 }
 
-#customdropzone .dz-success-mark,
-.dz-error-mark,
-.dz-remove {
-  display: none;
+.hc-attachments-upload-button {
+  pointer-events: none;
+}
+
+.hc-drag-marker {
+  position: relative;
+  width: 122px;
+  height: 122px;
+  border-radius: 100%;
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  color: hsl(0, 0%, 25%);
+  transition: all 0.2s ease-out;
+  font-size: 60px;
+  margin: -120px auto 5px;
+
+  background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.3);
+  opacity: 0.1;
+
+  &:before {
+    position: absolute;
+    content: '';
+    top: 0;
+    left: 0;
+    bottom: 0;
+    right: 0;
+    border-radius: 100%;
+    border: 20px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.4);
+    visibility: hidden;
+  }
+
+  &:after {
+    position: absolute;
+    content: '';
+    top: 10px;
+    left: 10px;
+    bottom: 10px;
+    right: 10px;
+    border-radius: 100%;
+    border: 1px dashed hsl(0, 0%, 25%);
+  }
+
+  .hc-attachments-upload-area:hover & {
+    opacity: 1;
+  }
 }
 </style>
diff --git a/webapp/components/Upload/spec.js b/webapp/components/Upload/spec.js
index b81babb6e..8ee5f6046 100644
--- a/webapp/components/Upload/spec.js
+++ b/webapp/components/Upload/spec.js
@@ -35,26 +35,6 @@ describe('Upload', () => {
     },
   }
 
-  const fileSuccess = {
-    filename: 'avatar.jpg',
-    previewElement: {
-      classList: {
-        remove: jest.fn(),
-        add: jest.fn(),
-      },
-      querySelectorAll: jest.fn().mockReturnValue([
-        {
-          alt: '',
-          style: {
-            'background-image': '/api/generic.jpg',
-          },
-        },
-      ]),
-    },
-  }
-
-  const dataUrl = 'avatar.jpg'
-
   beforeEach(() => {
     jest.useFakeTimers()
     wrapper = shallowMount(Upload, { localVue, propsData, mocks })
@@ -69,11 +49,6 @@ describe('Upload', () => {
     expect(mocks.$apollo.mutate).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
   })
 
-  it('thumbnail', () => {
-    wrapper.vm.thumbnail(fileSuccess, dataUrl)
-    expect(fileSuccess.previewElement.classList.add).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
-  })
-
   describe('error handling', () => {
     const message = 'File upload failed'
     const fileError = { status: 'error' }
@@ -93,5 +68,15 @@ describe('Upload', () => {
       jest.runAllTimers()
       expect(wrapper.vm.error).toEqual(false)
     })
+
+    it('shows an error toaster when the apollo mutation rejects', async () => {
+      // calls vddrop twice because of how mockResolvedValueOnce works in jest
+      // the first time the mock function is called it will resolve, calling it a
+      // second time will cause it to fail(with this implementation)
+      // https://jestjs.io/docs/en/mock-function-api.html#mockfnmockresolvedvalueoncevalue
+      await wrapper.vm.vddrop([{ filename: 'avatar.jpg' }])
+      await wrapper.vm.vddrop([{ filename: 'avatar.jpg' }])
+      expect(mocks.$toast.error).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    })
   })
 })
diff --git a/webapp/package.json b/webapp/package.json
index 388b81cfd..379053d08 100644
--- a/webapp/package.json
+++ b/webapp/package.json
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@
     "vue-count-to": "~1.0.13",
     "vue-izitoast": "1.1.2",
     "vue-sweetalert-icons": "~3.2.0",
-    "vue2-dropzone": "^3.5.9",
     "vuex-i18n": "~1.11.0",
     "zxcvbn": "^4.4.2"
   },
diff --git a/webapp/yarn.lock b/webapp/yarn.lock
index d132bdb79..56e2e50b3 100644
--- a/webapp/yarn.lock
+++ b/webapp/yarn.lock
@@ -11318,13 +11318,6 @@ vue2-dropzone@3.5.8:
   dependencies:
     dropzone "^5.5.1"
 
-vue2-dropzone@^3.5.9:
-  version "3.5.9"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/vue2-dropzone/-/vue2-dropzone-3.5.9.tgz#a63999a45a7aad24d4c21e3d35be409b4e6bdce8"
-  integrity sha512-nJz6teulVKlZIAeKgvPU7wBI/gzfIgqDOrEp1okSkQIkdprDVCoM0U7XWM0NOM4AAVX+4XGRtMoocYWdTYb3bQ==
-  dependencies:
-    dropzone "^5.5.1"
-
 vue@^2.6.10, vue@^2.6.6:
   version "2.6.10"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/vue/-/vue-2.6.10.tgz#a72b1a42a4d82a721ea438d1b6bf55e66195c637"