diff --git a/bookwyrm/activitypub/__init__.py b/bookwyrm/activitypub/__init__.py
index 716584554..d363fbd53 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/activitypub/__init__.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/activitypub/__init__.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import sys
 from .base_activity import ActivityEncoder, Signature, naive_parse
 from .base_activity import Link, Mention
 from .base_activity import ActivitySerializerError, resolve_remote_id
-from .image import Document
+from .image import Document, Image
 from .note import Note, GeneratedNote, Article, Comment, Quotation
 from .note import Review, Rating
 from .note import Tombstone
diff --git a/bookwyrm/activitypub/image.py b/bookwyrm/activitypub/image.py
index 425984224..863388a78 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/activitypub/image.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/activitypub/image.py
@@ -5,9 +5,14 @@ from .base_activity import ActivityObject
 
 @dataclass(init=False)
 class Document(ActivityObject):
-    """ image block """
+    """ a document """
 
     url: str
     name: str = ""
     type: str = "Document"
     id: str = None
+
+@dataclass(init=False)
+class Image(Document):
+    """ an image """
+    type: str = "Image"
diff --git a/bookwyrm/activitypub/person.py b/bookwyrm/activitypub/person.py
index 550fc7bde..9231bd955 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/activitypub/person.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/activitypub/person.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from typing import Dict
 
 from .base_activity import ActivityObject
-from .image import Document
+from .image import Image
 
 
 @dataclass(init=False)
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class Person(ActivityObject):
     endpoints: Dict = None
     name: str = None
     summary: str = None
-    icon: Document = field(default_factory=lambda: {})
+    icon: Image = field(default_factory=lambda: {})
     bookwyrmUser: bool = False
     manuallyApprovesFollowers: str = False
     discoverable: str = False