diff --git a/src/wp-admin/css/dashboard.css b/src/wp-admin/css/dashboard.css
index 02cbf11db7..a04fdd410f 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/css/dashboard.css
+++ b/src/wp-admin/css/dashboard.css
@@ -821,7 +821,7 @@ body #dashboard-widgets .postbox form .submit {
 	top: 12px;
 }
 
-#activity-widget #the-comment-list .dashboard-comment-wrap {
+#activity-widget #the-comment-list .dashboard-comment-wrap.has-avatar {
 	padding-left: 63px;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php
index 7fbcd893cf..e20e56e5b7 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php
@@ -775,11 +775,18 @@ function _wp_dashboard_recent_comments_row( &$comment, $show_date = true ) {
 
 		<li id="comment-<?php echo $comment->comment_ID; ?>" <?php comment_class( array( 'comment-item', wp_get_comment_status( $comment ) ), $comment ); ?>>
 
-			<?php echo get_avatar( $comment, 50, 'mystery' ); ?>
+			<?php
+			$comment_row_class = '';
+
+			if ( get_option( 'show_avatars' ) ) {
+				echo get_avatar( $comment, 50, 'mystery' );
+				$comment_row_class .= ' has-avatar';
+			}
+			?>
 
 			<?php if ( ! $comment->comment_type || 'comment' == $comment->comment_type ) : ?>
 
-			<div class="dashboard-comment-wrap has-row-actions">
+			<div class="dashboard-comment-wrap <?php echo $comment_row_class; ?> has-row-actions">
 			<p class="comment-meta">
 				<?php
 				// Comments might not have a post they relate to, e.g. programmatically created ones.