diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 13d4cda6..cebafdb0 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ add_executable(tomato
 	./texture_uploader.hpp
 	./sdlrenderer_texture_uploader.hpp
 	./sdlrenderer_texture_uploader.cpp
+	./texture_cache.hpp
+	./texture_cache.cpp
 	./sdl_clipboard_utils.hpp
 	./sdl_clipboard_utils.cpp
 	./file_selector.hpp
diff --git a/src/chat_gui4.cpp b/src/chat_gui4.cpp
index de16df1c..4d03bb27 100644
--- a/src/chat_gui4.cpp
+++ b/src/chat_gui4.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 #include <SDL3/SDL.h>
 
 #include "./sdl_clipboard_utils.hpp"
-#include "SDL_clipboard.h"
 
 #include <string>
 #include <variant>
@@ -28,7 +27,7 @@ ChatGui4::ChatGui4(
 	RegistryMessageModel& rmm,
 	Contact3Registry& cr,
 	TextureUploaderI& tu
-) : _conf(conf), _rmm(rmm), _cr(cr) {
+) : _conf(conf), _rmm(rmm), _cr(cr), _contact_tc(tu) {
 }
 
 void ChatGui4::render(void) {
@@ -277,7 +276,7 @@ void ChatGui4::render(void) {
 
 	_fss.render();
 
-	//_tc.update();
+	_contact_tc.update();
 	//_tc.workLoadQueue();
 }
 
@@ -514,8 +513,8 @@ bool ChatGui4::renderContactListContactBig(const Contact3 c) {
 	}
 
 	// avatar
-#if 0
-	const auto [id, width, height] = _tc.get("test");
+#if 1
+	const auto [id, width, height] = _contact_tc.get(c);
 	ImGui::Image(
 		id,
 		ImVec2{img_y, img_y},
diff --git a/src/chat_gui4.hpp b/src/chat_gui4.hpp
index 29bd44d5..dc6d09d3 100644
--- a/src/chat_gui4.hpp
+++ b/src/chat_gui4.hpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <solanaceae/util/config_model.hpp>
 
 #include "./texture_uploader.hpp"
+#include "./texture_cache.hpp"
 #include "./file_selector.hpp"
 
 #include <vector>
@@ -14,6 +15,9 @@ class ChatGui4 {
 	RegistryMessageModel& _rmm;
 	Contact3Registry& _cr;
 
+	TextureCache<void*, Contact3> _contact_tc;
+	//TextureCache<Message3Handle> _msg_tc;
+
 	FileSelector _fss;
 
 	std::optional<Contact3> _selected_contact;
diff --git a/src/texture_cache.cpp b/src/texture_cache.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..767e5698
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/texture_cache.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#include "./texture_cache.hpp"
+
+#include <chrono>
+
+void TextureEntry::doAnimation(const uint64_t ts_now) {
+	if (frame_duration.size() > 1) { // is animation
+		do { // why is this loop so ugly
+			const uint64_t duration = getDuration();
+			if (ts_now - timestamp_last_rendered >= duration) {
+				timestamp_last_rendered += duration;
+				next();
+			} else {
+				break;
+			}
+		} while(true);
+	} else {
+		timestamp_last_rendered = ts_now;
+	}
+}
+
+TextureEntry generateTestAnim(TextureUploaderI& tu) {
+	TextureEntry new_entry;
+	new_entry.timestamp_last_rendered = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::milliseconds>(std::chrono::system_clock::now().time_since_epoch()).count();
+	new_entry.current_texture = 0;
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
+		// hack
+		// generate frame
+		const size_t width {2};
+		const size_t height {2};
+		std::array<uint8_t, width*height*4> pixels;
+		for (size_t pen = 0; pen < width*height; pen++) {
+			if (pen == i) {
+				pixels[pen*4+0] = 0xff;
+				pixels[pen*4+1] = 0xff;
+				pixels[pen*4+2] = 0xff;
+				pixels[pen*4+3] = 0xff;
+			} else {
+				pixels[pen*4+0] = 0x00;
+				pixels[pen*4+1] = 0x00;
+				pixels[pen*4+2] = 0x00;
+				pixels[pen*4+3] = 0xff;
+			}
+		}
+
+		const auto n_t = tu.uploadRGBA(pixels.data(), width, height);
+
+		// this is so ugly
+		new_entry.textures.emplace_back(n_t);
+		new_entry.frame_duration.emplace_back(250);
+	}
+	new_entry.width = 2;
+	new_entry.height = 2;
+	return new_entry;
+}
+
+uint64_t getNowMS(void) {
+	return std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::milliseconds>(std::chrono::system_clock::now().time_since_epoch()).count();
+}
+
diff --git a/src/texture_cache.hpp b/src/texture_cache.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f3021d6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/texture_cache.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include "./texture_uploader.hpp"
+
+#include <entt/container/dense_map.hpp>
+#include <entt/container/dense_set.hpp>
+
+#include <iostream>
+
+struct TextureEntry {
+	uint32_t width {0};
+	uint32_t height {0};
+	std::vector<uint64_t> textures;
+	std::vector<uint32_t> frame_duration; // ms
+	size_t current_texture {0};
+
+	bool rendered_this_frame {false};
+	// or flipped for animations
+	uint64_t timestamp_last_rendered {0}; // ms
+
+	TextureEntry(void) = default;
+	TextureEntry(const TextureEntry& other) :
+		width(other.width),
+		height(other.height),
+		textures(other.textures),
+		frame_duration(other.frame_duration),
+		current_texture(other.current_texture),
+
+		rendered_this_frame(other.rendered_this_frame),
+		timestamp_last_rendered(other.timestamp_last_rendered)
+	{}
+
+	TextureEntry& operator=(const TextureEntry& other) {
+		width = other.width;
+		height = other.height;
+		textures = other.textures;
+		frame_duration = other.frame_duration;
+		current_texture = other.current_texture;
+
+		rendered_this_frame = other.rendered_this_frame;
+		timestamp_last_rendered = other.timestamp_last_rendered;
+		return *this;
+	}
+
+	uint32_t getDuration(void) const {
+		return frame_duration.at(current_texture);
+	}
+
+	void next(void) {
+		current_texture = (current_texture + 1) % frame_duration.size();
+	}
+
+	void doAnimation(const uint64_t ts_now);
+
+	template<typename TextureType>
+	TextureType getID(void) {
+		static_assert(
+			sizeof(TextureType) == sizeof(uint64_t) ||
+			sizeof(TextureType) == sizeof(uint32_t)
+		);
+
+		rendered_this_frame = true;
+		assert(current_texture < textures.size());
+		if constexpr (sizeof(TextureType) == sizeof(uint64_t)) {
+			return reinterpret_cast<TextureType>(textures.at(current_texture));
+		} else if constexpr (sizeof(TextureType) == sizeof(uint32_t)) {
+			return reinterpret_cast<TextureType>(static_cast<uint32_t>(textures.at(current_texture)));
+		}
+	}
+};
+
+TextureEntry generateTestAnim(TextureUploaderI& tu);
+
+uint64_t getNowMS(void);
+
+template<typename TextureType, typename KeyType>
+struct TextureCache {
+	static_assert(
+		sizeof(TextureType) == sizeof(uint64_t) ||
+		sizeof(TextureType) == sizeof(uint32_t)
+	);
+
+	TextureUploaderI& _tu;
+
+	TextureEntry _default_texture;
+
+	entt::dense_map<KeyType, TextureEntry> _cache;
+	entt::dense_set<KeyType> _to_load;
+
+	const uint64_t ms_before_purge {60 * 1000ull};
+	const size_t min_count_before_purge {0}; // starts purging after that
+
+	TextureCache(TextureUploaderI& tu) : _tu(tu) {
+		//_image_loaders.push_back(std::make_unique<ImageLoaderWebP>());
+		//_image_loaders.push_back(std::make_unique<ImageLoaderSTB>());
+		_default_texture = generateTestAnim(_tu);
+		//_default_texture = loadTestWebPAnim();
+	}
+
+	struct GetInfo {
+		TextureType id;
+		uint32_t width;
+		uint32_t height;
+	};
+	GetInfo get(const KeyType& key) {
+		auto it = _cache.find(key);
+
+		if (it != _cache.end()) {
+			return {
+				it->second.template getID<TextureType>(),
+				it->second.width,
+				it->second.height
+			};
+		} else {
+			_to_load.insert(key);
+			return {
+				_default_texture.getID<TextureType>(),
+				_default_texture.width,
+				_default_texture.height
+			};
+		}
+	}
+
+	void update(void) {
+		const uint64_t ts_now = getNowMS();
+
+		std::vector<KeyType> to_purge;
+		for (auto&& [key, te] : _cache) {
+			if (te.rendered_this_frame) {
+				te.doAnimation(ts_now);
+				te.rendered_this_frame = false;
+			} else if (_cache.size() > min_count_before_purge && ts_now - te.timestamp_last_rendered >= ms_before_purge) {
+				to_purge.push_back(key);
+			}
+		}
+
+		for (const auto& key : to_purge) {
+			for (const auto& tex_id : _cache.at(key).textures) {
+				_tu.destroy(tex_id);
+			}
+			_cache.erase(key);
+		}
+
+		_default_texture.doAnimation(ts_now);
+	}
+};
+