diff --git a/plugins/unl_theme/js/ui.avatar_cropper.js b/plugins/unl_theme/js/ui.avatar_cropper.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..cfd380b8bfc2738fc5d616c99df1d6cdd7825cf6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/unl_theme/js/ui.avatar_cropper.js
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+/**
+ * Avatar cropping
+ */
+
+elgg.provide('elgg.avatarCropper');
+
+/**
+ * Register the avatar cropper.
+ *
+ * If the hidden inputs have the coordinates from a previous cropping, begin
+ * the selection and preview with that displayed.
+ */
+elgg.avatarCropper.init = function() {
+	//Load imgAreaSelect with requirejs (this is all that this override does)
+	require(['jquery', 'unl_theme/jquery.imgareaselect'], function($) {
+		var params = {
+			selectionOpacity: 0,
+			aspectRatio: '1:1',
+			onSelectEnd: elgg.avatarCropper.selectChange,
+			onSelectChange: elgg.avatarCropper.preview
+		};
+
+		if ($('input[name=x2]').val()) {
+			params.x1 = $('input[name=x1]').val();
+			params.x2 = $('input[name=x2]').val();
+			params.y1 = $('input[name=y1]').val();
+			params.y2 = $('input[name=y2]').val();
+		}
+
+		$('#user-avatar-cropper').imgAreaSelect(params);
+
+		if ($('input[name=x2]').val()) {
+
+			// TODO figure out why this is necessary
+			$(window).on('load', function () {
+				var ias = $('#user-avatar-cropper').imgAreaSelect({instance: true});
+				var selection = ias.getSelection();
+				elgg.avatarCropper.preview($('#user-avatar-cropper'), selection);
+			});
+		}
+	});
+};
+
+/**
+ * Handler for changing select area.
+ *
+ * @param {Object} img       reference to the image
+ * @param {Object} selection imgareaselect selection object
+ * @return void
+ */
+elgg.avatarCropper.preview = function(img, selection) {
+	// catch for the first click on the image
+	if (selection.width === 0 || selection.height === 0) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	var origWidth = $("#user-avatar-cropper").width();
+	var origHeight = $("#user-avatar-cropper").height();
+	var scaleX = 100 / selection.width;
+	var scaleY = 100 / selection.height;
+	$('#user-avatar-preview > img').css({
+		width: Math.round(scaleX * origWidth) + 'px',
+		height: Math.round(scaleY * origHeight) + 'px',
+		marginLeft: '-' + Math.round(scaleX * selection.x1) + 'px',
+		marginTop: '-' + Math.round(scaleY * selection.y1) + 'px'
+	});
+};
+
+/**
+ * Handler for updating the form inputs after select ends
+ *
+ * @param {Object} img       reference to the image
+ * @param {Object} selection imgareaselect selection object
+ * @return void
+ */
+elgg.avatarCropper.selectChange = function(img, selection) {
+	$('input[name=x1]').val(selection.x1);
+	$('input[name=x2]').val(selection.x2);
+	$('input[name=y1]').val(selection.y1);
+	$('input[name=y2]').val(selection.y2);
+};
+
+elgg.register_hook_handler('init', 'system', elgg.avatarCropper.init);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/unl_theme/start.php b/plugins/unl_theme/start.php
index d0959f531408039f356084f1f9870b6f31e10ebb..958a4887c91d97de7a1318687dc092e49a1b53ee 100755
--- a/plugins/unl_theme/start.php
+++ b/plugins/unl_theme/start.php
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ function unl_theme_init() {
         elgg_unregister_js('jquery-ui');
         elgg_unregister_js('jquery.imgareaselect');
         
+        //Load our own cropper that uses requirejs (make sure it loads last)
+        elgg_register_js('elgg.avatar_cropper', $base_url.'mod/unl_theme/js/ui.avatar_cropper.js', 'head', 9000);
+        
         //elgg_load_js("agency");
         elgg_load_js('respond');
         elgg_load_js("bootstrap");
diff --git a/plugins/unl_theme/views/default/elgg/require_config.js.php b/plugins/unl_theme/views/default/elgg/require_config.js.php
index 19716216bfcd6e4a02f66cb50402466ebc1c3d7a..b40d8d9cc642978ab680f1632ffe0e7af9af4fdf 100644
--- a/plugins/unl_theme/views/default/elgg/require_config.js.php
+++ b/plugins/unl_theme/views/default/elgg/require_config.js.php
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ var unl_require_config = <?php echo json_encode($amdConfig, JSON_PRETTY_PRINT |
 if (typeof WDN !== 'undefined') {
     require.config(unl_require_config);
     
-    require(['jquery', 'jqueryui', 'unl_theme/jquery.imgareaselect'], function($) {
+    require(['jquery', 'jqueryui'], function($) {
         window.$ = $;
         window.jQuery = $;
     });