diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f56e903..358c1b9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,13 @@ Follows [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/) · versioned wi
 
 ---
 
+## [1.14.12] — 2026-07-09
+
+### Added
+- **Character avatar images in the casting pickers** — the Characters Found sidebar, the "Assign to" popup's character list, and the "merge with an already-found character" list now show the character's saved portrait (same source as the profile detail panel) when one exists, falling back to the colour-keyed initial-letter dot otherwise.
+
+---
+
 ## [1.14.11] — 2026-07-09
 
 ### Fixed
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index f350950..4ed70fa 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.14.11
+1.14.12
diff --git a/static/index.html b/static/index.html
index 9b6b493..4e2f24e 100644
--- a/static/index.html
+++ b/static/index.html
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
   <meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=no">
   <meta name="color-scheme" content="light dark">
   <meta name="theme-color" content="#2563EB">
-  <meta name="app-version" content="1.14.11">
+  <meta name="app-version" content="1.14.12">
   <link rel="manifest" href="/manifest.webmanifest">
   <link rel="icon" href="/static/icon.svg" type="image/svg+xml">
   <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/static/icon.svg">
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 
   <!-- ── Core styles (local — no CDN dependency for first paint) ────────── -->
   <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/vendor/mdi/materialdesignicons.min.css">
-  <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/style.css?v=1.14.11">
+  <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/style.css?v=1.14.12">
 
 
   <!-- ── Flag icons — non-blocking (loaded async, icons appear after JS) ── -->
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ window.toggleNavTree = function(treeId, chevronId) {
 </script>
 
 <!-- loader.js: fetches sections → loads JS modules → removes skeleton -->
-<script src="/static/loader.js?v=1.14.11"></script>
+<script src="/static/loader.js?v=1.14.12"></script>
 
 </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/static/js/audiobook.js b/static/js/audiobook.js
index debe97a..8227ba0 100644
--- a/static/js/audiobook.js
+++ b/static/js/audiobook.js
@@ -1566,6 +1566,16 @@ STRIKTE FORMAT- UND TEXTREGELN:
     else roster.get(name).color = color;
     return roster.get(name).color;
   };
+  // Small round avatar for character pickers/lists — the character's saved
+  // portrait (same source as the profile detail panel) when one exists,
+  // otherwise the colour-keyed initial-letter dot used everywhere else.
+  const _abAvatarHtml = (name, color) => {
+    const img = recordForName(name)?.image;
+    const c = color || colorFor(name);
+    return img
+      ? `<span class="ab-char-dot ab-char-dot-img"><img src="${escHtml(img)}" alt=""></span>`
+      : `<span class="ab-char-dot" style="background:${c}">${escHtml((name || '?')[0].toUpperCase())}</span>`;
+  };
   const setCharacterColor = (name, color) => {
     const safe = _abNormalizeColor(color, name);
     const info = roster.get(name);
@@ -1982,7 +1992,7 @@ STRIKTE FORMAT- UND TEXTREGELN:
     chars.innerHTML = items.map(([n, info]) => {
       const color = info.color || colorFor(n);
       return `<div class="ab-char-item${prev===n?' is-active':''}" data-name="${escHtml(n)}">
-        <span class="ab-char-dot" style="background:${color}">${escHtml((n||'?')[0].toUpperCase())}</span>
+        ${_abAvatarHtml(n, color)}
         <span class="ab-char-name">${escHtml(n)}</span>
         <b class="ab-char-count">${roster.get(n)?.count||0}</b>
         <button class="ab-char-alias-btn" data-name="${escHtml(n)}" title="Add alias / also known as"><span class="mdi mdi-tag-plus-outline"></span></button>
@@ -2039,7 +2049,7 @@ STRIKTE FORMAT- UND TEXTREGELN:
       </datalist>
       ${otherNames.length ? `<div class="ab-alias-popup-hint">Or merge with an already-found character:</div>
       <div class="ab-alias-popup-list">
-        ${otherNames.slice(0, 8).map(([n, info]) => `<button type="button" class="ab-alias-merge-opt" data-name="${escHtml(n)}">${escHtml(n)} <span class="ab-alias-merge-count">${info.count}</span></button>`).join('')}
+        ${otherNames.slice(0, 8).map(([n, info]) => `<button type="button" class="ab-alias-merge-opt" data-name="${escHtml(n)}"><span class="ab-alias-merge-name">${_abAvatarHtml(n, info.color)}${escHtml(n)}</span><span class="ab-alias-merge-count">${info.count}</span></button>`).join('')}
       </div>` : ''}
       <div class="ab-alias-popup-actions">
         <button type="button" class="btn-secondary btn-sm ab-alias-cancel">Cancel</button>
@@ -2700,7 +2710,10 @@ STRIKTE FORMAT- UND TEXTREGELN:
       const btn = document.createElement('div');
       btn.dataset.name = n;
       btn.style.cssText = 'padding:6px 8px; font-size:12px; cursor:pointer; border-radius:4px; display:flex; align-items:center; gap:6px; transition:background 0.1s; font-weight:600; color:var(--text);';
-      btn.innerHTML = `<span style="width:8px;height:8px;border-radius:50%;background:${info.color};"></span> ${escHtml(n)}`;
+      const img = recordForName(n)?.image;
+      btn.innerHTML = (img
+        ? `<span style="width:18px;height:18px;border-radius:50%;flex-shrink:0;overflow:hidden;"><img src="${escHtml(img)}" alt="" style="width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;"></span>`
+        : `<span style="width:8px;height:8px;border-radius:50%;background:${info.color};flex-shrink:0;"></span>`) + ` ${escHtml(n)}`;
       btn.onmouseover = () => btn.style.background = 'var(--panel)';
       btn.onmouseout = () => btn.style.background = 'transparent';
       btn.onclick = () => assignName(n);
diff --git a/static/style.css b/static/style.css
index 98cdc8e..cdffbd9 100644
--- a/static/style.css
+++ b/static/style.css
@@ -5530,6 +5530,8 @@ code { background: var(--panel); border-radius: 4px; padding: 1px 5px; font-fami
   display:flex; align-items:center; justify-content:center;
   font-size:11px; font-weight:700; color:#fff;
 }
+.ab-char-dot-img { overflow: hidden; background: var(--panel); }
+.ab-char-dot-img img { width: 100%; height: 100%; object-fit: cover; }
 .ab-char-name { flex:1; font-size:12px; white-space:nowrap; overflow:hidden; text-overflow:ellipsis; min-width: 0; }
 .ab-char-count { font-size:11px; color:var(--subtext); font-weight:700; flex-shrink:0; }
 .ab-char-alias-btn {
@@ -5563,7 +5565,9 @@ code { background: var(--panel); border-radius: 4px; padding: 1px 5px; font-fami
   background: none; color: var(--text); cursor: pointer; text-align: left;
 }
 .ab-alias-merge-opt:hover { background: var(--panel); border-color: var(--border); }
-.ab-alias-merge-count { font-size: 10.5px; color: var(--subtext); font-weight: 700; }
+.ab-alias-merge-name { display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 6px; min-width: 0; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; }
+.ab-alias-merge-name .ab-char-dot { width: 18px; height: 18px; font-size: 9px; }
+.ab-alias-merge-count { font-size: 10.5px; color: var(--subtext); font-weight: 700; flex-shrink: 0; }
 .ab-alias-popup-actions { display: flex; justify-content: flex-end; gap: 6px; }
 /* Character detail panel inside the casting feed area */
 .ab-char-detail-panel {