diff --git c/api/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/logic/SakaiProxy.java w/api/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/logic/SakaiProxy.java
index e130710..366d00e 100644
--- c/api/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/logic/SakaiProxy.java
+++ w/api/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/logic/SakaiProxy.java
@@ -834,7 +834,19 @@ public interface SakaiProxy {
 	 * 
 	 * <p>This setting controls the display of the profile status section.
 	 * 
-	 * @return true or false. 
+	 * @return true or false.
 	 */
 	public boolean isProfileStatusEnabled();
+
+	/**
+	 * Is the profile2.import.images flag set in sakai.properties?
+	 * If not set, defaults to false
+	 * 
+	 * <p>If enabled then at startup profile 2 will attempt to download any profile URLs set 
+	 * and upload them as profile images.
+	 * </p>
+	 * 
+	 * @return true or false
+	 */
+	public boolean isProfileImageImportEnabled();
 }
diff --git c/api/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/util/ProfileConstants.java w/api/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/util/ProfileConstants.java
index 2e3d398..c9868c8 100644
--- c/api/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/util/ProfileConstants.java
+++ w/api/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/util/ProfileConstants.java
@@ -211,6 +211,7 @@ public class ProfileConstants {
 	public static final boolean SAKAI_PROP_PROFILE2_IMPORT_ENABLED = false; //profile2.import
 	public static final boolean SAKAI_PROP_PROFILE2_PROFILE_FIELDS_ENABLED = true; //profile2.profile.fields.enabled
 	public static final boolean SAKAI_PROP_PROFILE2_PROFILE_STATUS_ENABLED = true; //profile2.profile.status.enabled
+	public static final boolean SAKAI_PROP_PROFILE2_IMPORT_IMAGES_ENABLED = false; // profile2.import.images
 
 
 	
@@ -398,6 +399,7 @@ public class ProfileConstants {
 	 */
 	public static final String GOOGLE_REDIRECT_URI = "urn:ietf:wg:oauth:2.0:oob";
 	public static final String GOOGLE_DOCS_SCOPE = "https://docs.google.com/feeds/";
+
 	
 	
 }
diff --git c/impl/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/conversion/ProfileConverter.java w/impl/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/conversion/ProfileConverter.java
index 580fcad..79d8f84 100644
--- c/impl/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/conversion/ProfileConverter.java
+++ w/impl/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/conversion/ProfileConverter.java
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@ package org.sakaiproject.profile2.conversion;
 
 import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
 import java.io.FileReader;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.InputStream;
+import java.net.HttpURLConnection;
+import java.net.MalformedURLException;
+import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Iterator;
@@ -13,12 +18,10 @@ import lombok.Getter;
 import lombok.Setter;
 
 import org.apache.commons.lang.StringUtils;
-import org.apache.commons.lang.builder.ReflectionToStringBuilder;
 import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
 import org.sakaiproject.api.common.edu.person.SakaiPerson;
 import org.sakaiproject.authz.api.SecurityAdvisor;
 import org.sakaiproject.authz.api.SecurityService;
-import org.sakaiproject.authz.api.SecurityAdvisor.SecurityAdvice;
 import org.sakaiproject.profile2.dao.ProfileDao;
 import org.sakaiproject.profile2.exception.ProfileNotDefinedException;
 import org.sakaiproject.profile2.hbm.model.ProfileImageExternal;
@@ -84,10 +87,6 @@ public class ProfileConverter {
 		for(Iterator<String> i = allUsers.iterator(); i.hasNext();) {
 			String userUuid = (String)i.next();
 			
-			//
-			// Process iamge bytes
-			//
-			
 			//get image record from dao directly, we don't need privacy/prefs here
 			ProfileImageUploaded uploadedProfileImage = dao.getCurrentProfileImageRecord(userUuid);
 			
@@ -173,6 +172,115 @@ public class ProfileConverter {
 	}
 	
 	/**
+	 * This imports URL profile images into upload profile images.
+	 */
+	public void importProfileImages() {
+		
+		//get list of users
+		List<String> allUsers = new ArrayList<String>(dao.getAllSakaiPersonIds());
+		
+		if(allUsers.isEmpty()){
+			log.warn("Profile2 image converter: No SakaiPersons to process. Nothing to do!");
+			return;
+		}
+		
+		//for each, do they have a profile image record. if so, skip (perhaps null the SakaiPerson JPEG_PHOTO bytes?)
+		for(Iterator<String> i = allUsers.iterator(); i.hasNext();) {
+			String userUuid = i.next();
+			
+			//get image record from dao directly, we don't need privacy/prefs here
+			ProfileImageUploaded uploadedProfileImage = dao.getCurrentProfileImageRecord(userUuid);
+			
+			ci = new ConvertedImage();
+			ci.setUserUuid(userUuid);
+			
+			//if no record, we need to run all conversions
+			if(uploadedProfileImage == null) {
+				
+				//main
+				ProfileImageExternal externalProfileImage = dao.getExternalImageRecordForUser(userUuid);
+				if (externalProfileImage == null) {
+					log.info("No existing external profile images for "+ userUuid);
+				} else {
+					String mainUrl = externalProfileImage.getMainUrl();
+					if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(mainUrl)) {
+						retrieveMainImage(userUuid, mainUrl);
+					} else {
+						log.info("No URL set for "+ userUuid);
+					}
+				}
+	
+				if(StringUtils.isNotBlank(ci.getMainResourceId())) {
+					//thumbnail
+					generateAndPersistThumbnail();
+					//avatar
+					generateAndPersistAvatar();
+				}
+			}
+		
+			//save image resource IDs
+			if(ci.isNeedsSaving()){
+				ProfileImageUploaded convertedProfileImage = new ProfileImageUploaded(userUuid, ci.getMainResourceId(), ci.getThumbnailResourceId(), ci.getAvatarResourceId(), true);
+			
+				if(dao.addNewProfileImage(convertedProfileImage)){
+					log.info("Profile2 image converter: Binary image converted and saved for " + userUuid);
+				} else {
+					log.warn("Profile2 image converter: Binary image conversion failed for " + userUuid);
+				}	
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	private void retrieveMainImage(String userUuid, String mainUrl) {
+		InputStream inputStream = null;
+		try {
+			URL url = new URL(mainUrl);
+			HttpURLConnection openConnection = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection();
+			openConnection.setReadTimeout(5000);
+			openConnection.setConnectTimeout(5000);
+			openConnection.setInstanceFollowRedirects(true);
+			openConnection.connect();
+			int responseCode = openConnection.getResponseCode();
+			if (responseCode == HttpURLConnection.HTTP_OK) {
+
+				String mimeType = openConnection.getContentType();
+				inputStream = openConnection.getInputStream();
+				// Convert the image.
+				byte[] imageMain = ProfileUtils.scaleImage(inputStream, ProfileConstants.MAX_IMAGE_XY, mimeType);
+
+				//create resource ID
+				String mainResourceId = sakaiProxy.getProfileImageResourcePath(userUuid, ProfileConstants.PROFILE_IMAGE_MAIN);
+				log.info("Profile2 image converter: mainResourceId: " + mainResourceId);
+
+				//save, if error, log and return.
+				if (!sakaiProxy.saveFile(mainResourceId, userUuid, DEFAULT_FILE_NAME, mimeType, imageMain)) {
+					log.error("Profile2 image importer: Saving main profile image failed.");
+				} else {
+					ci.setImage(imageMain);
+					ci.setMimeType(mimeType);
+					ci.setFileName(DEFAULT_FILE_NAME);
+					ci.setMainResourceId(mainResourceId);
+					ci.setNeedsSaving(true);
+				}
+			} else {
+				log.warn("Failed to get good response for user "+ userUuid+ " for "+ mainUrl+ " got "+ responseCode);
+			}
+		} catch (MalformedURLException e) {
+			log.info ("Invalid URL for user: "+ userUuid+ " of: "+ mainUrl);
+		} catch (IOException e) {
+			log.warn("Failed to download image for: "+ userUuid+ " from: "+ mainUrl+ " error of: "+ e.getMessage());
+		} finally {
+			if (inputStream != null) {
+				try {
+					inputStream.close();
+				} catch (IOException ioe) {
+					log.info("Failed to close input stream for request to: "+ mainUrl);
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	
+	/**
 	 * Import profiles from the given CSV file
 	 * 
 	 * <p>The CSV file may contain any of the following headings, in any order:
diff --git c/impl/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/logic/ProfileLogicImpl.java w/impl/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/logic/ProfileLogicImpl.java
index 18e7f10..cb63533 100644
--- c/impl/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/logic/ProfileLogicImpl.java
+++ w/impl/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/logic/ProfileLogicImpl.java
@@ -377,6 +377,15 @@ public class ProfileLogicImpl implements ProfileLogic {
 			converter.convertProfileImages();
 		}
 		
+		// Should we import profile image URLs to be uploaded profile images?
+		if (sakaiProxy.isProfileImageImportEnabled()) {
+			if (sakaiProxy.getProfilePictureType() != ProfileConstants.PICTURE_SETTING_UPLOAD) {
+				log.warn("I'm set to import images but profile2.picture.type=upload is not set. Not importing.");
+			} else {
+				converter.importProfileImages();
+			}
+		}
+		
 		//do we need to import profiles?
 		if(sakaiProxy.isProfileImportEnabled()) {
 			
diff --git c/impl/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/logic/SakaiProxyImpl.java w/impl/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/logic/SakaiProxyImpl.java
index 5751301..ee2054d 100644
--- c/impl/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/logic/SakaiProxyImpl.java
+++ w/impl/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/logic/SakaiProxyImpl.java
@@ -980,6 +980,15 @@ public class SakaiProxyImpl implements SakaiProxy {
 		return serverConfigurationService.getBoolean("profile2.convert", ProfileConstants.SAKAI_PROP_PROFILE2_CONVERSION_ENABLED);
 	}
 	
+	
+	/**
+ 	* {@inheritDoc}
+ 	*/
+	public boolean isProfileImageImportEnabled() {
+		return serverConfigurationService.getBoolean("profile2.import.images", ProfileConstants.SAKAI_PROP_PROFILE2_IMPORT_IMAGES_ENABLED);
+	}
+	
+	
 	/**
  	* {@inheritDoc}
  	*/
diff --git c/pom.xml w/pom.xml
index df175ba..56832ee 100644
--- c/pom.xml
+++ w/pom.xml
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@
 	    <module>pack</module>
 	    <module>tool</module>
 	    <module>assembly</module>
-	    <module>deploy</module>
+	    <!--<module>deploy</module>-->
 	    <module>bundle</module>
 	</modules>
     
diff --git c/util/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/util/ProfileUtils.java w/util/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/util/ProfileUtils.java
index e0591db..2a06416 100644
--- c/util/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/util/ProfileUtils.java
+++ w/util/src/java/org/sakaiproject/profile2/util/ProfileUtils.java
@@ -105,19 +105,36 @@ public class ProfileUtils {
 		return "jpg";
 	}
 	
+	
+	public static byte[] scaleImage(byte[] imageData, int maxSize, String mimeType) {
+		InputStream in = null;
+		try {
+			in = new ByteArrayInputStream(imageData);
+			return scaleImage(in, maxSize, mimeType);
+			
+		} finally {
+			if (in != null) {
+				try {
+					in.close();
+					log.debug("Image stream closed."); 
+				}
+				catch (IOException e) {
+					log.error("Error closing image stream: ", e); 
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	/**
 	 * Scale an image so it is fit within a give width and height, whilst maintaining its original proportions 
 	 *
 	 * @param imageData		bytes of the original image
 	 * @param maxSize		maximum dimension in px
 	 */
-	public static byte[] scaleImage(byte[] imageData, int maxSize, String mimeType) {
+	public static byte[] scaleImage(InputStream in, int maxSize, String mimeType) {
 		
-		InputStream in = null;
 		byte[] scaledImageBytes = null;
 		try {
 			//convert original image to inputstream
-			in = new ByteArrayInputStream(imageData);
 			
 			//original buffered image
 			BufferedImage originalImage = ImageIO.read(in);
@@ -136,19 +153,6 @@ public class ProfileUtils {
 			log.error("Scaling image failed.", e);
 		}
 		
-		
-		finally {
-			if (in != null) {
-				try {
-					in.close();
-					log.debug("Image stream closed."); 
-				}
-				catch (IOException e) {
-					log.error("Error closing image stream: ", e); 
-				}
-			}
-		}
-		
 		return scaledImageBytes;
 	}