diff --git a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
index 731c625..41bbac6 100644
--- a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,27 @@
 module ApplicationHelper
-  def get_twitter_image(twitter_handle)
-    image_tag "https://res.cloudinary.com/#{ENV['CLOUDINARY_HANDLE']}/image/twitter_name/#{twitter_handle}.jpg", onerror: 'this.error=null;this.src="https://abs.twimg.com/sticky/default_profile_images/default_profile_normal.png"'
+  def get_twitter_image(user)
+    image_tag image_for_twitter_handle(user), onerror: 'this.error=null;this.src="https://abs.twimg.com/sticky/default_profile_images/default_profile_normal.png"'
+  end
+
+  private
+
+  RubyConfIndia2023 = Date.parse('2023-08-26')
+
+  def image_for_twitter_handle(user)
+    if user.updated_at.after?(RubyConfIndia2023) && user.image.present?
+      # this is a quick workaround for being unable to fetch images via Cloudinary for new twitter sign_ins due to Twitter API policy changes.
+      # one problem with continuing to use this long term would be:
+      #   - if a user changes their profile picture, the url saved on our model will become invalid
+      #      we do have a fallback to default image in place, but it's not ideal
+      #   - As an improvement, we can try to cache it (more like a permanent snapshot until their next login)
+      #   - But a proper solution would be to fetch their current profile picture via a service or to periodically refresh it ourself
+      user.image
+    else
+      cloudinary_image_url(user.twitter_handle)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def cloudinary_image_url(twitter_handle)
+    "https://res.cloudinary.com/#{ENV['CLOUDINARY_HANDLE']}/image/twitter_name/#{twitter_handle}.jpg"
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/views/home/index.html.haml b/app/views/home/index.html.haml
index c6daec8..d159535 100644
--- a/app/views/home/index.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/home/index.html.haml
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
                     = time_ago_in_words letter.created_at
                     ago
               .pull-right.thumbnail.imageWrapper{ style: 'max-height: 50px; max-width: 50px' }
-                = get_twitter_image(letter.user.twitter_handle)
+                = get_twitter_image(letter.user)
 
         -#          TODO refactor this
         - unless letter.user_id == 43
diff --git a/app/views/layouts/application.html.haml b/app/views/layouts/application.html.haml
index e05d9a2..190eb1d 100644
--- a/app/views/layouts/application.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/layouts/application.html.haml
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@
                     %tr
                       %td
                         .thumbnail.pull-left{ style: 'max-height: 50px; max-width: 50px' }
-                          = get_twitter_image(l.user.twitter_handle)
+                          = get_twitter_image(l.user)
                         .info.pull-left
                           = truncate("#{l.user.name} (#{l.user.twitter_handle})", length: 27)
                           %br
diff --git a/app/views/letters/show.html.haml b/app/views/letters/show.html.haml
index 1e39a37..12f0b37 100644
--- a/app/views/letters/show.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/letters/show.html.haml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
                   = time_ago_in_words @letter.created_at
                   ago
             .pull-right.thumbnail.imageWrapper{ style: 'max-height: 50px; max-width: 50px' }
-              = get_twitter_image(@letter.user.twitter_handle)
+              = get_twitter_image(@letter.user)
       = markdown(@letter.description)
       %br
       %div