diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/milestone.js.coffee b/app/assets/javascripts/milestone.js.coffee
index c42f31933d..d644d50b66 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/milestone.js.coffee
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/milestone.js.coffee
@@ -49,6 +49,13 @@ class @Milestone
       data: data
       success: (data) ->
         if data.saved == true
+          if data.assignee_avatar_url
+            img_tag = $('<img/>')
+            img_tag.attr('src', data.assignee_avatar_url)
+            img_tag.addClass('avatar s16')
+            $(li).find('.assignee-icon').html(img_tag)
+          else
+            $(li).find('.assignee-icon').html('')
           $(li).effect 'highlight'
         else
           new Flash("Issue update failed", 'alert')
diff --git a/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb b/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb
index 26d4c51773..848cf36749 100644
--- a/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb
@@ -100,6 +100,12 @@ class Projects::MergeRequestsController < Projects::ApplicationController
                        @merge_request.target_project, @merge_request],
                       notice: 'Merge request was successfully updated.')
         end
+        format.json do
+          render json: {
+            saved: @merge_request.valid?,
+            assignee_avatar_url: @merge_request.assignee.try(:avatar_url)
+          }
+        end
       end
     else
       render "edit"
diff --git a/app/views/projects/milestones/_merge_request.html.haml b/app/views/projects/milestones/_merge_request.html.haml
index 46f2df1b18..42fbd0cd2c 100644
--- a/app/views/projects/milestones/_merge_request.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/projects/milestones/_merge_request.html.haml
@@ -3,3 +3,6 @@
     = link_to [@project.namespace.becomes(Namespace), @project, merge_request] do
       %span.cgray ##{merge_request.iid}
     = link_to_gfm merge_request.title, [@project.namespace.becomes(Namespace), @project, merge_request], title: merge_request.title
+  .pull-right.assignee-icon
+    - if merge_request.assignee
+      = image_tag avatar_icon(merge_request.assignee.email, 16), class: "avatar s16"