Fixing race condition and other mistakes. Fixes #1603.

// FREEBIE
I originally thought that this would be the problem and put this in, only to realize it should not happen. I thought leaving it in essentially just makes the API of Recipient tougher (after all, "no picture there" <=> "null" is kind of a reasonable assumption), and so it could prevent mistakes in the future. You don't like it, I'll take it out.