diff --git a/friends-admin.css b/friends-admin.css
index 5016ed05..e5383ec8 100644
--- a/friends-admin.css
+++ b/friends-admin.css
@@ -278,3 +278,7 @@ span#friends_enable_retention_number_line {
 	width: .8rem;
 	z-index: 1;
 }
+
+#friends-dashboard-widget .author-avatar {
+	vertical-align: middle;
+}
diff --git a/friends-admin.js b/friends-admin.js
index b08afde3..f6412e3b 100644
--- a/friends-admin.js
+++ b/friends-admin.js
@@ -344,6 +344,29 @@ jQuery( function ( $ ) {
 		}
 	} );
 
+	setTimeout( function () {
+		if ( $( '#friends-dashboard-widget' ).length ) {
+			$( '#friends-dashboard-widget' ).append( ' <i class="friends-loading"></i>' );
+			$.post(
+				friends.ajax_url,
+				{
+					_ajax_nonce: $( '#friends-dashboard-widget' ).data( 'nonce' ),
+					action: 'friends_dashboard',
+				},
+				function ( response ) {
+					if ( response.success ) {
+						$( '#friends-dashboard-widget' ).html( response.data );
+					} else {
+						$( '#friends-dashboard-widget i' )
+							.removeClass( 'friends-loading' )
+							.addClass( 'dashicons dashicons-warning' )
+							.prop( 'title', response.data );
+					}
+				}
+			);
+		}
+	}, 500 );
+
 	setTimeout( function () {
 		if ( $( '#fetch-feeds' ).length ) {
 			$( '#fetch-feeds' ).append( ' <i class="friends-loading"></i>' );
diff --git a/friends.php b/friends.php
index c4d0f4bc..0fed8cc4 100644
--- a/friends.php
+++ b/friends.php
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ function validate_feed_rules( $rules ) {
  * @return false|string URL or false on failure.
  */
 function check_url( $url ) {
-	return check_url( $url );
+	return Friends::check_url( $url );
 }
 
 // Integrations.
diff --git a/includes/class-admin.php b/includes/class-admin.php
index ad704fa5..d285ab6d 100644
--- a/includes/class-admin.php
+++ b/includes/class-admin.php
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ private function register_hooks() {
 		add_action( 'remove_user_from_blog', array( $this, 'delete_user' ) );
 		add_action( 'tool_box', array( $this, 'toolbox_bookmarklets' ) );
 		add_action( 'dashboard_glance_items', array( $this, 'dashboard_glance_items' ) );
+		add_action( 'wp_dashboard_setup', array( $this, 'add_dashboard_widget' ) );
+		add_action( 'wp_ajax_friends_dashboard', array( $this, 'ajax_friends_dashboard' ) );
 		add_filter( 'site_status_tests', array( $this, 'site_status_tests' ) );
 		add_filter( 'site_status_test_php_modules', array( $this, 'site_status_test_php_modules' ) );
 		add_filter( 'debug_information', array( $this, 'site_health_debug' ) );
@@ -3047,6 +3049,51 @@ public function dashboard_glance_items( $items ) {
 		return $items;
 	}
 
+	public function add_dashboard_widget() {
+		wp_add_dashboard_widget( 'friends_dashboard_widget', __( 'Friends: Latest Posts', 'friends' ), array( $this, 'render_dashboard_widget' ), null, null, 'column3' );
+	}
+
+	public function render_dashboard_widget() {
+		?>
+		<div id="friends-dashboard-widget" data-nonce="<?php echo esc_attr( wp_create_nonce( 'friends-dashboard' ) ); ?>">
+		</div>
+		<?php
+	}
+
+	public function ajax_friends_dashboard() {
+		check_ajax_referer( 'friends-dashboard' );
+
+		$any_friends = User_Query::all_associated_users();
+
+		ob_start();
+		if ( 0 === $any_friends->get_total() ) {
+			Friends::template_loader()->get_template_part(
+				'admin/dashboard-widget-welcome',
+				null,
+				array()
+			);
+
+		} else {
+			Friends::template_loader()->get_template_part(
+				'admin/dashboard-widget',
+				null,
+				array(
+					'posts' => get_posts(
+						array(
+							'post_type' => apply_filters( 'friends_frontend_post_types', array( 'post' ) ),
+						)
+					),
+				)
+			);
+		}
+		$data = ob_get_contents();
+		ob_end_clean();
+
+		wp_send_json_success(
+			$data
+		);
+	}
+
 	public function site_status_tests( $tests ) {
 		$tests['direct']['friends-roles'] = array(
 			'label' => __( 'Friend roles were created', 'friends' ),
diff --git a/includes/class-frontend.php b/includes/class-frontend.php
index 8d64be9f..fef0b125 100644
--- a/includes/class-frontend.php
+++ b/includes/class-frontend.php
@@ -796,6 +796,10 @@ function ( $feed ) {
 			'post_format'           => $this->post_format,
 		);
 
+		if ( isset( $_GET['welcome'] ) ) { // phpcs:ignore WordPress.Security.NonceVerification.Recommended
+			$args['show_welcome'] = true;
+		}
+
 		return Friends::template_loader()->get_template_part( 'frontend/index', $this->post_format, $args, false );
 	}
 
@@ -1159,7 +1163,7 @@ public function friend_posts_query( $query ) {
 		}
 
 		$page_id = get_query_var( 'page' );
-// phpcs:disable WordPress.Security.NonceVerification.Recommended
+		// phpcs:disable WordPress.Security.NonceVerification.Recommended
 		if ( isset( $_GET['share'] ) ) {
 			$share_hash = hash( 'crc32b', apply_filters( 'friends_share_salt', wp_salt( 'nonce' ), $page_id ) . $page_id );
 			if ( $_GET['share'] === $share_hash ) {
diff --git a/templates/admin/dashboard-widget-welcome.php b/templates/admin/dashboard-widget-welcome.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1a8e60f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/admin/dashboard-widget-welcome.php
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * This template contains the Friends Dashboard Widget Welcome.
+ *
+ * @package Friends
+ */
+
+?>
+<p><?php esc_html_e( "In this widget, you'd usually see your latest friends' posts. But since you haven't added any friends yet, these are your options:", 'friends' ); ?></p>
+<ul>
+	<li><a href="<?php echo esc_url( home_url( '/friends/?welcome' ) ); ?>"><span class="ab-icon dashicons dashicons-groups"></span> <?php esc_html_e( 'Check out your Friends page to learn more', 'friends' ); ?></a></li>
+	<li><a href="<?php echo esc_url( self_admin_url( 'admin.php?page=add-friend' ) ); ?>"><span class="ab-icon dashicons dashicons-businessperson"></span> <?php esc_html_e( 'Add a new friend right away', 'friends' ); ?></a></li>
+</ul>
diff --git a/templates/admin/dashboard-widget.php b/templates/admin/dashboard-widget.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3dce5e28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/admin/dashboard-widget.php
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * This template contains the Friends Dashboard Widget.
+ *
+ * @package Friends
+ */
+
+namespace Friends;
+
+?><ul>
+	<?php
+	foreach ( $args['posts'] as $_post ) :
+		$friend_user = User::get_post_author( $_post );
+		$author_name = $args['friend_user']->display_name;
+		$override_author_name = apply_filters( 'friends_override_author_name', '', $author_name, $_post->ID );
+		$avatar = $friend_user->get_avatar_url();
+		if ( ! $avatar ) {
+			$avatar = get_avatar_url( $friend_user->ID );
+		}
+		$avatar = apply_filters( 'friends_author_avatar_url', $avatar, $friend_user, $_post->ID );
+
+		?>
+	<li>
+		<a href="<?php echo esc_attr( $friend_user->get_local_friends_page_url() ); ?>" class="author-avatar">
+			<img src="<?php echo esc_url( $avatar ); ?>" width="16" height="16" />
+		</a>
+		<a href="<?php echo esc_url( $friend_user->get_local_friends_page_url() ); ?>">
+		<strong><?php echo esc_html( $friend_user->display_name ); ?></strong>
+		<?php if ( $override_author_name && trim( str_replace( $override_author_name, '', $author_name ) ) === $author_name ) : ?>
+			– <?php echo esc_html( $override_author_name ); ?>
+		<?php endif; ?>
+		</a>:
+		<a href="<?php echo esc_url( $friend_user->get_local_friends_page_url( $_post->ID ) ); ?>">
+			<?php
+			if ( $_post->post_title ) {
+				echo esc_html( $_post->post_title );
+			} else {
+				echo esc_html( wp_trim_words( get_the_excerpt( $_post ), 18 ) );
+			}
+			?>
+		</a>
+		<a href="<?php echo esc_url( $_post->guid ); ?>" class="dashicons dashicons-external">
+		</a>
+	</li>
+		<?php endforeach; ?>
+</ul>
+<a href="<?php echo esc_url( home_url( '/friends/' ) ); ?>"><?php esc_html_e( 'Go to your friends page for all posts', 'friends' ); ?></a>
diff --git a/templates/admin/settings-header.php b/templates/admin/settings-header.php
index 1ecf6850..f09b6ea3 100644
--- a/templates/admin/settings-header.php
+++ b/templates/admin/settings-header.php
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 				}
 				if ( is_array( $_page ) ) {
 					$query = $_page;
-					$_page = $args['page'];
+					$_page = $_page['page'];
 				} else {
 					$query = array(
 						'page' => $_page,
diff --git a/templates/frontend/index.php b/templates/frontend/index.php
index a06f8ecb..206a2523 100644
--- a/templates/frontend/index.php
+++ b/templates/frontend/index.php
@@ -12,15 +12,17 @@
 	$args
 );
 
+$show_welcome = isset( $args['show_welcome'] ) && $args['show_welcome'];
+
 ?>
 <section class="posts columns <?php echo 'collapsed' === $args['frontend_default_view'] ? ' all-collapsed' : ''; ?>">
 	<?php
-	if ( ! have_posts() ) {
+	if ( $show_welcome || ! have_posts() ) {
 		?>
 		<div class="card columns col-12">
 			<div class="card-body">
 			<?php
-			if ( $args['friends']->frontend->post_format ) {
+			if ( ! $show_welcome && $args['friends']->frontend->post_format ) {
 				$post_formats = get_post_format_strings();
 
 				if ( $args['friend_user'] ) {
@@ -49,7 +51,7 @@
 				}
 			} else {
 				$any_friends = Friends\User_Query::all_associated_users();
-				if ( $any_friends->get_total() > 0 ) {
+				if ( ! $show_welcome && $any_friends->get_total() > 0 ) {
 					Friends\Friends::template_loader()->get_template_part( 'frontend/no-posts', $args['post_format'], $args );
 				} else {
 					Friends\Friends::template_loader()->get_template_part( 'frontend/no-friends', $args['post_format'], $args );
diff --git a/templates/frontend/parts/header.php b/templates/frontend/parts/header.php
index 364cb489..54ed87ea 100644
--- a/templates/frontend/parts/header.php
+++ b/templates/frontend/parts/header.php
@@ -43,12 +43,12 @@
  * }, 10, 3 );
  * ```
  */
-$avatar = apply_filters( 'friends_author_avatar_url', $avatar, $friend_user, get_the_id() );
++ 45
 ?><header class="entry-header card-header columns">
 	<div class="avatar col-auto mr-2 translator-exclude">
 		<?php if ( in_array( get_post_type(), apply_filters( 'friends_frontend_post_types', array() ), true ) ) : ?>
 			<a href="<?php echo esc_attr( $friend_user->get_local_friends_page_url() ); ?>" class="author-avatar">
-				<?php echo get_avatar( $args['friend_user']->user_login, 36 ); ?>
+				<?php echo get_avatar( $args['friend_user']->ID, 36 ); ?>
 			</a>
 		<?php else : ?>
 			<a href="<?php echo esc_url( get_the_author_meta( 'url' ) ); ?>" class="author-avatar">