diff --git a/core/modules/user/user.install b/core/modules/user/user.install
index b44e988..41d35e2 100644
--- a/core/modules/user/user.install
+++ b/core/modules/user/user.install
@@ -322,25 +322,6 @@ function user_install() {
 }
 
 /**
- * Implements hook_requirements().
- */
-function user_requirements($phase) {
-  $requirements = array();
-  $t = get_t();
-
-  if ($phase == 'update') {
-    if (variable_get('user_pictures', 1) && !module_exists('image')) {
-      $requirements['user_picture'] = array(
-        'title' => $t('User picture upgrade'),
-        'value' => $t('Unresolved dependency'),
-        'description' => $t('Use pictures now require the image module. Either enable the image module, or disable user pictures.'),
-        'severity' => REQUIREMENT_ERROR,
-      );
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-/**
  * @addtogroup updates-7.x-to-8.x
  * @{
  */
@@ -459,7 +440,10 @@ function user_update_8002() {
 function user_update_8003() {
   // User pictures can only be migrated to the new user picture image field
   // if Image module is installed.
-  if (module_exists('image')) {
+  if (!module_exists('image')) {
+    update_module_enable('image');
+  }
+
     $default_image = variable_get('user_picture_default', '');
     $settings = array(
       // In D7, user pictures did not require Image module to work. Image module
@@ -479,7 +463,6 @@ function user_update_8003() {
       'description' => variable_get('user_picture_guidelines', ''),
     );
     _user_install_picture_field($settings);
-  }
 
   // Delete old variables.
   variable_del('user_pictures');
@@ -496,13 +479,11 @@ function user_update_8003() {
  */
 function user_update_8004(&$sandbox) {
   // User pictures can only be migrated to the new user picture image field
-  // if Image module is installed. In this case, we can only delete the
-  // {users}.picture column, which potentially leads to orphan files in
-  // {file_managed}, {file_usage}, and the filesystem.
+  // if Image module is installed.
   if (!module_exists('image')) {
-    $sandbox['total'] = 0;
-    $sandbox['processed'] = 0;
+    update_module_enable('image');
   }
+
   // Initialize total values to process.
   if (!isset($sandbox['total'])) {
     $sandbox['total'] = (int) db_query('SELECT COUNT(picture) FROM {users} WHERE picture > 0')->fetchField();