diff --git modules/image/image.module modules/image/image.module
index 23f2e9b..282a8dc 100644
--- modules/image/image.module
+++ modules/image/image.module
@@ -1091,9 +1091,6 @@ function theme_image_style($variables) {
   // The derivative image is not created until it has been requested so the file
   // may not yet exist, in this case we just fallback to the URL.
   $style_path = image_style_path($style_name, $path);
-  if (!file_exists($style_path)) {
-    $style_path = image_style_url($style_name, $path);
-  }
   $variables['path'] = $style_path;
   return theme('image', $variables);
 }
diff --git modules/image/image.test modules/image/image.test
index 7529add..6c968c3 100644
--- modules/image/image.test
+++ modules/image/image.test
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ class ImageAdminStylesUnitTest extends ImageFieldTestCase {
 
     // Test that image is displayed using newly created style.
     $this->drupalGet('node/' . $nid);
-    $this->assertRaw(image_style_url($style_name, $node->{$field_name}[LANGUAGE_NONE][0]['uri']), t('Image displayed using style @style.', array('@style' => $style_name)));
+    $this->assertRaw(file_create_url(image_style_path($style_name, $node->{$field_name}[LANGUAGE_NONE][0]['uri'])), t('Image displayed using style @style.', array('@style' => $style_name)));
 
     // Rename the style and make sure the image field is updated.
     $new_style_name = strtolower($this->randomName(10));
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ class ImageAdminStylesUnitTest extends ImageFieldTestCase {
     $this->drupalPost('admin/config/media/image-styles/edit/' . $style_name, $edit, t('Update style'));
     $this->assertText(t('Changes to the style have been saved.'), t('Style %name was renamed to %new_name.', array('%name' => $style_name, '%new_name' => $new_style_name)));
     $this->drupalGet('node/' . $nid);
-    $this->assertRaw(image_style_url($new_style_name, $node->{$field_name}[LANGUAGE_NONE][0]['uri']), t('Image displayed using style replacement style.'));
+    $this->assertRaw(file_create_url(image_style_path($new_style_name, $node->{$field_name}[LANGUAGE_NONE][0]['uri'])), t('Image displayed using style replacement style.'));
 
     // Delete the style and choose a replacement style.
     $edit = array(
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ class ImageAdminStylesUnitTest extends ImageFieldTestCase {
     $this->assertRaw($message, $message);
 
     $this->drupalGet('node/' . $nid);
-    $this->assertRaw(image_style_url('thumbnail', $node->{$field_name}[LANGUAGE_NONE][0]['uri']), t('Image displayed using style replacement style.'));
+    $this->assertRaw(file_create_url(image_style_path('thumbnail', $node->{$field_name}[LANGUAGE_NONE][0]['uri'])), t('Image displayed using style replacement style.'));
   }
 }
 
@@ -743,7 +743,7 @@ class ImageFieldDisplayTestCase extends ImageFieldTestCase {
     // style.
     $node = node_load($nid, NULL, TRUE);
     $image_info = array(
-      'path' => image_style_url('medium', $node->{$field_name}[LANGUAGE_NONE][0]['uri']),
+      'path' => file_create_url(image_style_path('medium', $node->{$field_name}[LANGUAGE_NONE][0]['uri'])),
     );
     $default_output = theme('image', $image_info);
     $this->assertRaw($default_output, t("Preview image is displayed using 'medium' style."));
diff --git modules/user/user.test modules/user/user.test
index 31e19e2..53b7371 100644
--- modules/user/user.test
+++ modules/user/user.test
@@ -887,7 +887,7 @@ class UserPictureTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
       $this->assertRaw($text, t('Image was resized.'));
       $alt = t("@user's picture", array('@user' => format_username($this->user)));
       $style = variable_get('user_picture_style', '');
-      $this->assertRaw(image_style_url($style, $pic_path), t("Image is displayed in user's edit page"));
+      $this->assertRaw(file_create_url(image_style_path($style, $pic_path), t("Image is displayed in user's edit page")));
 
       // Check if file is located in proper directory.
       $this->assertTrue(is_file($pic_path), t("File is located in proper directory"));