diff --git a/src/main/java/com/artillexstudios/axgraves/grave/Grave.java b/src/main/java/com/artillexstudios/axgraves/grave/Grave.java
index 15f64d5..4bf2ad9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/artillexstudios/axgraves/grave/Grave.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/artillexstudios/axgraves/grave/Grave.java
@@ -92,7 +92,13 @@ public Grave(Location loc, @NotNull OfflinePlayer offlinePlayer, @NotNull ItemSt
         }
 
         entity = NMSHandlers.getNmsHandler().createEntity(EntityType.ARMOR_STAND, location.clone().add(0, 1 + CONFIG.getFloat("head-height", -1.2f), 0));
-        entity.setItem(EquipmentSlot.HELMET, WrappedItemStack.wrap(Utils.getPlayerHead(offlinePlayer)));
+        final ItemStack head;
+        if (CONFIG.getBoolean("custom-skull", false)) {
+            head = Utils.getBase64Skull(CONFIG.getString("custom-skull-value"));
+        } else {
+            head = Utils.getPlayerHead(offlinePlayer);
+        }
+        entity.setItem(EquipmentSlot.HELMET, WrappedItemStack.wrap(head));
         final ArmorStandMeta meta = (ArmorStandMeta) entity.meta();
         meta.small(true);
         meta.invisible(true);
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/artillexstudios/axgraves/utils/Utils.java b/src/main/java/com/artillexstudios/axgraves/utils/Utils.java
index b5ad2b4..37a4d76 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/artillexstudios/axgraves/utils/Utils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/artillexstudios/axgraves/utils/Utils.java
@@ -1,11 +1,23 @@
 package com.artillexstudios.axgraves.utils;
 
+import com.google.gson.Gson;
+import com.google.gson.JsonObject;
+import com.google.gson.JsonSyntaxException;
+import org.bukkit.Bukkit;
 import org.bukkit.Material;
 import org.bukkit.OfflinePlayer;
 import org.bukkit.inventory.ItemStack;
 import org.bukkit.inventory.meta.SkullMeta;
+import org.bukkit.profile.PlayerProfile;
+import org.bukkit.profile.PlayerTextures;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 
+import java.net.URI;
+import java.net.URL;
+import java.util.Base64;
+import java.util.UUID;
+import java.util.logging.Level;
+
 public class Utils {
 
     @NotNull
@@ -15,7 +27,50 @@ public static ItemStack getPlayerHead(@NotNull OfflinePlayer player) {
             skullMeta.setOwningPlayer(player);
             it.setItemMeta(skullMeta);
         }
-
         return it;
     }
+
+
+    @NotNull
+    public static ItemStack getBase64Skull(@NotNull String b64Texture) {
+        ItemStack head = new ItemStack(Material.PLAYER_HEAD);
+        try {
+            JsonObject jsonObject = new Gson().fromJson(new String(Base64.getDecoder().decode(b64Texture)), JsonObject.class);
+
+            if (!jsonObject.has("textures")
+                    || !jsonObject.getAsJsonObject("textures").has("SKIN")
+                    || !jsonObject.getAsJsonObject("textures").getAsJsonObject("SKIN").has("url")) {
+                Bukkit.getLogger().log(Level.WARNING, "[AxGraves] Missing data in custom base64 skull texture when decoded-to JSON.");
+                return head;
+            }
+
+            String urlString = jsonObject.getAsJsonObject("textures").getAsJsonObject("SKIN").get("url").getAsString();
+            URL urlObject = URI.create(urlString).toURL();
+
+            PlayerProfile profile = Bukkit.createPlayerProfile(UUID.randomUUID());
+            PlayerTextures texturesProfile = profile.getTextures();
+            texturesProfile.setSkin(urlObject);
+            profile.setTextures(texturesProfile);
+
+            if (head.getItemMeta() instanceof SkullMeta meta) {
+                meta.setOwnerProfile(profile);
+                head.setItemMeta(meta);
+                return head;
+            }
+
+            // if we reach here, it the item meta is not SkullMeta for some reason
+            Bukkit.getLogger().log(Level.WARNING, "[AxGraves] Failed to set custom skull texture.");
+            return head;
+
+        } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+            Bukkit.getLogger().log(Level.WARNING, "[AxGraves] Invalid Base64 custom skull texture string provided.", e);
+            return head;
+        } catch (JsonSyntaxException e) {
+            Bukkit.getLogger().log(Level.WARNING, "[AxGraves] Invalid JSON in decoded custom skull texture data.", e);
+            return head;
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            Bukkit.getLogger().log(Level.SEVERE, "[AxGraves] An unexpected error occurred while creating custom texture skull.", e);
+            return head;
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/resources/config.yml b/src/main/resources/config.yml
index de2195e..ffe8d79 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/config.yml
+++ b/src/main/resources/config.yml
@@ -46,6 +46,12 @@ auto-rotation:
   enabled: false
   speed: 10.0
 
+# should the head use a custom base64 texture instead of the player's skin?:
+custom-skull: false
+
+# if custom-skull is true, this is the base64 value to set
+custom-skull-value: "eyJ0ZXh0dXJlcyI6eyJTS0lOIjp7InVybCI6Imh0dHA6Ly90ZXh0dXJlcy5taW5lY3JhZnQubmV0L3RleHR1cmUvM2Q5OGNmMzA2NmY3MmIyYjdmYjhlYTg3ZGI1MjVmNmYwYjUxNGZiOGIwZGRiMzc0OWZkMTIzYzAzZTAyNDFiNiJ9fX0="
+
 # true: only the person who died and people with axgraves.admin can open the grave
 # false: everyone can open the grave
 interact-only-own: false