diff --git a/src/backend/html_markdown.py b/src/backend/html_markdown.py
index 6a8aac99..1050d701 100644
--- a/src/backend/html_markdown.py
+++ b/src/backend/html_markdown.py
@@ -221,9 +221,11 @@ class HTMLProcessor:
 
         for node in tree.iterdescendants():
             if node.tag != "code" and node.text:
-                node.text = emoji.emojize(node.text, language="alias")
+                node.text = emoji.emojize(
+                    node.text, language="alias", variant="emoji_type")
             if node.getparent() and node.getparent().tag != "code" and node.tail:
-                node.tail = emoji.emojize(node.tail, language="alias")
+                node.tail = emoji.emojize(
+                    node.tail, language="alias", variant="emoji_type")
 
         html = etree.tostring(tree, encoding="utf-8", method="html").decode()
         html = sanit.sanitize(html).rstrip("\n")
diff --git a/src/backend/matrix_client.py b/src/backend/matrix_client.py
index fc9e5966..cc86854f 100644
--- a/src/backend/matrix_client.py
+++ b/src/backend/matrix_client.py
@@ -773,7 +773,8 @@ class MatrixClient(nio.AsyncClient):
             await self.send_fake_notice(
                 room_id, "Please reply to a message to react to it")
         else:
-            reaction = emoji.emojize(text, language="alias")
+            reaction = emoji.emojize(
+                text, language="alias", variant="emoji_type")
             await self.send_reaction(room_id, reaction, reply_to_event_id)