diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/keyvalue/EmojiValues.java b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/keyvalue/EmojiValues.java
index 3e3cb8eec7..caa921feb9 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/keyvalue/EmojiValues.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/keyvalue/EmojiValues.java
@@ -72,6 +72,10 @@ public class EmojiValues extends SignalStoreValues {
     return getString(PREFIX + canonical, emoji);
   }
 
+  public void removePreferredVariation(@NonNull String emoji) {
+    getStore().beginWrite().remove(PREFIX + emoji).apply();
+  }
+
   /**
    * Returns a list usable emoji that the user has selected as their defaults. If any stored reactions are unreadable, it will provide a default.
    * For raw access to the unfiltered list of reactions, see {@link #getRawReactions()}.
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/reactions/edit/EditReactionsViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/reactions/edit/EditReactionsViewModel.kt
index 31e1c9a905..4f91d10a1e 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/reactions/edit/EditReactionsViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/reactions/edit/EditReactionsViewModel.kt
@@ -27,9 +27,7 @@ class EditReactionsViewModel : ViewModel() {
   fun onEmojiSelected(emoji: String) {
     store.update { state ->
       if (state.selection != NO_SELECTION && state.selection in state.reactions.indices) {
-        if (emoji != EmojiUtil.getCanonicalRepresentation(emoji)) {
-          emojiValues.setPreferredVariation(emoji)
-        }
+        emojiValues.setPreferredVariation(emoji)
         val preferredEmoji: String = emojiValues.getPreferredVariation(emoji)
         val newReactions: List<String> = state.reactions.toMutableList().apply { set(state.selection, preferredEmoji) }
         state.copy(reactions = newReactions)
@@ -40,6 +38,10 @@ class EditReactionsViewModel : ViewModel() {
   }
 
   fun resetToDefaults() {
+    EmojiValues.DEFAULT_REACTIONS_LIST.forEach { emoji ->
+      emojiValues.removePreferredVariation(EmojiUtil.getCanonicalRepresentation(emoji))
+    }
+
     store.update { it.copy(reactions = EmojiValues.DEFAULT_REACTIONS_LIST) }
   }