diff --git a/ts/components/conversation/Emojify.stories.tsx b/ts/components/conversation/Emojify.stories.tsx
index 712affd3a0..82a0bc4716 100644
--- a/ts/components/conversation/Emojify.stories.tsx
+++ b/ts/components/conversation/Emojify.stories.tsx
@@ -121,3 +121,19 @@ export function TensOfThousandsOfEmojiInterspersedWithText(): JSX.Element {
 
   return <Emojify {...props} />;
 }
+
+export function NonQualifiedEmoji(): JSX.Element {
+  const props = createProps({
+    text: '\u{00AE}',
+  });
+
+  return <Emojify {...props} />;
+}
+
+export function OverlyQualifiedEmoji(): JSX.Element {
+  const props = createProps({
+    text: '\u{26AA}\u{FE0F}',
+  });
+
+  return <Emojify {...props} />;
+}
diff --git a/ts/components/conversation/Emojify.tsx b/ts/components/conversation/Emojify.tsx
index 642337dbc7..090a954fa8 100644
--- a/ts/components/conversation/Emojify.tsx
+++ b/ts/components/conversation/Emojify.tsx
@@ -11,8 +11,9 @@ import {
   getEmojiVariantByKey,
   getEmojiVariantKeyByValue,
   isEmojiVariantValue,
+  isEmojiVariantValueNonQualified,
 } from '../fun/data/emojis';
-import { strictAssert } from '../../util/assert';
+import * as log from '../../logging/log';
 
 export type Props = {
   fontSizeOverride?: number | null;
@@ -34,10 +35,16 @@ export function Emojify({
     <>
       {splitByEmoji(text).map(({ type, value: match }, index) => {
         if (type === 'emoji') {
-          strictAssert(
-            isEmojiVariantValue(match),
-            `Must be emoji variant value: ${match}`
-          );
+          // If we don't recognize the emoji, render it as text.
+          if (!isEmojiVariantValue(match)) {
+            log.error(`Found emoji that we did not recognize: ${match}`);
+            return renderNonEmoji({ text: match, key: index });
+          }
+
+          // Render emoji as text if they are a non-qualified emoji value.
+          if (isEmojiVariantValueNonQualified(match)) {
+            return renderNonEmoji({ text: match, key: index });
+          }
 
           const variantKey = getEmojiVariantKeyByValue(match);
           const variant = getEmojiVariantByKey(variantKey);
diff --git a/ts/components/fun/data/emojis.ts b/ts/components/fun/data/emojis.ts
index 3e51342311..865460a36f 100644
--- a/ts/components/fun/data/emojis.ts
+++ b/ts/components/fun/data/emojis.ts
@@ -252,10 +252,12 @@ type EmojiIndex = Readonly<{
   parentByKey: Record<EmojiParentKey, EmojiParentData>;
   parentKeysByName: Record<EmojiEnglishShortName, EmojiParentKey>;
   parentKeysByValue: Record<EmojiParentValue, EmojiParentKey>;
+  parentKeysByValueNonQualified: Record<EmojiParentValue, EmojiParentKey>;
   parentKeysByVariantKeys: Record<EmojiVariantKey, EmojiParentKey>;
 
   variantByKey: Record<EmojiVariantKey, EmojiVariantData>;
   variantKeysByValue: Record<EmojiVariantValue, EmojiVariantKey>;
+  variantKeysByValueNonQualified: Record<EmojiVariantValue, EmojiVariantKey>;
 
   unicodeCategories: Record<EmojiUnicodeCategory, Array<EmojiParentKey>>;
   pickerCategories: Record<EmojiPickerCategory, Array<EmojiParentKey>>;
@@ -266,10 +268,12 @@ type EmojiIndex = Readonly<{
 const EMOJI_INDEX: EmojiIndex = {
   parentByKey: {},
   parentKeysByValue: {},
+  parentKeysByValueNonQualified: {},
   parentKeysByName: {},
   parentKeysByVariantKeys: {},
   variantByKey: {},
   variantKeysByValue: {},
+  variantKeysByValueNonQualified: {},
   unicodeCategories: {
     [EmojiUnicodeCategory.SmileysAndEmotion]: [],
     [EmojiUnicodeCategory.PeopleAndBody]: [],
@@ -300,6 +304,8 @@ function addParent(parent: EmojiParentData, rank: number) {
   EMOJI_INDEX.parentKeysByValue[parent.value] = parent.key;
   if (parent.valueNonqualified != null) {
     EMOJI_INDEX.parentKeysByValue[parent.valueNonqualified] = parent.key;
+    EMOJI_INDEX.parentKeysByValueNonQualified[parent.valueNonqualified] =
+      parent.key;
   }
   EMOJI_INDEX.parentKeysByName[parent.englishShortNameDefault] = parent.key;
   EMOJI_INDEX.unicodeCategories[parent.unicodeCategory].push(parent.key);
@@ -327,6 +333,8 @@ function addVariant(parentKey: EmojiParentKey, variant: EmojiVariantData) {
   EMOJI_INDEX.variantKeysByValue[variant.value] = variant.key;
   if (variant.valueNonqualified) {
     EMOJI_INDEX.variantKeysByValue[variant.valueNonqualified] = variant.key;
+    EMOJI_INDEX.variantKeysByValueNonQualified[variant.valueNonqualified] =
+      variant.key;
   }
 }
 
@@ -419,6 +427,12 @@ export function isEmojiVariantValue(input: string): input is EmojiVariantValue {
   return Object.hasOwn(EMOJI_INDEX.variantKeysByValue, input);
 }
 
+export function isEmojiVariantValueNonQualified(
+  input: EmojiVariantValue
+): boolean {
+  return Object.hasOwn(EMOJI_INDEX.variantKeysByValueNonQualified, input);
+}
+
 /** @deprecated Prefer EmojiKey for refs, load short names from translations */
 export function isEmojiEnglishShortName(
   input: string