diff --git a/app/soapbox/components/status-action-button.tsx b/app/soapbox/components/status-action-button.tsx
index 6bbd86fa8..0e837168d 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/components/status-action-button.tsx
+++ b/app/soapbox/components/status-action-button.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import classNames from 'classnames';
 import React from 'react';
 
-import { Text, Icon } from 'soapbox/components/ui';
+import { Text, Icon, Emoji } from 'soapbox/components/ui';
 import { shortNumberFormat } from 'soapbox/utils/numbers';
 
 const COLORS = {
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ interface IStatusActionCounter {
   count: number,
 }
 
-/** Action button numerical counter, eg "5" likes */
+/** Action button numerical counter, eg "5" likes. */
 const StatusActionCounter: React.FC<IStatusActionCounter> = ({ count = 0 }): JSX.Element => {
   return (
     <Text size='xs' weight='semibold' theme='inherit'>
@@ -31,10 +31,11 @@ interface IStatusActionButton extends React.ButtonHTMLAttributes<HTMLButtonEleme
   active?: boolean,
   color?: Color,
   filled?: boolean,
+  emoji?: string,
 }
 
-const StatusActionButton = React.forwardRef((props: IStatusActionButton, ref: React.ForwardedRef<HTMLButtonElement>): JSX.Element => {
-  const { icon, className, iconClassName, active, color, filled = false, count = 0, ...filteredProps } = props;
+const StatusActionButton = React.forwardRef<HTMLButtonElement, IStatusActionButton>((props, ref): JSX.Element => {
+  const { icon, className, iconClassName, active, color, filled = false, count = 0, emoji, ...filteredProps } = props;
 
   return (
     <button
@@ -46,22 +47,29 @@ const StatusActionButton = React.forwardRef((props: IStatusActionButton, ref: Re
         'bg-white dark:bg-transparent',
         'focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-offset-2 focus:ring-primary-500 dark:ring-offset-0',
         {
-          'text-accent-300 hover:text-accent-300 dark:hover:text-accent-300': active && color === COLORS.accent,
-          'text-success-600 hover:text-success-600 dark:hover:text-success-600': active && color === COLORS.success,
+          'text-black dark:text-white': active && emoji,
+          'text-accent-300 hover:text-accent-300 dark:hover:text-accent-300': active && !emoji && color === COLORS.accent,
+          'text-success-600 hover:text-success-600 dark:hover:text-success-600': active && !emoji && color === COLORS.success,
         },
         className,
       )}
       {...filteredProps}
     >
-      <Icon
-        src={icon}
-        className={classNames(
-          {
-            'fill-accent-300 hover:fill-accent-300': active && filled && color === COLORS.accent,
-          },
-          iconClassName,
-        )}
-      />
+      {emoji ? (
+        <span className='block w-6 h-6 flex items-center justify-center'>
+          <Emoji className='w-full h-full p-0.5' emoji={emoji} />
+        </span>
+      ) : (
+        <Icon
+          src={icon}
+          className={classNames(
+            {
+              'fill-accent-300 hover:fill-accent-300': active && filled && color === COLORS.accent,
+            },
+            iconClassName,
+          )}
+        />
+      )}
 
       {(count || null) && (
         <StatusActionCounter count={count} />
diff --git a/app/soapbox/components/status_action_bar.tsx b/app/soapbox/components/status_action_bar.tsx
index 91814cd65..e2e3a0ed4 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/components/status_action_bar.tsx
+++ b/app/soapbox/components/status_action_bar.tsx
@@ -670,6 +670,7 @@ class StatusActionBar extends ImmutablePureComponent<IStatusActionBar, IStatusAc
               color='accent'
               active={Boolean(meEmojiReact)}
               count={emojiReactCount}
+              emoji={meEmojiReact}
             />
           </EmojiButtonWrapper>
         ) : (
diff --git a/app/soapbox/features/status/components/action-bar.tsx b/app/soapbox/features/status/components/action-bar.tsx
index 5c270c082..5ee95b39c 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/features/status/components/action-bar.tsx
+++ b/app/soapbox/features/status/components/action-bar.tsx
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { withRouter, RouteComponentProps } from 'react-router-dom';
 
 import { openModal } from 'soapbox/actions/modals';
 import EmojiButtonWrapper from 'soapbox/components/emoji-button-wrapper';
-import { HStack, IconButton } from 'soapbox/components/ui';
+import { HStack, IconButton, Emoji, Text } from 'soapbox/components/ui';
 import DropdownMenuContainer from 'soapbox/containers/dropdown_menu_container';
 import { isUserTouching } from 'soapbox/is_mobile';
 import { getReactForStatus } from 'soapbox/utils/emoji_reacts';
@@ -583,18 +583,35 @@ class ActionBar extends React.PureComponent<IActionBar, IActionBarState> {
 
         {features.emojiReacts ? (
           <EmojiButtonWrapper statusId={status.id}>
-            <IconButton
-              className={classNames({
-                'text-gray-400 hover:text-gray-600': !meEmojiReact,
-                'text-accent-300 hover:text-accent-300': Boolean(meEmojiReact),
-              })}
-              title={meEmojiTitle}
-              src={require('@tabler/icons/icons/heart.svg')}
-              iconClassName={classNames({
-                'fill-accent-300': Boolean(meEmojiReact),
-              })}
-              text={meEmojiTitle}
-            />
+            {meEmojiReact ? (
+              <button
+                // className copied from IconButton
+                // TODO: better abstraction
+                className='flex items-center space-x-2 p-1 rounded-full focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-offset-2 dark:ring-offset-0 focus:ring-primary-500 bg-white dark:bg-transparent'
+                title={meEmojiTitle}
+              >
+                <span className='block w-6 h-6 flex items-center justify-center'>
+                  <Emoji className='w-full h-full p-0.5' emoji={meEmojiReact} />
+                </span>
+
+                <Text tag='span' theme='muted' size='sm'>
+                  {meEmojiTitle}
+                </Text>
+              </button>
+            ) : (
+              <IconButton
+                className={classNames({
+                  'text-gray-400 hover:text-gray-600': !meEmojiReact,
+                  'text-accent-300 hover:text-accent-300': Boolean(meEmojiReact),
+                })}
+                title={meEmojiTitle}
+                src={require('@tabler/icons/icons/heart.svg')}
+                iconClassName={classNames({
+                  'fill-accent-300': Boolean(meEmojiReact),
+                })}
+                text={meEmojiTitle}
+              />
+            )}
           </EmojiButtonWrapper>
         ) : (
           <IconButton