diff --git a/app/models/emoji_reaction.rb b/app/models/emoji_reaction.rb
index c09b847dec..b3cc11cf32 100644
--- a/app/models/emoji_reaction.rb
+++ b/app/models/emoji_reaction.rb
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ class EmojiReaction < ApplicationRecord
 
   validate :status_same_emoji_reaction
   validate :status_emoji_reactions_count
+  validates_with EmojiReactionValidator
 
   after_create :refresh_cache
   after_destroy :refresh_cache
diff --git a/app/validators/emoji_reaction_validator.rb b/app/validators/emoji_reaction_validator.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..38ccde80af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/validators/emoji_reaction_validator.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+class EmojiReactionValidator < ActiveModel::Validator
+  SUPPORTED_EMOJIS = Oj.load_file(Rails.root.join('app', 'javascript', 'mastodon', 'features', 'emoji', 'emoji_map.json').to_s).keys.freeze
+
+  def validate(emoji_reaction)
+    return if emoji_reaction.name.blank?
+
+    emoji_reaction.errors.add(:name, I18n.t('reactions.errors.unrecognized_emoji')) if emoji_reaction.custom_emoji_id.blank? && !unicode_emoji?(emoji_reaction.name)
+  end
+
+  private
+
+  def unicode_emoji?(name)
+    SUPPORTED_EMOJIS.include?(name)
+  end
+end