diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 9e193132ac2..16b05d1d972 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ v 8.13.0 (unreleased)
   - Simplify Mentionable concern instance methods
   - Fix permission for setting an issue's due date
   - API: Multi-file commit !6096 (mahcsig)
+  - Unicode emoji are now converted to images
   - Revert "Label list shows all issues (opened or closed) with that label"
   - Expose expires_at field when sharing project on API
   - Fix VueJS template tags being rendered in code comments
diff --git a/lib/banzai/filter/emoji_filter.rb b/lib/banzai/filter/emoji_filter.rb
index 23ae6dfc79a..a8c1ca0c60a 100644
--- a/lib/banzai/filter/emoji_filter.rb
+++ b/lib/banzai/filter/emoji_filter.rb
@@ -14,15 +14,16 @@ module Banzai
         search_text_nodes(doc).each do |node|
           content = node.to_html
           next if has_ancestor?(node, IGNORED_ANCESTOR_TAGS)
-          if content.include?(':') || node.text.match(emoji_unicode_pattern)
-            html = emoji_name_image_filter(content)
-            html = emoji_unicode_image_filter(html)
-            next if html == content
-            node.replace(html)
-          end
 
+          next unless content.include?(':') || node.text.match(emoji_unicode_pattern)
+
+          html = emoji_name_image_filter(content)
+          html = emoji_unicode_image_filter(html)
+
+          next if html == content
+
+          node.replace(html)
         end
-
         doc
       end
 
@@ -34,31 +35,35 @@ module Banzai
       def emoji_name_image_filter(text)
         text.gsub(emoji_pattern) do |match|
           name = $1
-          "<img class='emoji' title=':#{name}:' alt=':#{name}:' src='#{emoji_url(name)}' height='20' width='20' align='absmiddle' />"
+          emoji_image_tag(name, emoji_url(name))
         end
       end
 
-
-      # Replace unicode emojis with corresponding images if they exist.
+      # Replace unicode emoji with corresponding images if they exist.
       #
-      # text - String text to replace unicode emojis in.
+      # text - String text to replace unicode emoji in.
       #
-      # Returns a String with unicode emojis replaced with images.
-
+      # Returns a String with unicode emoji replaced with images.
       def emoji_unicode_image_filter(text)
         text.gsub(emoji_unicode_pattern) do |moji|
-          "<img class='emoji' title=':#{Gitlab::Emoji.emojis_by_moji[moji]['name']}:' alt=':#{Gitlab::Emoji.emojis_by_moji[moji]['name']}:' src='#{emoji_unicode_url(moji)}' height='20' width='20' align='absmiddle' />"
+          emoji_image_tag(Gitlab::Emoji.emojis_by_moji[moji]['name'], emoji_unicode_url(moji))
         end
       end
+
+      def emoji_image_tag(emoji_name, emoji_url)
+        "<img class='emoji' title=':#{emoji_name}:' alt=':#{emoji_name}:' src='#{emoji_url}' height='20' width='20' align='absmiddle' />"
+      end
+
       # Build a regexp that matches all valid :emoji: names.
       def self.emoji_pattern
         @emoji_pattern ||= /:(#{Gitlab::Emoji.emojis_names.map { |name| Regexp.escape(name) }.join('|')}):/
       end
+
       # Build a regexp that matches all valid unicode emojis names.
       def self.emoji_unicode_pattern
         @emoji_unicode_pattern ||= /(#{Gitlab::Emoji.emojis_unicodes.map { |moji| Regexp.escape(moji) }.join('|')})/
-
       end
+
       private
 
       def emoji_url(name)
@@ -80,13 +85,10 @@ module Banzai
         emoji_unicode_path = emoji_unicode_filename(moji)
 
         if context[:asset_host]
-          # Asset host is specified.
           url_to_image(emoji_unicode_path)
         elsif context[:asset_root]
-          # Gitlab url is specified
           File.join(context[:asset_root], url_to_image(emoji_unicode_path))
         else
-          # All other cases
           url_to_image(emoji_unicode_path)
         end
       end
@@ -102,6 +104,7 @@ module Banzai
       def emoji_filename(name)
         "#{Gitlab::Emoji.emoji_filename(name)}.png"
       end
+
       def emoji_unicode_pattern
         self.class.emoji_unicode_pattern
       end
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/emoji.rb b/lib/gitlab/emoji.rb
index 803b0c2d057..bbbca8acc40 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/emoji.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/emoji.rb
@@ -9,16 +9,19 @@ module Gitlab
     def emojis_by_moji
       Gemojione.index.instance_variable_get(:@emoji_by_moji)
     end
+
     def emojis_unicodes
-      emojis_by_moji.keys.sort
+      emojis_by_moji.keys
     end
+
     def emojis_names
-      emojis.keys.sort
+      emojis.keys
     end
 
     def emoji_filename(name)
       emojis[name]["unicode"]
     end
+
     def emoji_unicode_filename(moji)
       emojis_by_moji[moji]["unicode"]
     end
diff --git a/spec/lib/banzai/filter/emoji_filter_spec.rb b/spec/lib/banzai/filter/emoji_filter_spec.rb
index 475160bb5ec..c8e62f528df 100644
--- a/spec/lib/banzai/filter/emoji_filter_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/banzai/filter/emoji_filter_spec.rb
@@ -16,10 +16,12 @@ describe Banzai::Filter::EmojiFilter, lib: true do
     doc = filter('<p>:heart:</p>')
     expect(doc.css('img').first.attr('src')).to eq 'https://foo.com/assets/2764.png'
   end
+
   it 'replaces supported unicode emoji' do
     doc = filter('<p>❤️</p>')
     expect(doc.css('img').first.attr('src')).to eq 'https://foo.com/assets/2764.png'
   end
+
   it 'ignores unsupported emoji' do
     exp = act = '<p>:foo:</p>'
     doc = filter(act)
@@ -162,4 +164,18 @@ describe Banzai::Filter::EmojiFilter, lib: true do
     doc = filter(':frowning:', asset_host: 'https://this-is-ignored-i-guess?')
     expect(doc.css('img').first.attr('src')).to start_with('https://cdn.example.com')
   end
+
+  it 'uses a custom asset_root context' do
+    root = Gitlab.config.gitlab.url + 'gitlab/root'
+
+    doc = filter("'🎱'", asset_root: root)
+    expect(doc.css('img').first.attr('src')).to start_with(root)
+  end
+
+  it 'uses a custom asset_host context' do
+    ActionController::Base.asset_host = 'https://cdn.example.com'
+
+    doc = filter("'🎱'", asset_host: 'https://this-is-ignored-i-guess?')
+    expect(doc.css('img').first.attr('src')).to start_with('https://cdn.example.com')
+  end
 end