diff --git a/config/initializers/core_extensions.rb b/config/initializers/core_extensions.rb
index 2456c6b9a..7b8b87249 100644
--- a/config/initializers/core_extensions.rb
+++ b/config/initializers/core_extensions.rb
@@ -46,8 +46,9 @@ module Danbooru
         # Normalize various horizontal space characters to ASCII space.
         text = gsub(/\p{Zs}|\t/, " ")
 
-        # Strip various zero width space characters.
-        text = text.gsub(/[\u180E\u200B\u200C\u200D\u2060\uFEFF]/, "")
+        # Strip various zero width space characters. Zero width joiner (200D)
+        # is allowed because it's used in emoji.
+        text = text.gsub(/[\u180E\u200B\u200C\u2060\uFEFF]/, "")
 
         # Normalize various line ending characters to CRLF.
         text = text.gsub(/\r?\n|\r|\v|\f|\u0085|\u2028|\u2029/, "\r\n")
diff --git a/test/unit/artist_test.rb b/test/unit/artist_test.rb
index 7fdaa3471..9d17b8c0f 100644
--- a/test/unit/artist_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/artist_test.rb
@@ -401,6 +401,7 @@ class ArtistTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       should normalize_attribute(:other_names).from([nil, "", " "]).to([])
       should normalize_attribute(:other_names).from(["pokémon".unicode_normalize(:nfd)]).to(["pokémon".unicode_normalize(:nfkc)])
       should normalize_attribute(:other_names).from(["foo", "foo"]).to(["foo"])
+      should normalize_attribute(:other_names).from(["🏳️‍🌈"]).to(["🏳️‍🌈"])
 
       should normalize_attribute(:other_names).from("foo foo").to(["foo"])
       should normalize_attribute(:other_names).from("foo bar").to(["foo", "bar"])