diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/popovers.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/popovers.js
index f71bfb3fb0..e945b8e439 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/popovers.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/popovers.js
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ mock_esm("../../static/js/stream_popover", {
 const people = zrequire("people");
 const user_status = zrequire("user_status");
 const message_edit = zrequire("message_edit");
-const emoji = zrequire("../shared/js/emoji");
 
 // Bypass some scary code that runs when we import the module.
 const popovers = with_field($.fn, "popover", noop, () => zrequire("popovers"));
@@ -114,7 +113,6 @@ function test_ui(label, f) {
 test_ui("sender_hover", ({override, mock_template}) => {
     page_params.is_spectator = false;
     override($.fn, "popover", noop);
-    override(emoji, "get_emoji_details_by_name", noop);
 
     const selection = ".sender_name, .sender_name-in-status, .inline_profile_picture";
     const handler = $("#main_div").get_on_handler("click", selection);
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/user_status.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/user_status.js
index 0fd67e65a4..436e1356ba 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/user_status.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/user_status.js
@@ -16,10 +16,18 @@ const emoji_params = {
     realm_emoji: {
         991: {
             id: "991",
-            name: "realm_emoji",
+            name: "example_realm_emoji",
             source_url: "/url/for/991",
+            still_url: "/url/still/991",
             deactivated: false,
         },
+        992: {
+            id: "992",
+            name: "deactivated_realm_emoji",
+            source_url: "/url/for/992",
+            still_url: "/url/still/992",
+            deactivated: true,
+        },
     },
     emoji_codes,
 };
@@ -33,6 +41,11 @@ function initialize() {
             2: {away: true},
             3: {away: true},
             4: {emoji_name: "smiley", emoji_code: "1f603", reaction_type: "unicode_emoji"},
+            5: {
+                emoji_name: "deactivated_realm_emoji",
+                emoji_code: "992",
+                reaction_type: "realm_emoji",
+            },
         },
     };
     user_status.initialize(params);
@@ -40,6 +53,31 @@ function initialize() {
 
 run_test("basics", () => {
     initialize();
+
+    assert.deepEqual(user_status.get_status_emoji(5), {
+        emoji_code: "992",
+        emoji_name: "deactivated_realm_emoji",
+        reaction_type: "realm_emoji",
+        url: "/url/for/992",
+        still_url: "/url/still/992",
+    });
+
+    user_status.set_status_emoji({
+        user_id: 5,
+        emoji_code: "991",
+        emoji_name: "example_realm_emoji",
+        reaction_type: "realm_emoji",
+    });
+
+    assert.deepEqual(user_status.get_status_emoji(5), {
+        emoji_alt_code: false,
+        emoji_code: "991",
+        emoji_name: "example_realm_emoji",
+        reaction_type: "realm_emoji",
+        still_url: "/url/still/991",
+        url: "/url/for/991",
+    });
+
     assert.ok(user_status.is_away(2));
     assert.ok(!user_status.is_away(99));
 
@@ -73,7 +111,6 @@ run_test("basics", () => {
         emoji_name: "smiley",
         emoji_code: "1f603",
         reaction_type: "unicode_emoji",
-        // Extra parameters that were added by `emoji.get_emoji_details_by_name`
         emoji_alt_code: false,
     });
 
@@ -135,4 +172,31 @@ run_test("defensive checks", () => {
     blueslip.expect("error", "need ints for user_id", 2);
     user_status.set_away("string");
     user_status.revoke_away("string");
+
+    assert.throws(
+        () =>
+            user_status.set_status_emoji({
+                user_id: 5,
+                emoji_name: "emoji",
+                // no status code or reaction type.
+            }),
+        {
+            name: "Error",
+            message: "Invalid params.",
+        },
+    );
+
+    assert.throws(
+        () =>
+            user_status.set_status_emoji({
+                user_id: 5,
+                reaction_type: "realm_emoji",
+                emoji_name: "does_not_exist",
+                emoji_code: "fake_code",
+            }),
+        {
+            name: "Error",
+            message: "Cannot find realm emoji for code 'fake_code'.",
+        },
+    );
 });
diff --git a/static/js/user_status.js b/static/js/user_status.js
index 6fd5a334e6..5429e33062 100644
--- a/static/js/user_status.js
+++ b/static/js/user_status.js
@@ -77,11 +77,12 @@ export function set_status_emoji(opts) {
     }
 
     user_status_emoji_info.set(opts.user_id, {
-        emoji_name: opts.emoji_name,
-        emoji_code: opts.emoji_code,
-        reaction_type: opts.reaction_type,
         emoji_alt_code: user_settings.emojiset === "text",
-        ...emoji.get_emoji_details_by_name(opts.emoji_name),
+        ...emoji.get_emoji_details_for_rendering({
+            emoji_name: opts.emoji_name,
+            emoji_code: opts.emoji_code,
+            reaction_type: opts.reaction_type,
+        }),
     });
 }
 
@@ -104,10 +105,7 @@ export function initialize(params) {
 
         if (dct.emoji_name) {
             user_status_emoji_info.set(user_id, {
-                emoji_name: dct.emoji_name,
-                emoji_code: dct.emoji_code,
-                reaction_type: dct.reaction_type,
-                ...emoji.get_emoji_details_by_name(dct.emoji_name),
+                ...emoji.get_emoji_details_for_rendering(dct),
             });
         }
     }
diff --git a/static/shared/js/emoji.js b/static/shared/js/emoji.js
index 73fae45d48..7653e240a8 100644
--- a/static/shared/js/emoji.js
+++ b/static/shared/js/emoji.js
@@ -218,6 +218,32 @@ export function get_emoji_details_by_name(emoji_name) {
     return emoji_info;
 }
 
+export function get_emoji_details_for_rendering(opts) {
+    if (!opts.emoji_name || !opts.emoji_code || !opts.reaction_type) {
+        throw new Error("Invalid params.");
+    }
+
+    if (opts.reaction_type !== "unicode_emoji") {
+        const realm_emoji = all_realm_emojis.get(opts.emoji_code);
+        if (!realm_emoji) {
+            throw new Error(`Cannot find realm emoji for code '${opts.emoji_code}'.`);
+        }
+        return {
+            url: realm_emoji.emoji_url,
+            still_url: realm_emoji.still_url,
+            emoji_name: opts.emoji_name,
+            emoji_code: opts.emoji_code,
+            reaction_type: opts.reaction_type,
+        };
+    }
+    // else
+    return {
+        emoji_name: opts.emoji_name,
+        emoji_code: opts.emoji_code,
+        reaction_type: opts.reaction_type,
+    };
+}
+
 export function initialize(params) {
     emoji_codes = params.emoji_codes;