diff --git a/web/shared/src/typeahead.ts b/web/shared/src/typeahead.ts
index b515c3b4dd..58e46ca808 100644
--- a/web/shared/src/typeahead.ts
+++ b/web/shared/src/typeahead.ts
@@ -52,6 +52,11 @@ export type EmojiSuggestion = Emoji & {
     type: "emoji";
 };
 
+export type BaseEmoji = {emoji_name: string} & (
+    | {is_realm_emoji: false; emoji_code: string}
+    | {is_realm_emoji: true; emoji_code?: undefined}
+);
+
 export function remove_diacritics(s: string): string {
     return s.normalize("NFKD").replace(unicode_marks, "");
 }
@@ -314,7 +319,7 @@ export function triage<T>(
     };
 }
 
-export function sort_emojis<T extends EmojiSuggestion>(objs: T[], query: string): T[] {
+export function sort_emojis<T extends BaseEmoji>(objs: T[], query: string): T[] {
     // replace spaces with underscores for emoji matching
     query = query.replace(/ /g, "_");
     query = query.toLowerCase();
@@ -326,11 +331,9 @@ export function sort_emojis<T extends EmojiSuggestion>(objs: T[], query: string)
 
     const popular_set = new Set(popular_emojis);
 
-    function is_popular(obj: EmojiSuggestion): boolean {
+    function is_popular(obj: BaseEmoji): boolean {
         return (
-            obj.reaction_type === "unicode_emoji" &&
-            popular_set.has(obj.emoji_code) &&
-            decent_match(obj.emoji_name)
+            !obj.is_realm_emoji && popular_set.has(obj.emoji_code) && decent_match(obj.emoji_name)
         );
     }
 
@@ -364,7 +367,7 @@ export function sort_emojis<T extends EmojiSuggestion>(objs: T[], query: string)
     const unicode_emoji_codes = new Set();
     const sorted_unique_results: T[] = [];
     for (const emoji of sorted_results_with_possible_duplicates) {
-        if (emoji.reaction_type !== "unicode_emoji") {
+        if (emoji.is_realm_emoji) {
             sorted_unique_results.push(emoji);
         } else if (
             !unicode_emoji_codes.has(emoji.emoji_code) &&
diff --git a/web/tests/composebox_typeahead.test.js b/web/tests/composebox_typeahead.test.js
index 663175eb3c..3781a40962 100644
--- a/web/tests/composebox_typeahead.test.js
+++ b/web/tests/composebox_typeahead.test.js
@@ -459,6 +459,7 @@ const make_emoji = (emoji_dict) => ({
     emoji_name: emoji_dict.name,
     emoji_code: emoji_dict.emoji_code,
     reaction_type: "unicode_emoji",
+    is_realm_emoji: false,
     type: "emoji",
 });
 
diff --git a/web/tests/typeahead.test.js b/web/tests/typeahead.test.js
index 72ffa4914e..2b04dc34ce 100644
--- a/web/tests/typeahead.test.js
+++ b/web/tests/typeahead.test.js
@@ -176,10 +176,10 @@ function sort_emojis(emojis, query) {
 
 run_test("sort_emojis: th", () => {
     const emoji_list = [
-        {emoji_name: "mother_nature", reaction_type: "realm_emoji"},
-        {emoji_name: "thermometer", reaction_type: "realm_emoji"},
-        {emoji_name: "thumbs_down", reaction_type: "realm_emoji"},
-        {emoji_name: "thumbs_up", reaction_type: "unicode_emoji", emoji_code: "1f44d"},
+        {emoji_name: "mother_nature", is_realm_emoji: true},
+        {emoji_name: "thermometer", is_realm_emoji: true},
+        {emoji_name: "thumbs_down", is_realm_emoji: true},
+        {emoji_name: "thumbs_up", is_realm_emoji: false, emoji_code: "1f44d"},
     ];
     assert.deepEqual(sort_emojis(emoji_list, "th"), [
         "thumbs_up",
@@ -191,9 +191,9 @@ run_test("sort_emojis: th", () => {
 
 run_test("sort_emojis: sm", () => {
     const emoji_list = [
-        {emoji_name: "big_smile", reaction_type: "realm_emoji"},
-        {emoji_name: "slight_smile", reaction_type: "unicode_emoji", emoji_code: "1f642"},
-        {emoji_name: "small_airplane", reaction_type: "realm_emoji"},
+        {emoji_name: "big_smile", is_realm_emoji: true},
+        {emoji_name: "slight_smile", is_realm_emoji: false, emoji_code: "1f642"},
+        {emoji_name: "small_airplane", is_realm_emoji: true},
     ];
     assert.deepEqual(sort_emojis(emoji_list, "sm"), [
         "slight_smile",
@@ -204,9 +204,9 @@ run_test("sort_emojis: sm", () => {
 
 run_test("sort_emojis: SM", () => {
     const emoji_list = [
-        {emoji_name: "big_smile", reaction_type: "realm_emoji"},
-        {emoji_name: "slight_smile", reaction_type: "unicode_emoji", emoji_code: "1f642"},
-        {emoji_name: "small_airplane", reaction_type: "realm_emoji"},
+        {emoji_name: "big_smile", is_realm_emoji: true},
+        {emoji_name: "slight_smile", is_realm_emoji: false, emoji_code: "1f642"},
+        {emoji_name: "small_airplane", is_realm_emoji: true},
     ];
     assert.deepEqual(sort_emojis(emoji_list, "SM"), [
         "slight_smile",
@@ -217,8 +217,8 @@ run_test("sort_emojis: SM", () => {
 
 run_test("sort_emojis: prefix before midphrase, with underscore (traffic_li)", () => {
     const emoji_list = [
-        {emoji_name: "horizontal_traffic_light", reaction_type: "realm_emoji"},
-        {emoji_name: "traffic_light", reaction_type: "realm_emoji"},
+        {emoji_name: "horizontal_traffic_light", is_realm_emoji: true},
+        {emoji_name: "traffic_light", is_realm_emoji: true},
     ];
     assert.deepEqual(sort_emojis(emoji_list, "traffic_li"), [
         "traffic_light",
@@ -228,8 +228,8 @@ run_test("sort_emojis: prefix before midphrase, with underscore (traffic_li)", (
 
 run_test("sort_emojis: prefix before midphrase, with space (traffic li)", () => {
     const emoji_list = [
-        {emoji_name: "horizontal_traffic_light", reaction_type: "realm_emoji"},
-        {emoji_name: "traffic_light", reaction_type: "realm_emoji"},
+        {emoji_name: "horizontal_traffic_light", is_realm_emoji: true},
+        {emoji_name: "traffic_light", is_realm_emoji: true},
     ];
     assert.deepEqual(sort_emojis(emoji_list, "traffic li"), [
         "traffic_light",
@@ -240,21 +240,20 @@ run_test("sort_emojis: prefix before midphrase, with space (traffic li)", () =>
 run_test("sort_emojis: remove duplicates", () => {
     // notice the last 2 are aliases of the same emoji (same emoji code)
     const emoji_list = [
-        {emoji_name: "laughter_tears", emoji_code: "1f602", reaction_type: "unicode_emoji"},
-        {emoji_name: "tear", emoji_code: "1f972", reaction_type: "unicode_emoji"},
-        {emoji_name: "smile_with_tear", emoji_code: "1f972", reaction_type: "unicode_emoji"},
+        {emoji_name: "laughter_tears", emoji_code: "1f602", is_realm_emoji: false},
+        {emoji_name: "tear", emoji_code: "1f972", is_realm_emoji: false},
+        {emoji_name: "smile_with_tear", emoji_code: "1f972", is_realm_emoji: false},
     ];
     assert.deepEqual(typeahead.sort_emojis(emoji_list, "tear"), [emoji_list[1], emoji_list[0]]);
 });
 
 run_test("sort_emojis: prioritise realm emojis", () => {
     const emoji_list = [
-        {emoji_name: "thank_you", emoji_code: "1f64f", reaction_type: "unicode_emoji"},
+        {emoji_name: "thank_you", emoji_code: "1f64f", is_realm_emoji: false},
         {
             emoji_name: "thank_you_custom",
             url: "something",
             is_realm_emoji: true,
-            reaction_type: "realm_emoji",
         },
     ];
     assert.deepEqual(typeahead.sort_emojis(emoji_list, "thank"), [emoji_list[1], emoji_list[0]]);
@@ -262,12 +261,11 @@ run_test("sort_emojis: prioritise realm emojis", () => {
 
 run_test("sort_emojis: prioritise perfect matches", () => {
     const emoji_list = [
-        {emoji_name: "thank_you", emoji_code: "1f64f", reaction_type: "unicode_emoji"},
+        {emoji_name: "thank_you", emoji_code: "1f64f", is_realm_emoji: false},
         {
             emoji_name: "thank_you_custom",
             url: "something",
             is_realm_emoji: true,
-            reaction_type: "realm_emoji",
         },
     ];
     assert.deepEqual(typeahead.sort_emojis(emoji_list, "thank you"), emoji_list);