diff --git a/shared/utils/emoji.ts b/shared/utils/emoji.ts
index 887ce543..82fea2df 100644
--- a/shared/utils/emoji.ts
+++ b/shared/utils/emoji.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
-// Regex to validate if a string contains only emoji characters
-// This is not perfect but catches most common emojis
-// eslint-disable-next-line
-const emojiRegex = /^(?:[\p{Emoji}\u200d\u{1f1e6}-\u{1f1ff}\u{1f3fb}-\u{1f3ff}\u{1f9b0}-\u{1f9b3}])/u
+// Regex to validate if a string contains exactly one emoji character (including complex emoji)
+// including standard emoji, ZWJ sequences, country flags, and regional flags like Scotland (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿)
+const emojiRegex = /^(\p{ExtPict}|\p{Emoji}(\p{EMod})?|\p{Emoji}\uFE0F|\p{Emoji}\u20E3|[\u{1F3FB}-\u{1F3FF}]|[\u{1F1E6}-\u{1F1FF}]{2}|\p{Emoji}[\u{E0020}-\u{E007E}]+\u{E007F}|\p{Emoji}(\uFE0F)?(\u200D\p{Emoji}(\uFE0F)?)+)$/u
 
 // Helper function to validate emoji
 export function isValidEmoji (str: string): boolean {
diff --git a/test/unit/emoji.spec.ts b/test/unit/emoji.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c1eb3c64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/emoji.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { isValidEmoji } from '../../shared/utils/emoji'
+
+describe('emoji validation', () => {
+  it('validates basic emoji correctly', () => {
+    // Basic emoji should pass
+    expect(isValidEmoji('😀')).toBe(true)
+    expect(isValidEmoji('👍')).toBe(true)
+    expect(isValidEmoji('❤️')).toBe(true)
+
+    // Non-emoji should fail
+    expect(isValidEmoji('abc')).toBe(false)
+    expect(isValidEmoji('')).toBe(false)
+    expect(isValidEmoji(' ')).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('validates emoji with modifiers correctly', () => {
+    // Emoji with skin tone modifiers
+    expect(isValidEmoji('👍🏻')).toBe(true)
+    expect(isValidEmoji('👍🏽')).toBe(true)
+    expect(isValidEmoji('👍🏿')).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('validates complex emoji correctly', () => {
+    // ZWJ sequences (family, couples, etc.)
+    expect(isValidEmoji('👨‍👩‍👧')).toBe(true)
+    expect(isValidEmoji('👩‍💻')).toBe(true)
+
+    // Flag emoji
+    expect(isValidEmoji('🇺🇸')).toBe(true)
+    expect(isValidEmoji('🇯🇵')).toBe(true)
+
+    // Regional flags like Scotland flag
+    expect(isValidEmoji('🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿')).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('rejects multiple emoji', () => {
+    // Multiple emoji should fail
+    expect(isValidEmoji('😀😀')).toBe(false)
+    expect(isValidEmoji('👍❤️')).toBe(false)
+    expect(isValidEmoji('👨‍👩‍👧👨‍👩‍👧')).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('rejects emoji with additional text', () => {
+    expect(isValidEmoji('😀abc')).toBe(false)
+    expect(isValidEmoji('abc😀')).toBe(false)
+    expect(isValidEmoji(' 😀 ')).toBe(false)
+  })
+})