diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/actions/compose.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/actions/compose.js
index a63894a98..7ac33bdd0 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/actions/compose.js
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/actions/compose.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import api from '../api';
-import { emojiIndex } from 'emoji-mart';
 import { throttle } from 'lodash';
+import { search as emojiSearch } from '../emoji_index_light';
 
 import {
   updateTimeline,
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ const fetchComposeSuggestionsAccounts = throttle((dispatch, getState, token) =>
 }, 200, { leading: true, trailing: true });
 
 const fetchComposeSuggestionsEmojis = (dispatch, getState, token) => {
-  const results = emojiIndex.search(token.replace(':', ''), { maxResults: 5 });
+  const results = emojiSearch(token.replace(':', ''), { maxResults: 5 });
   dispatch(readyComposeSuggestionsEmojis(token, results));
 };
 
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/emoji_data_light.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/emoji_data_light.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f03442455
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/emoji_data_light.js
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+// @preval
+const data = require('emoji-mart/dist/data').default;
+const pick = require('lodash/pick');
+
+const condensedEmojis = {};
+Object.keys(data.emojis).forEach(key => {
+  condensedEmojis[key] = pick(data.emojis[key], ['short_names', 'unified', 'search']);
+});
+
+// JSON.parse/stringify is to emulate what @preval is doing and avoid any
+// inconsistent behavior in dev mode
+module.exports = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify({
+  emojis: condensedEmojis,
+  skins: data.skins,
+  categories: data.categories,
+  short_names: data.short_names,
+}));
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/emoji_index_light.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/emoji_index_light.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0719eda5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/emoji_index_light.js
@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+// This code is largely borrowed from:
+// https://github.com/missive/emoji-mart/blob/bbd4fbe/src/utils/emoji-index.js
+
+import data from './emoji_data_light';
+import { getData, getSanitizedData, intersect } from './emoji_utils';
+
+let index = {};
+let emojisList = {};
+let emoticonsList = {};
+let previousInclude = [];
+let previousExclude = [];
+
+for (let emoji in data.emojis) {
+  let emojiData = data.emojis[emoji],
+    { short_names, emoticons } = emojiData,
+    id = short_names[0];
+
+  for (let emoticon of (emoticons || [])) {
+    if (!emoticonsList[emoticon]) {
+      emoticonsList[emoticon] = id;
+    }
+  }
+
+  emojisList[id] = getSanitizedData(id);
+}
+
+function search(value, { emojisToShowFilter, maxResults, include, exclude, custom = [] } = {}) {
+  maxResults = maxResults || 75;
+  include = include || [];
+  exclude = exclude || [];
+
+  if (custom.length) {
+    for (const emoji of custom) {
+      data.emojis[emoji.id] = getData(emoji);
+      emojisList[emoji.id] = getSanitizedData(emoji);
+    }
+
+    data.categories.push({
+      name: 'Custom',
+      emojis: custom.map(emoji => emoji.id),
+    });
+  }
+
+  let results = null;
+  let pool = data.emojis;
+
+  if (value.length) {
+    if (value === '-' || value === '-1') {
+      return [emojisList['-1']];
+    }
+
+    let values = value.toLowerCase().split(/[\s|,|\-|_]+/);
+
+    if (values.length > 2) {
+      values = [values[0], values[1]];
+    }
+
+    if (include.length || exclude.length) {
+      pool = {};
+
+      if (previousInclude !== include.sort().join(',') || previousExclude !== exclude.sort().join(',')) {
+        previousInclude = include.sort().join(',');
+        previousExclude = exclude.sort().join(',');
+        index = {};
+      }
+
+      for (let category of data.categories) {
+        let isIncluded = include && include.length ? include.indexOf(category.name.toLowerCase()) > -1 : true;
+        let isExcluded = exclude && exclude.length ? exclude.indexOf(category.name.toLowerCase()) > -1 : false;
+        if (!isIncluded || isExcluded) {
+          continue;
+        }
+
+        for (let emojiId of category.emojis) {
+          pool[emojiId] = data.emojis[emojiId];
+        }
+      }
+    } else if (previousInclude.length || previousExclude.length) {
+      index = {};
+    }
+
+    let allResults = values.map((value) => {
+      let aPool = pool;
+      let aIndex = index;
+      let length = 0;
+
+      for (let char of value.split('')) {
+        length++;
+
+        aIndex[char] = aIndex[char] || {};
+        aIndex = aIndex[char];
+
+        if (!aIndex.results) {
+          let scores = {};
+
+          aIndex.results = [];
+          aIndex.pool = {};
+
+          for (let id in aPool) {
+            let emoji = aPool[id],
+              { search } = emoji,
+              sub = value.substr(0, length),
+              subIndex = search.indexOf(sub);
+
+            if (subIndex !== -1) {
+              let score = subIndex + 1;
+              if (sub === id) {
+                score = 0;
+              }
+
+              aIndex.results.push(emojisList[id]);
+              aIndex.pool[id] = emoji;
+
+              scores[id] = score;
+            }
+          }
+
+          aIndex.results.sort((a, b) => {
+            let aScore = scores[a.id],
+              bScore = scores[b.id];
+
+            return aScore - bScore;
+          });
+        }
+
+        aPool = aIndex.pool;
+      }
+
+      return aIndex.results;
+    }).filter(a => a);
+
+    if (allResults.length > 1) {
+      results = intersect(...allResults);
+    } else if (allResults.length) {
+      results = allResults[0];
+    } else {
+      results = [];
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (results) {
+    if (emojisToShowFilter) {
+      results = results.filter((result) => emojisToShowFilter(data.emojis[result.id].unified));
+    }
+
+    if (results && results.length > maxResults) {
+      results = results.slice(0, maxResults);
+    }
+  }
+
+  return results;
+}
+
+export { search };
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/emoji_utils.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/emoji_utils.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6475df571
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/emoji_utils.js
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+// This code is largely borrowed from:
+// https://github.com/missive/emoji-mart/blob/bbd4fbe/src/utils/index.js
+
+import data from './emoji_data_light';
+
+const COLONS_REGEX = /^(?:\:([^\:]+)\:)(?:\:skin-tone-(\d)\:)?$/;
+
+function buildSearch(thisData) {
+  const search = [];
+
+  let addToSearch = (strings, split) => {
+    if (!strings) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    (Array.isArray(strings) ? strings : [strings]).forEach((string) => {
+      (split ? string.split(/[-|_|\s]+/) : [string]).forEach((s) => {
+        s = s.toLowerCase();
+
+        if (search.indexOf(s) === -1) {
+          search.push(s);
+        }
+      });
+    });
+  };
+
+  addToSearch(thisData.short_names, true);
+  addToSearch(thisData.name, true);
+  addToSearch(thisData.keywords, false);
+  addToSearch(thisData.emoticons, false);
+
+  return search;
+}
+
+function unifiedToNative(unified) {
+  let unicodes = unified.split('-'),
+    codePoints = unicodes.map((u) => `0x${u}`);
+
+  return String.fromCodePoint(...codePoints);
+}
+
+function sanitize(emoji) {
+  let { name, short_names, skin_tone, skin_variations, emoticons, unified, custom, imageUrl } = emoji,
+    id = emoji.id || short_names[0],
+    colons = `:${id}:`;
+
+  if (custom) {
+    return {
+      id,
+      name,
+      colons,
+      emoticons,
+      custom,
+      imageUrl,
+    };
+  }
+
+  if (skin_tone) {
+    colons += `:skin-tone-${skin_tone}:`;
+  }
+
+  return {
+    id,
+    name,
+    colons,
+    emoticons,
+    unified: unified.toLowerCase(),
+    skin: skin_tone || (skin_variations ? 1 : null),
+    native: unifiedToNative(unified),
+  };
+}
+
+function getSanitizedData(emoji) {
+  return sanitize(getData(emoji));
+}
+
+function getData(emoji) {
+  let emojiData = {};
+
+  if (typeof emoji === 'string') {
+    let matches = emoji.match(COLONS_REGEX);
+
+    if (matches) {
+      emoji = matches[1];
+
+    }
+
+    if (data.short_names.hasOwnProperty(emoji)) {
+      emoji = data.short_names[emoji];
+    }
+
+    if (data.emojis.hasOwnProperty(emoji)) {
+      emojiData = data.emojis[emoji];
+    }
+  } else if (emoji.custom) {
+    emojiData = emoji;
+
+    emojiData.search = buildSearch({
+      short_names: emoji.short_names,
+      name: emoji.name,
+      keywords: emoji.keywords,
+      emoticons: emoji.emoticons,
+    });
+
+    emojiData.search = emojiData.search.join(',');
+  } else if (emoji.id) {
+    if (data.short_names.hasOwnProperty(emoji.id)) {
+      emoji.id = data.short_names[emoji.id];
+    }
+
+    if (data.emojis.hasOwnProperty(emoji.id)) {
+      emojiData = data.emojis[emoji.id];
+    }
+  }
+
+  emojiData.emoticons = emojiData.emoticons || [];
+  emojiData.variations = emojiData.variations || [];
+
+  if (emojiData.variations && emojiData.variations.length) {
+    emojiData = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(emojiData));
+    emojiData.unified = emojiData.variations.shift();
+  }
+
+  return emojiData;
+}
+
+function intersect(a, b) {
+  let aSet = new Set(a);
+  let bSet = new Set(b);
+  let intersection = new Set(
+    [...aSet].filter(x => bSet.has(x))
+  );
+
+  return Array.from(intersection);
+}
+
+export { getData, getSanitizedData, intersect };
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/compose/components/emoji_picker_dropdown.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/compose/components/emoji_picker_dropdown.js
index 621cc21ce..7e15c0b40 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/compose/components/emoji_picker_dropdown.js
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/compose/components/emoji_picker_dropdown.js
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import { defineMessages, injectIntl } from 'react-intl';
-import { Picker, Emoji } from 'emoji-mart';
+import { EmojiPicker as EmojiPickerAsync } from '../../ui/util/async-components';
 import { Overlay } from 'react-overlays';
 import classNames from 'classnames';
 import ImmutablePropTypes from 'react-immutable-proptypes';
 import detectPassiveEvents from 'detect-passive-events';
+import { buildCustomEmojis } from '../../../emoji';
 
 const messages = defineMessages({
   emoji: { id: 'emoji_button.label', defaultMessage: 'Insert emoji' },
@@ -25,6 +26,8 @@ const messages = defineMessages({
 });
 
 const assetHost = process.env.CDN_HOST || '';
+let EmojiPicker, Emoji; // load asynchronously
+
 const backgroundImageFn = () => `${assetHost}/emoji/sheet.png`;
 const listenerOptions = detectPassiveEvents.hasSupport ? { passive: true } : false;
 
@@ -131,6 +134,7 @@ class EmojiPickerMenu extends React.PureComponent {
 
   static propTypes = {
     custom_emojis: ImmutablePropTypes.list,
+    loading: PropTypes.bool,
     onClose: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
     onPick: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
     style: PropTypes.object,
@@ -142,6 +146,7 @@ class EmojiPickerMenu extends React.PureComponent {
 
   static defaultProps = {
     style: {},
+    loading: true,
     placement: 'bottom',
   };
 
@@ -216,13 +221,18 @@ class EmojiPickerMenu extends React.PureComponent {
   }
 
   render () {
-    const { style, intl } = this.props;
+    const { loading, style, intl } = this.props;
+
+    if (loading) {
+      return <div style={{ width: 299 }} />;
+    }
+
     const title = intl.formatMessage(messages.emoji);
     const { modifierOpen, modifier } = this.state;
 
     return (
       <div className={classNames('emoji-picker-dropdown__menu', { selecting: modifierOpen })} style={style} ref={this.setRef}>
-        <Picker
+        <EmojiPicker
           perLine={8}
           emojiSize={22}
           sheetSize={32}
@@ -260,6 +270,7 @@ export default class EmojiPickerDropdown extends React.PureComponent {
 
   state = {
     active: false,
+    loading: false,
   };
 
   setRef = (c) => {
@@ -268,6 +279,20 @@ export default class EmojiPickerDropdown extends React.PureComponent {
 
   onShowDropdown = () => {
     this.setState({ active: true });
+
+    if (!EmojiPicker) {
+      this.setState({ loading: true });
+
+      EmojiPickerAsync().then(EmojiMart => {
+        EmojiPicker = EmojiMart.Picker;
+        Emoji = EmojiMart.Emoji;
+        // populate custom emoji in search
+        EmojiMart.emojiIndex.search('', { custom: buildCustomEmojis(this.props.custom_emojis) });
+        this.setState({ loading: false });
+      }).catch(() => {
+        this.setState({ loading: false });
+      });
+    }
   }
 
   onHideDropdown = () => {
@@ -275,7 +300,7 @@ export default class EmojiPickerDropdown extends React.PureComponent {
   }
 
   onToggle = (e) => {
-    if (!e.key || e.key === 'Enter') {
+    if (!this.state.loading && (!e.key || e.key === 'Enter')) {
       if (this.state.active) {
         this.onHideDropdown();
       } else {
@@ -301,13 +326,13 @@ export default class EmojiPickerDropdown extends React.PureComponent {
   render () {
     const { intl, onPickEmoji } = this.props;
     const title = intl.formatMessage(messages.emoji);
-    const { active } = this.state;
+    const { active, loading } = this.state;
 
     return (
       <div className='emoji-picker-dropdown' onKeyDown={this.handleKeyDown}>
         <div ref={this.setTargetRef} className='emoji-button' title={title} aria-label={title} aria-expanded={active} role='button' onClick={this.onToggle} onKeyDown={this.onToggle} tabIndex={0}>
           <img
-            className='emojione'
+            className={classNames('emojione', { 'pulse-loading': active && loading })}
             alt='🙂'
             src={`${assetHost}/emoji/1f602.svg`}
           />
@@ -316,6 +341,7 @@ export default class EmojiPickerDropdown extends React.PureComponent {
         <Overlay show={active} placement='bottom' target={this.findTarget}>
           <EmojiPickerMenu
             custom_emojis={this.props.custom_emojis}
+            loading={loading}
             onClose={this.onHideDropdown}
             onPick={onPickEmoji}
           />
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/ui/util/async-components.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/ui/util/async-components.js
index ad5493f8c..6978da2f9 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/features/ui/util/async-components.js
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/features/ui/util/async-components.js
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+export function EmojiPicker () {
+  return import(/* webpackChunkName: "emoji_picker" */'emoji-mart');
+}
+
 export function Compose () {
   return import(/* webpackChunkName: "features/compose" */'../../compose');
 }
diff --git a/app/javascript/mastodon/reducers/custom_emojis.js b/app/javascript/mastodon/reducers/custom_emojis.js
index d80c0d156..b7c9b1d7c 100644
--- a/app/javascript/mastodon/reducers/custom_emojis.js
+++ b/app/javascript/mastodon/reducers/custom_emojis.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { List as ImmutableList } from 'immutable';
 import { STORE_HYDRATE } from '../actions/store';
-import { emojiIndex } from 'emoji-mart';
+import { search as emojiSearch } from '../emoji_index_light';
 import { buildCustomEmojis } from '../emoji';
 
 const initialState = ImmutableList();
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ const initialState = ImmutableList();
 export default function custom_emojis(state = initialState, action) {
   switch(action.type) {
   case STORE_HYDRATE:
-    emojiIndex.search('', { custom: buildCustomEmojis(action.state.get('custom_emojis', [])) });
+    emojiSearch('', { custom: buildCustomEmojis(action.state.get('custom_emojis', [])) });
     return action.state.get('custom_emojis');
   default:
     return state;