diff --git a/desktop/src/features/custom-emoji/ui/EmojiPicker.tsx b/desktop/src/features/custom-emoji/ui/EmojiPicker.tsx
index b3f1d0de656..92d640afa9f 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/custom-emoji/ui/EmojiPicker.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/custom-emoji/ui/EmojiPicker.tsx
@@ -1,32 +1,9 @@
-import data from "@emoji-mart/data";
 import Picker from "@emoji-mart/react";
-import { init } from "emoji-mart";
 import * as React from "react";
 
 import { buildCustomEmojiCategory } from "@/features/custom-emoji/emojiMartCategory";
 import { useCustomEmoji } from "@/features/custom-emoji/hooks";
-
-// emoji-mart builds its searchable index synchronously inside `init`, which
-// `<Picker>` calls on mount — so the first reaction popover open paid the full
-// ~1.8k-emoji index build and froze the cursor. Warm `init({ data })` once at
-// idle so the index is prebuilt; `init` is a no-op after the first call (its
-// `Data` singleton guards the rebuild), so the Picker's mount-time `init` skips
-// the heavy work. Search still reads the prebuilt index — no first-keystroke
-// hitch. Module-level so it fires regardless of when a picker first mounts.
-let warmStarted = false;
-function warmEmojiIndex() {
-  if (warmStarted) {
-    return;
-  }
-  warmStarted = true;
-  const warm = () => void init({ data });
-  if (typeof window !== "undefined" && "requestIdleCallback" in window) {
-    window.requestIdleCallback(warm, { timeout: 1_500 });
-  } else {
-    globalThis.setTimeout(warm, 250);
-  }
-}
-warmEmojiIndex();
+import { emojiMartData } from "@/features/custom-emoji/ui/emojiMartPrewarm";
 
 /**
  * Reach into the `em-emoji-picker` shadow root and disable spellcheck,
@@ -128,7 +105,7 @@ export const EmojiPicker = React.memo(function EmojiPicker({
       <Picker
         autoFocus={autoFocus}
         custom={custom}
-        data={data}
+        data={emojiMartData}
         maxFrequentRows={2}
         onEmojiSelect={(emoji: { native?: string; id?: string }) => {
           // Standard emoji carry a `native` glyph. Custom emoji don't — emit
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/custom-emoji/ui/emojiMartPrewarm.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/custom-emoji/ui/emojiMartPrewarm.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4d7534f4364
--- /dev/null
+++ b/desktop/src/features/custom-emoji/ui/emojiMartPrewarm.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { readFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import test from "node:test";
+
+const pickerSource = await readFile(
+  new URL("./EmojiPicker.tsx", import.meta.url),
+  "utf8",
+);
+
+const entries = new Map([
+  ["emoji-mart.frequently", "{}"],
+  ["emoji-mart.last", "thumbsup"],
+]);
+const idleCalls = [];
+const initCalls = [];
+
+globalThis.window = {
+  localStorage: {
+    getItem: (key) => entries.get(key) ?? null,
+    removeItem: (key) => entries.delete(key),
+  },
+  requestIdleCallback: (callback, options) => {
+    idleCalls.push({ callback, options });
+    return 1;
+  },
+};
+globalThis.__BUZZ_TEST_EMOJI_MART_INIT__ = (...args) => initCalls.push(args);
+
+const { emojiMartData } = await import("./emojiMartPrewarm.ts");
+
+test("EmojiPicker consumes data through the prewarm module", () => {
+  assert.match(
+    pickerSource,
+    /import\s*{\s*emojiMartData\s*}\s*from\s*["']@\/features\/custom-emoji\/ui\/emojiMartPrewarm["'];/,
+  );
+  assert.match(pickerSource, /<Picker[\s\S]*?\bdata={emojiMartData}/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(pickerSource, /from\s*["']@emoji-mart\/data["']/);
+});
+
+test("normalizes poisoned recents before scheduling the emoji index prewarm", () => {
+  assert.equal(entries.has("emoji-mart.frequently"), false);
+  assert.equal(entries.has("emoji-mart.last"), false);
+  assert.equal(initCalls.length, 0);
+  assert.equal(idleCalls.length, 1);
+  assert.deepEqual(idleCalls[0].options, { timeout: 1_500 });
+
+  idleCalls[0].callback();
+  assert.equal(initCalls.length, 1);
+  assert.equal(initCalls[0][0].data, emojiMartData);
+});
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/custom-emoji/ui/emojiMartPrewarm.ts b/desktop/src/features/custom-emoji/ui/emojiMartPrewarm.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3c1e81733e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/desktop/src/features/custom-emoji/ui/emojiMartPrewarm.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import data from "@emoji-mart/data";
+import { init } from "emoji-mart";
+
+// emoji-mart treats a persisted empty object differently from a missing index:
+// a missing index gets its default Frequent row, while `{}` removes the entire
+// category from the module-global picker data. Normalize that poisoned state
+// before the first picker initializes.
+try {
+  if (window.localStorage.getItem("emoji-mart.frequently") === "{}") {
+    window.localStorage.removeItem("emoji-mart.frequently");
+    window.localStorage.removeItem("emoji-mart.last");
+  }
+} catch {
+  // emoji-mart also tolerates unavailable storage; picker selection still works.
+}
+
+// emoji-mart synchronously builds its search index inside `init`. Warm it at
+// idle so the first picker open does not pay that cost. This module also owns
+// the data passed to every Picker, making the prewarm part of that import path
+// rather than a disconnected best-effort call.
+const warm = () => void init({ data });
+if (typeof window !== "undefined" && "requestIdleCallback" in window) {
+  window.requestIdleCallback(warm, { timeout: 1_500 });
+} else {
+  globalThis.setTimeout(warm, 250);
+}
+
+export { data as emojiMartData };
diff --git a/desktop/test-loader-hooks.mjs b/desktop/test-loader-hooks.mjs
index ede5cbedae6..06c44ae2130 100644
--- a/desktop/test-loader-hooks.mjs
+++ b/desktop/test-loader-hooks.mjs
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ function resolveSourcePath(basePath) {
 const stubModules = new Map([
   [
     "emoji-mart",
-    "export const init = () => {};\n" +
+    "export const init = (...args) => globalThis.__BUZZ_TEST_EMOJI_MART_INIT__?.(...args);\n" +
       "export const SearchIndex = { search: async () => [] };\n" +
       "export default {};\n",
   ],
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/custom-emoji.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/custom-emoji.spec.ts
index a48799bcb2d..16ca3900ece 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/custom-emoji.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/custom-emoji.spec.ts
@@ -309,6 +309,41 @@ test("message quick reaction tray stays neutral after selecting a tray emoji", a
   );
 });
 
+test("emoji picker keeps Frequently used live within the app session", async ({
+  page,
+}) => {
+  await page.addInitScript(() => {
+    window.localStorage.setItem("emoji-mart.frequently", "{}");
+    window.localStorage.removeItem("emoji-mart.last");
+  });
+  await page.goto("/");
+  await page.getByTestId("channel-general").click();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveText("general");
+  await waitForMockLiveSubscription(page, "general");
+
+  const row = reactionTargetRow(page);
+  await expect(row).toBeVisible();
+  await row.hover();
+  await row.getByLabel("Open reactions").click();
+
+  let picker = page.locator("em-emoji-picker");
+  await expect(
+    picker.getByRole("button", { name: "Frequently used" }),
+  ).toBeVisible();
+
+  await picker.locator("input[type='search']").fill("unicorn");
+  await picker.getByRole("button", { name: "🦄" }).first().click();
+  await expect(row.getByLabel("Toggle 🦄 reaction")).toBeVisible();
+
+  await row.hover();
+  await row.getByLabel("Open reactions").click();
+  picker = page.locator("em-emoji-picker");
+  await picker.getByRole("button", { name: "Frequently used" }).click();
+  await expect(
+    picker.getByRole("button", { name: "🦄" }).first(),
+  ).toBeVisible();
+});
+
 test("reacting with a custom emoji renders via the loopback media proxy", async ({
   page,
 }) => {