diff --git a/src/cheogram/res/values/strings.xml b/src/cheogram/res/values/strings.xml
index b6b9524b9955d602800d07b1c3b49c1f5adc1ca5..225fda1b8e932591208f44ec601c27c8dc91a582 100644
--- a/src/cheogram/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/src/cheogram/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@
     <string name="you_are_not_participating">You are muted</string>
     <string name="pref_follow_thread_in_channel">Auto-follow thread in channels</string>
     <string name="pref_follow_thread_in_channel_summary">Set the thread marker to match the message currently being looked at</string>
+    <string name="pref_message_autocomplete">Autocomplete when composing messages</string>
+    <string name="pref_message_autocomplete_summary">For example, complete emoji starting with :</string>
     <string name="notify_only_when_highlighted_or_replied">Notify for mentions and replies</string>
     <string name="moderate_recent">Moderate messages?</string>
 </resources>
diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConversationFragment.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConversationFragment.java
index e1a141f894f46517218ac313f16416c864591d29..1d3490b8c689fa13a6becfa84f14898b82a8072e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConversationFragment.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/ui/ConversationFragment.java
@@ -1460,8 +1460,15 @@ public class ConversationFragment extends XmppFragment
     }
 
     protected void setupEmojiSearch() {
-        if (emojiSearch == null && activity != null && activity.xmppConnectionService != null) {
-            emojiSearch = activity.xmppConnectionService.emojiSearch();
+        if (activity != null && activity.xmppConnectionService != null) {
+            if (!activity.xmppConnectionService.getBooleanPreference("message_autocomplete", R.bool.message_autocomplete)) {
+                emojiSearch = null;
+                if (emojiSearchBinding != null) emojiSearchBinding.emoji.setAdapter(null);
+                return;
+            }
+            if (emojiSearch == null) {
+                emojiSearch = activity.xmppConnectionService.emojiSearch();
+            }
         }
         if (emojiSearch == null || emojiSearchBinding == null) return;
 
diff --git a/src/main/res/values/defaults.xml b/src/main/res/values/defaults.xml
index 1af57f68fb37128ec0bed181ceeec1f1eceec2ee..26fb678ea26224b879621451d0d196942f0a7b49 100644
--- a/src/main/res/values/defaults.xml
+++ b/src/main/res/values/defaults.xml
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
     <bool name="prevent_screenshots">false</bool>
     <bool name="dialler_integration_incoming">true</bool>
     <bool name="follow_thread_in_channel">false</bool>
+    <bool name="message_autocomplete">true</bool>
     <string name="default_push_server">up.conversations.im</string>
     <string name="default_push_account">none</string>
 </resources>
diff --git a/src/main/res/xml/preferences.xml b/src/main/res/xml/preferences.xml
index a0ec085948b0d650e024b10e2bc71db4768e4168..7a7933687b589f092b299856db78b145b63e4852 100644
--- a/src/main/res/xml/preferences.xml
+++ b/src/main/res/xml/preferences.xml
@@ -380,6 +380,11 @@
                     android:key="scroll_to_bottom"
                     android:summary="@string/pref_scroll_to_bottom_summary"
                     android:title="@string/pref_scroll_to_bottom" />
+                <CheckBoxPreference
+                    android:defaultValue="@bool/message_autocomplete"
+                    android:key="message_autocomplete"
+                    android:summary="@string/pref_message_autocomplete_summary"
+                    android:title="@string/pref_message_autocomplete" />
             </PreferenceCategory>
             <PreferenceCategory android:key="expert_media" android:title="Media">
                 <Preference