diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomHeader.js b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomHeader.js
index 19010d8a10..c60f5c37ae 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomHeader.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomHeader.js
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 }
             }
             if (topic) {
-                topic_el = <div className="mx_RoomHeader_topic" ref="topic" title={ topic } dir="auto">{ topic }</div>;
+                topic_el = <EmojiText dir="auto" element="div" className="mx_RoomHeader_topic" ref="topic" title={topic}>{ topic }</EmojiText>;
             }
         }