diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/emoji.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/emoji.js
index 9c7d8ab48d..9c42cbe788 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/emoji.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/emoji.js
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ set_global('page_params', {
 set_global('upload_widget', {});
 set_global('blueslip', global.make_zblueslip());
 
-const emoji_codes = zrequire('emoji_codes', 'generated/emoji/emoji_codes.json');
 zrequire('emoji');
 zrequire('markdown');
 
@@ -81,39 +80,3 @@ run_test('get_canonical_name', () => {
     assert.equal(blueslip.get_test_logs('error').length, 1);
     blueslip.clear_test_data();
 });
-
-run_test('translate_emoticons_to_names', () => {
-    // Simple test
-    const test_text = 'Testing :)';
-    const expected = 'Testing :slight_smile:';
-    const result = emoji.translate_emoticons_to_names(test_text);
-    assert.equal(expected, result);
-
-    // Extensive tests.
-    // The following code loops over the test cases and each emoticon conversion
-    // to generate multiple test cases.
-    const testcases = [
-        {name: 'only emoticon', original: '<original>', expected: '<converted>'},
-        {name: 'space at start', original: ' <original>', expected: ' <converted>'},
-        {name: 'space at end', original: '<original> ', expected: '<converted> '},
-        {name: 'symbol at end', original: '<original>!', expected: '<converted>!'},
-        {name: 'symbol at start', original: 'Hello,<original>', expected: 'Hello,<converted>'},
-        {name: 'after a word', original: 'Hello<original>', expected: 'Hello<original>'},
-        {name: 'between words', original: 'Hello<original>World', expected: 'Hello<original>World'},
-        {name: 'end of sentence', original: 'End of sentence. <original>', expected: 'End of sentence. <converted>'},
-        {name: 'between symbols', original: 'Hello.<original>! World.', expected: 'Hello.<original>! World.'},
-        {name: 'before end of sentence', original: 'Hello <original>!', expected: 'Hello <converted>!'},
-    ];
-    for (const [shortcut, full_name] of Object.entries(emoji_codes.emoticon_conversions)) {
-        for (const t of testcases) {
-            const converted_value = full_name;
-            let original = t.original;
-            let expected = t.expected;
-            original = original.replace(/(<original>)/g, shortcut);
-            expected = expected.replace(/(<original>)/g, shortcut)
-                .replace(/(<converted>)/g, converted_value);
-            const result = emoji.translate_emoticons_to_names(original);
-            assert.equal(result, expected);
-        }
-    }
-});
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/markdown.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/markdown.js
index 2befbe4ccd..95a8305a4f 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/markdown.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/markdown.js
@@ -608,3 +608,39 @@ run_test('misc_helpers', () => {
     markdown.set_name_in_mention_element(elem, 'Aaron, but silent');
     assert.equal(elem.text(), 'Aaron, but silent');
 });
+
+run_test('translate_emoticons_to_names', () => {
+    // Simple test
+    const test_text = 'Testing :)';
+    const expected = 'Testing :slight_smile:';
+    const result = markdown.translate_emoticons_to_names(test_text);
+    assert.equal(expected, result);
+
+    // Extensive tests.
+    // The following code loops over the test cases and each emoticon conversion
+    // to generate multiple test cases.
+    const testcases = [
+        {name: 'only emoticon', original: '<original>', expected: '<converted>'},
+        {name: 'space at start', original: ' <original>', expected: ' <converted>'},
+        {name: 'space at end', original: '<original> ', expected: '<converted> '},
+        {name: 'symbol at end', original: '<original>!', expected: '<converted>!'},
+        {name: 'symbol at start', original: 'Hello,<original>', expected: 'Hello,<converted>'},
+        {name: 'after a word', original: 'Hello<original>', expected: 'Hello<original>'},
+        {name: 'between words', original: 'Hello<original>World', expected: 'Hello<original>World'},
+        {name: 'end of sentence', original: 'End of sentence. <original>', expected: 'End of sentence. <converted>'},
+        {name: 'between symbols', original: 'Hello.<original>! World.', expected: 'Hello.<original>! World.'},
+        {name: 'before end of sentence', original: 'Hello <original>!', expected: 'Hello <converted>!'},
+    ];
+    for (const [shortcut, full_name] of Object.entries(emoji_codes.emoticon_conversions)) {
+        for (const t of testcases) {
+            const converted_value = full_name;
+            let original = t.original;
+            let expected = t.expected;
+            original = original.replace(/(<original>)/g, shortcut);
+            expected = expected.replace(/(<original>)/g, shortcut)
+                .replace(/(<converted>)/g, converted_value);
+            const result = markdown.translate_emoticons_to_names(original);
+            assert.equal(result, expected);
+        }
+    }
+});
diff --git a/static/js/emoji.js b/static/js/emoji.js
index 06445dc99e..c4247a86dc 100644
--- a/static/js/emoji.js
+++ b/static/js/emoji.js
@@ -184,43 +184,6 @@ exports.get_canonical_name = function (emoji_name) {
     return emoji_codes.codepoint_to_name[codepoint];
 };
 
-// Translates emoticons in a string to their colon syntax.
-exports.translate_emoticons_to_names = function translate_emoticons_to_names(text) {
-    let translated = text;
-    let replacement_text;
-    const terminal_symbols = ',.;?!()[] "\'\n\t'; // From composebox_typeahead
-    const symbols_except_space = terminal_symbols.replace(' ', '');
-
-    const emoticon_replacer = function (match, g1, offset, str) {
-        const prev_char = str[offset - 1];
-        const next_char = str[offset + match.length];
-
-        const symbol_at_start = terminal_symbols.includes(prev_char);
-        const symbol_at_end = terminal_symbols.includes(next_char);
-        const non_space_at_start = symbols_except_space.includes(prev_char);
-        const non_space_at_end = symbols_except_space.includes(next_char);
-        const valid_start = symbol_at_start || offset === 0;
-        const valid_end = symbol_at_end || offset === str.length - match.length;
-
-        if (non_space_at_start && non_space_at_end) { // Hello!:)?
-            return match;
-        }
-        if (valid_start && valid_end) {
-            return replacement_text;
-        }
-        return match;
-    };
-
-    for (const translation of emoticon_translations) {
-        // We can't pass replacement_text directly into
-        // emoticon_replacer, because emoticon_replacer is
-        // a callback for `replace()`.  Instead we just mutate
-        // the `replacement_text` that the function closes on.
-        replacement_text = translation.replacement_text;
-        translated = translated.replace(translation.regex, emoticon_replacer);
-    }
-
-    return translated;
-};
+exports.get_emoticon_translations = () => emoticon_translations;
 
 window.emoji = exports;
diff --git a/static/js/markdown.js b/static/js/markdown.js
index 286477e747..3930d1b2a2 100644
--- a/static/js/markdown.js
+++ b/static/js/markdown.js
@@ -34,6 +34,45 @@ exports.set_name_in_mention_element = function (element, name) {
     }
 };
 
+exports.translate_emoticons_to_names = (text) => {
+    // Translates emoticons in a string to their colon syntax.
+    let translated = text;
+    let replacement_text;
+    const terminal_symbols = ',.;?!()[] "\'\n\t'; // From composebox_typeahead
+    const symbols_except_space = terminal_symbols.replace(' ', '');
+
+    const emoticon_replacer = function (match, g1, offset, str) {
+        const prev_char = str[offset - 1];
+        const next_char = str[offset + match.length];
+
+        const symbol_at_start = terminal_symbols.includes(prev_char);
+        const symbol_at_end = terminal_symbols.includes(next_char);
+        const non_space_at_start = symbols_except_space.includes(prev_char);
+        const non_space_at_end = symbols_except_space.includes(next_char);
+        const valid_start = symbol_at_start || offset === 0;
+        const valid_end = symbol_at_end || offset === str.length - match.length;
+
+        if (non_space_at_start && non_space_at_end) { // Hello!:)?
+            return match;
+        }
+        if (valid_start && valid_end) {
+            return replacement_text;
+        }
+        return match;
+    };
+
+    for (const translation of emoji.get_emoticon_translations()) {
+        // We can't pass replacement_text directly into
+        // emoticon_replacer, because emoticon_replacer is
+        // a callback for `replace()`.  Instead we just mutate
+        // the `replacement_text` that the function closes on.
+        replacement_text = translation.replacement_text;
+        translated = translated.replace(translation.regex, emoticon_replacer);
+    }
+
+    return translated;
+};
+
 exports.contains_backend_only_syntax = function (content) {
     // Try to guess whether or not a message has bugdown in it
     // If it doesn't, we can immediately render it client-side
@@ -376,7 +415,7 @@ exports.initialize = function () {
 
         // In this scenario, the message has to be from the user, so the only
         // requirement should be that they have the setting on.
-        return emoji.translate_emoticons_to_names(src);
+        return exports.translate_emoticons_to_names(src);
     }
 
     // Disable lheadings