diff --git a/zerver/tests/test_reactions.py b/zerver/tests/test_reactions.py
index 6463f7ad7b..2d1b8dff32 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/test_reactions.py
+++ b/zerver/tests/test_reactions.py
@@ -494,6 +494,12 @@ class DefaultEmojiReactionTests(EmojiReactionBase):
         result = self.delete_reaction(reaction_info)
         self.assert_json_success(result)
 
+    def test_delete_insufficient_arguments_reaction(self) -> None:
+        result = self.delete_reaction({})
+        self.assert_json_error(result, 'At least one of the following '
+                               'arguments must be present: emoji_name, '
+                               'emoji_code')
+
     def test_delete_non_existing_emoji_reaction(self) -> None:
         reaction_info = {
             'emoji_name': 'thumbs_up',
@@ -519,6 +525,29 @@ class DefaultEmojiReactionTests(EmojiReactionBase):
         result = self.delete_reaction(reaction_info)
         self.assert_json_success(result)
 
+    def test_delete_reaction_by_name(self) -> None:
+        hamlet = self.example_user('hamlet')
+        message = Message.objects.get(id=1)
+        Reaction.objects.create(user_profile=hamlet,
+                                message=message,
+                                emoji_name='+1',
+                                emoji_code='1f44d',
+                                reaction_type='unicode_emoji',
+                                )
+
+        reaction_info = {
+            'emoji_name': '+1'
+        }
+        result = self.delete_reaction(reaction_info)
+        self.assert_json_success(result)
+        self.assertFalse(
+            Reaction.objects.filter(user_profile=hamlet,
+                                    message=message,
+                                    emoji_name=reaction_info['emoji_name'],
+                                    emoji_code='1f44d',
+                                    reaction_type='unicode_emoji').exists()
+        )
+
     def test_react_historical(self) -> None:
         """
         Reacting with valid emoji on a historical message succeeds.
diff --git a/zerver/views/reactions.py b/zerver/views/reactions.py
index 934020bdbe..59c0f74500 100644
--- a/zerver/views/reactions.py
+++ b/zerver/views/reactions.py
@@ -83,10 +83,24 @@ def add_reaction(request: HttpRequest, user_profile: UserProfile, message_id: in
 
 @has_request_variables
 def remove_reaction(request: HttpRequest, user_profile: UserProfile, message_id: int,
-                    emoji_code: str=REQ(),
+                    emoji_name: Optional[str]=REQ(default=None),
+                    emoji_code: Optional[str]=REQ(default=None),
                     reaction_type: str=REQ(default="unicode_emoji")) -> HttpResponse:
     message, user_message = access_message(user_profile, message_id)
 
+    if emoji_code is None:
+        if emoji_name is None:
+            raise JsonableError(_('At least one of the following arguments '
+                                  'must be present: emoji_name, emoji_code'))
+        # A correct full Zulip client implementation should always
+        # pass an emoji_code, because of the corner cases discussed in
+        # the long block comments elsewhere in this file.  However, to
+        # make it easy for simple API clients to use the reactions API
+        # without needing the mapping between emoji names and codes,
+        # we allow instead passing the emoji_name and looking up the
+        # corresponding code using the current data.
+        emoji_code = emoji_name_to_emoji_code(message.sender.realm, emoji_name)[0]
+
     if not Reaction.objects.filter(user_profile=user_profile,
                                    message=message,
                                    emoji_code=emoji_code,