diff --git a/res/css/views/messages/_ReactionsRowButton.pcss b/res/css/views/messages/_ReactionsRowButton.pcss
index d27cb4f1887..26d2d25faee 100644
--- a/res/css/views/messages/_ReactionsRowButton.pcss
+++ b/res/css/views/messages/_ReactionsRowButton.pcss
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ limitations under the License.
     border-radius: 10px;
     background-color: $secondary-hairline-color;
     user-select: none;
+    align-items: center;
 
     &:hover {
         border-color: $quinary-content;
diff --git a/src/components/views/messages/ReactionsRow.tsx b/src/components/views/messages/ReactionsRow.tsx
index 9c78d3a9ed7..ee09de1d739 100644
--- a/src/components/views/messages/ReactionsRow.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/messages/ReactionsRow.tsx
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import React, { SyntheticEvent } from "react";
 import classNames from "classnames";
 import { MatrixEvent, MatrixEventEvent, Relations, RelationsEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/matrix";
 import { uniqBy } from "lodash";
+import { UnstableValue } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/NamespacedValue";
 
 import { _t } from "../../../languageHandler";
 import { isContentActionable } from "../../../utils/EventUtils";
@@ -27,10 +28,13 @@ import ReactionPicker from "../emojipicker/ReactionPicker";
 import ReactionsRowButton from "./ReactionsRowButton";
 import RoomContext from "../../../contexts/RoomContext";
 import AccessibleButton from "../elements/AccessibleButton";
+import SettingsStore from "../../../settings/SettingsStore";
 
 // The maximum number of reactions to initially show on a message.
 const MAX_ITEMS_WHEN_LIMITED = 8;
 
+export const REACTION_SHORTCODE_KEY = new UnstableValue("shortcode", "com.beeper.reaction.shortcode");
+
 const ReactButton: React.FC<IProps> = ({ mxEvent, reactions }) => {
     const [menuDisplayed, button, openMenu, closeMenu] = useContextMenu();
 
@@ -169,6 +173,7 @@ export default class ReactionsRow extends React.PureComponent<IProps, IState> {
         if (!reactions || !isContentActionable(mxEvent)) {
             return null;
         }
+        const customReactionImagesEnabled = SettingsStore.getValue("feature_render_reaction_images");
 
         let items = reactions
             .getSortedAnnotationsByKey()
@@ -195,6 +200,7 @@ export default class ReactionsRow extends React.PureComponent<IProps, IState> {
                         mxEvent={mxEvent}
                         reactionEvents={deduplicatedEvents}
                         myReactionEvent={myReactionEvent}
+                        customReactionImagesEnabled={customReactionImagesEnabled}
                         disabled={
                             !this.context.canReact ||
                             (myReactionEvent && !myReactionEvent.isRedacted() && !this.context.canSelfRedact)
diff --git a/src/components/views/messages/ReactionsRowButton.tsx b/src/components/views/messages/ReactionsRowButton.tsx
index 91e1d247739..7890a1a3b76 100644
--- a/src/components/views/messages/ReactionsRowButton.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/messages/ReactionsRowButton.tsx
@@ -18,13 +18,15 @@ import React from "react";
 import classNames from "classnames";
 import { MatrixEvent } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/matrix";
 
+import { mediaFromMxc } from "../../../customisations/Media";
 import { _t } from "../../../languageHandler";
 import { formatCommaSeparatedList } from "../../../utils/FormattingUtils";
 import dis from "../../../dispatcher/dispatcher";
 import ReactionsRowButtonTooltip from "./ReactionsRowButtonTooltip";
 import AccessibleButton from "../elements/AccessibleButton";
 import MatrixClientContext from "../../../contexts/MatrixClientContext";
-interface IProps {
+import { REACTION_SHORTCODE_KEY } from "./ReactionsRow";
+export interface IProps {
     // The event we're displaying reactions for
     mxEvent: MatrixEvent;
     // The reaction content / key / emoji
@@ -37,6 +39,8 @@ interface IProps {
     myReactionEvent?: MatrixEvent;
     // Whether to prevent quick-reactions by clicking on this reaction
     disabled?: boolean;
+    // Whether to render custom image reactions
+    customReactionImagesEnabled?: boolean;
 }
 
 interface IState {
@@ -100,27 +104,56 @@ export default class ReactionsRowButton extends React.PureComponent<IProps, ISta
                     content={content}
                     reactionEvents={reactionEvents}
                     visible={this.state.tooltipVisible}
+                    customReactionImagesEnabled={this.props.customReactionImagesEnabled}
                 />
             );
         }
 
         const room = this.context.getRoom(mxEvent.getRoomId());
         let label: string | undefined;
+        let customReactionName: string | undefined;
         if (room) {
             const senders: string[] = [];
             for (const reactionEvent of reactionEvents) {
                 const member = room.getMember(reactionEvent.getSender()!);
                 senders.push(member?.name || reactionEvent.getSender()!);
+                customReactionName =
+                    (this.props.customReactionImagesEnabled &&
+                        REACTION_SHORTCODE_KEY.findIn(reactionEvent.getContent())) ||
+                    undefined;
             }
 
             const reactors = formatCommaSeparatedList(senders, 6);
             if (content) {
-                label = _t("%(reactors)s reacted with %(content)s", { reactors, content });
+                label = _t("%(reactors)s reacted with %(content)s", {
+                    reactors,
+                    content: customReactionName || content,
+                });
             } else {
                 label = reactors;
             }
         }
 
+        let reactionContent = (
+            <span className="mx_ReactionsRowButton_content" aria-hidden="true">
+                {content}
+            </span>
+        );
+        if (this.props.customReactionImagesEnabled && content.startsWith("mxc://")) {
+            const imageSrc = mediaFromMxc(content).srcHttp;
+            if (imageSrc) {
+                reactionContent = (
+                    <img
+                        className="mx_ReactionsRowButton_content"
+                        alt={customReactionName || _t("Custom reaction")}
+                        src={imageSrc}
+                        width="16"
+                        height="16"
+                    />
+                );
+            }
+        }
+
         return (
             <AccessibleButton
                 className={classes}
@@ -130,9 +163,7 @@ export default class ReactionsRowButton extends React.PureComponent<IProps, ISta
                 onMouseOver={this.onMouseOver}
                 onMouseLeave={this.onMouseLeave}
             >
-                <span className="mx_ReactionsRowButton_content" aria-hidden="true">
-                    {content}
-                </span>
+                {reactionContent}
                 <span className="mx_ReactionsRowButton_count" aria-hidden="true">
                     {count}
                 </span>
diff --git a/src/components/views/messages/ReactionsRowButtonTooltip.tsx b/src/components/views/messages/ReactionsRowButtonTooltip.tsx
index 04cfe1dc58f..74b134dda55 100644
--- a/src/components/views/messages/ReactionsRowButtonTooltip.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/messages/ReactionsRowButtonTooltip.tsx
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import { _t } from "../../../languageHandler";
 import { formatCommaSeparatedList } from "../../../utils/FormattingUtils";
 import Tooltip from "../elements/Tooltip";
 import MatrixClientContext from "../../../contexts/MatrixClientContext";
+import { REACTION_SHORTCODE_KEY } from "./ReactionsRow";
 interface IProps {
     // The event we're displaying reactions for
     mxEvent: MatrixEvent;
@@ -30,6 +31,8 @@ interface IProps {
     // A list of Matrix reaction events for this key
     reactionEvents: MatrixEvent[];
     visible: boolean;
+    // Whether to render custom image reactions
+    customReactionImagesEnabled?: boolean;
 }
 
 export default class ReactionsRowButtonTooltip extends React.PureComponent<IProps> {
@@ -43,12 +46,17 @@ export default class ReactionsRowButtonTooltip extends React.PureComponent<IProp
         let tooltipLabel: JSX.Element | undefined;
         if (room) {
             const senders: string[] = [];
+            let customReactionName: string | undefined;
             for (const reactionEvent of reactionEvents) {
                 const member = room.getMember(reactionEvent.getSender()!);
                 const name = member?.name ?? reactionEvent.getSender()!;
                 senders.push(name);
+                customReactionName =
+                    (this.props.customReactionImagesEnabled &&
+                        REACTION_SHORTCODE_KEY.findIn(reactionEvent.getContent())) ||
+                    undefined;
             }
-            const shortName = unicodeToShortcode(content);
+            const shortName = unicodeToShortcode(content) || customReactionName;
             tooltipLabel = (
                 <div>
                     {_t(
diff --git a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
index 81fb487a062..5cc7a76d6b2 100644
--- a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
+++ b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
@@ -1004,6 +1004,8 @@
     "Enable new native OIDC flows (Under active development)": "Enable new native OIDC flows (Under active development)",
     "Rust cryptography implementation": "Rust cryptography implementation",
     "Font size": "Font size",
+    "Render custom images in reactions": "Render custom images in reactions",
+    "Sometimes referred to as \"custom emojis\".": "Sometimes referred to as \"custom emojis\".",
     "Use custom size": "Use custom size",
     "Enable Emoji suggestions while typing": "Enable Emoji suggestions while typing",
     "Show stickers button": "Show stickers button",
@@ -2481,6 +2483,7 @@
     "Add reaction": "Add reaction",
     "Reactions": "Reactions",
     "%(reactors)s reacted with %(content)s": "%(reactors)s reacted with %(content)s",
+    "Custom reaction": "Custom reaction",
     "<reactors/><reactedWith>reacted with %(shortName)s</reactedWith>": "<reactors/><reactedWith>reacted with %(shortName)s</reactedWith>",
     "Message deleted on %(date)s": "Message deleted on %(date)s",
     "%(senderDisplayName)s changed the avatar for %(roomName)s": "%(senderDisplayName)s changed the avatar for %(roomName)s",
diff --git a/src/settings/Settings.tsx b/src/settings/Settings.tsx
index ceed24d183c..851b74c3571 100644
--- a/src/settings/Settings.tsx
+++ b/src/settings/Settings.tsx
@@ -486,6 +486,14 @@ export const SETTINGS: { [setting: string]: ISetting } = {
         default: "",
         controller: new FontSizeController(),
     },
+    "feature_render_reaction_images": {
+        isFeature: true,
+        labsGroup: LabGroup.Messaging,
+        displayName: _td("Render custom images in reactions"),
+        description: _td('Sometimes referred to as "custom emojis".'),
+        supportedLevels: LEVELS_FEATURE,
+        default: false,
+    },
     /**
      * With the transition to Compound we are moving to a base font size
      * of 16px. We're taking the opportunity to move away from the `baseFontSize`
diff --git a/test/components/views/messages/ReactionsRowButton-test.tsx b/test/components/views/messages/ReactionsRowButton-test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b3ec6313d12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/components/views/messages/ReactionsRowButton-test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2023 Beeper
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+import React from "react";
+import { IContent, MatrixEvent, Room } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/matrix";
+import { render } from "@testing-library/react";
+
+import MatrixClientContext from "../../../../src/contexts/MatrixClientContext";
+import { getMockClientWithEventEmitter } from "../../../test-utils";
+import ReactionsRowButton, { IProps } from "../../../../src/components/views/messages/ReactionsRowButton";
+
+describe("ReactionsRowButton", () => {
+    const userId = "@alice:server";
+    const roomId = "!randomcharacters:aser.ver";
+    const mockClient = getMockClientWithEventEmitter({
+        mxcUrlToHttp: jest.fn().mockReturnValue("https://not.a.real.url"),
+        getRoom: jest.fn(),
+    });
+    const room = new Room(roomId, mockClient, userId);
+
+    const createProps = (relationContent: IContent): IProps => ({
+        mxEvent: new MatrixEvent({
+            room_id: roomId,
+            event_id: "$test:example.com",
+            content: { body: "test" },
+        }),
+        content: relationContent["m.relates_to"]?.key || "",
+        count: 2,
+        reactionEvents: [
+            new MatrixEvent({
+                type: "m.reaction",
+                sender: "@user1:example.com",
+                content: relationContent,
+            }),
+            new MatrixEvent({
+                type: "m.reaction",
+                sender: "@user2:example.com",
+                content: relationContent,
+            }),
+        ],
+        customReactionImagesEnabled: true,
+    });
+
+    beforeEach(function () {
+        jest.clearAllMocks();
+        mockClient.credentials = { userId: userId };
+        mockClient.getRoom.mockImplementation((roomId: string): Room | null => {
+            return roomId === room.roomId ? room : null;
+        });
+    });
+
+    it("renders reaction row button emojis correctly", () => {
+        const props = createProps({
+            "m.relates_to": {
+                event_id: "$user2:example.com",
+                key: "👍",
+                rel_type: "m.annotation",
+            },
+        });
+        const root = render(
+            <MatrixClientContext.Provider value={mockClient}>
+                <ReactionsRowButton {...props} />
+            </MatrixClientContext.Provider>,
+        );
+        expect(root.asFragment()).toMatchSnapshot();
+
+        // Try hover and make sure that the ReactionsRowButtonTooltip works
+        const reactionButton = root.getByRole("button");
+        const event = new MouseEvent("mouseover", {
+            bubbles: true,
+            cancelable: true,
+        });
+        reactionButton.dispatchEvent(event);
+
+        expect(root.asFragment()).toMatchSnapshot();
+    });
+
+    it("renders reaction row button custom image reactions correctly", () => {
+        const props = createProps({
+            "com.beeper.reaction.shortcode": ":test:",
+            "shortcode": ":test:",
+            "m.relates_to": {
+                event_id: "$user1:example.com",
+                key: "mxc://example.com/123456789",
+                rel_type: "m.annotation",
+            },
+        });
+
+        const root = render(
+            <MatrixClientContext.Provider value={mockClient}>
+                <ReactionsRowButton {...props} />
+            </MatrixClientContext.Provider>,
+        );
+        expect(root.asFragment()).toMatchSnapshot();
+
+        // Try hover and make sure that the ReactionsRowButtonTooltip works
+        const reactionButton = root.getByRole("button");
+        const event = new MouseEvent("mouseover", {
+            bubbles: true,
+            cancelable: true,
+        });
+        reactionButton.dispatchEvent(event);
+
+        expect(root.asFragment()).toMatchSnapshot();
+    });
+});
diff --git a/test/components/views/messages/__snapshots__/ReactionsRowButton-test.tsx.snap b/test/components/views/messages/__snapshots__/ReactionsRowButton-test.tsx.snap
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a6479956a70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/components/views/messages/__snapshots__/ReactionsRowButton-test.tsx.snap
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+// Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
+
+exports[`ReactionsRowButton renders reaction row button custom image reactions correctly 1`] = `
+<DocumentFragment>
+  <div
+    aria-label="@user1:example.com and @user2:example.com reacted with :test:"
+    class="mx_AccessibleButton mx_ReactionsRowButton"
+    role="button"
+    tabindex="0"
+  >
+    <img
+      alt=":test:"
+      class="mx_ReactionsRowButton_content"
+      height="16"
+      src="https://not.a.real.url"
+      width="16"
+    />
+    <span
+      aria-hidden="true"
+      class="mx_ReactionsRowButton_count"
+    >
+      2
+    </span>
+  </div>
+</DocumentFragment>
+`;
+
+exports[`ReactionsRowButton renders reaction row button custom image reactions correctly 2`] = `
+<DocumentFragment>
+  <div
+    aria-label="@user1:example.com and @user2:example.com reacted with :test:"
+    class="mx_AccessibleButton mx_ReactionsRowButton"
+    role="button"
+    tabindex="0"
+  >
+    <img
+      alt=":test:"
+      class="mx_ReactionsRowButton_content"
+      height="16"
+      src="https://not.a.real.url"
+      width="16"
+    />
+    <span
+      aria-hidden="true"
+      class="mx_ReactionsRowButton_count"
+    >
+      2
+    </span>
+    <div />
+  </div>
+</DocumentFragment>
+`;
+
+exports[`ReactionsRowButton renders reaction row button emojis correctly 1`] = `
+<DocumentFragment>
+  <div
+    aria-label="@user1:example.com and @user2:example.com reacted with 👍"
+    class="mx_AccessibleButton mx_ReactionsRowButton"
+    role="button"
+    tabindex="0"
+  >
+    <span
+      aria-hidden="true"
+      class="mx_ReactionsRowButton_content"
+    >
+      👍
+    </span>
+    <span
+      aria-hidden="true"
+      class="mx_ReactionsRowButton_count"
+    >
+      2
+    </span>
+  </div>
+</DocumentFragment>
+`;
+
+exports[`ReactionsRowButton renders reaction row button emojis correctly 2`] = `
+<DocumentFragment>
+  <div
+    aria-label="@user1:example.com and @user2:example.com reacted with 👍"
+    class="mx_AccessibleButton mx_ReactionsRowButton"
+    role="button"
+    tabindex="0"
+  >
+    <span
+      aria-hidden="true"
+      class="mx_ReactionsRowButton_content"
+    >
+      👍
+    </span>
+    <span
+      aria-hidden="true"
+      class="mx_ReactionsRowButton_count"
+    >
+      2
+    </span>
+    <div />
+  </div>
+</DocumentFragment>
+`;