diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 540d4d259..a1036f708 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ To update |kitty|, :doc:`follow the instructions <binary>`.
 
 - Double clicking on empty tab bar area now opens a new tab (:iss:`3201`)
 
+- Linux: Fix rendering of emoji followed by the graphics variation selector not
+  being colored with some fonts (:iss:`3211`)
+
 
 0.19.3 [2020-12-19]
 -------------------
diff --git a/kitty/freetype.c b/kitty/freetype.c
index fe2a788b4..067bfed48 100644
--- a/kitty/freetype.c
+++ b/kitty/freetype.c
@@ -592,11 +592,11 @@ render_glyphs_in_cells(PyObject *f, bool bold, bool italic, hb_glyph_info_t *inf
         if (*was_colored) {
             if (!render_color_bitmap(self, info[i].codepoint, &bm, cell_width, cell_height, num_cells, baseline)) {
                 if (PyErr_Occurred()) PyErr_Print();
-                *was_colored = false;
                 if (!render_bitmap(self, info[i].codepoint, &bm, cell_width, cell_height, num_cells, bold, italic, true, fg)) {
                     free_processed_bitmap(&bm);
                     return false;
                 }
+                *was_colored = false;
             }
         } else {
             if (!render_bitmap(self, info[i].codepoint, &bm, cell_width, cell_height, num_cells, bold, italic, true, fg)) {