diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 00e012bee..fbfad945e 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ To update |kitty|, :doc:`follow the instructions <binary>`.
 - Fix a regression in 0.20.0 that sent incorrect bytes for the :kbd:`F1-F4` keys
   in rmkx mode (:iss:`3586`)
 
+- macOS: When the Apple Color Emoji font lacks an emoji glyph search for it in other
+  installed fonts (:iss:`3591`)
+
 
 0.20.3 [2021-05-06]
 ----------------------
diff --git a/kitty/core_text.m b/kitty/core_text.m
index b3065f621..72f99e1d9 100644
--- a/kitty/core_text.m
+++ b/kitty/core_text.m
@@ -250,15 +250,22 @@ PyObject*
 create_fallback_face(PyObject *base_face, CPUCell* cell, bool UNUSED bold, bool UNUSED italic, bool emoji_presentation, FONTS_DATA_HANDLE fg UNUSED) {
     CTFace *self = (CTFace*)base_face;
     CTFontRef new_font;
-    if (emoji_presentation) new_font = CTFontCreateWithName((CFStringRef)@"AppleColorEmoji", self->scaled_point_sz, NULL);
-    else {
-        char text[64] = {0};
-        cell_as_utf8_for_fallback(cell, text);
-        CFStringRef str = CFStringCreateWithCString(NULL, text, kCFStringEncodingUTF8);
-        if (str == NULL) return PyErr_NoMemory();
-        new_font = find_substitute_face(str, self->ct_font, cell);
+#define search_for_fallback() \
+        char text[64] = {0}; \
+        cell_as_utf8_for_fallback(cell, text); \
+        CFStringRef str = CFStringCreateWithCString(NULL, text, kCFStringEncodingUTF8); \
+        if (str == NULL) return PyErr_NoMemory(); \
+        new_font = find_substitute_face(str, self->ct_font, cell); \
         CFRelease(str);
+
+    if (emoji_presentation) {
+        new_font = CTFontCreateWithName((CFStringRef)@"AppleColorEmoji", self->scaled_point_sz, NULL);
+        if (!new_font || !glyph_id_for_codepoint_ctfont(new_font, cell->ch)) {
+            if (new_font) CFRelease(new_font);
+            search_for_fallback();
+        }
     }
+    else { search_for_fallback(); }
     if (new_font == NULL) return NULL;
     return (PyObject*)ct_face(new_font);
 }