diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index bd2c0e090..8f1a6a67b 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ To update |kitty|, :doc:`follow the instructions <binary>`.
 
 - diff kitten: Allow diffing remote files easily via ssh (:iss:`727`)
 
+- unicode input kitten: Add an option :option:`kitty +kitten unicode_input
+  --emoji-variation` to control the presentation variant of selected emojis
+  (:iss:`2139`)
+
 - Add specialised rendering for a few more box powerline and unicode symbols
   (:pull:`2074` and :pull:`2021`)
 
diff --git a/docs/kittens/unicode-input.rst b/docs/kittens/unicode-input.rst
index e29f8c604..e3f463802 100644
--- a/docs/kittens/unicode-input.rst
+++ b/docs/kittens/unicode-input.rst
@@ -22,3 +22,8 @@ In :guilabel:`Name` mode you instead type words from the character name and use
 keys/tab to select the character from the displayed matches. You can also type
 a leading period and the index for the match if you don't like to use arrow
 keys.
+
+Command Line Interface
+-------------------------
+
+.. include:: ../generated/cli-kitten-unicode_input.rst
diff --git a/kittens/unicode_input/main.py b/kittens/unicode_input/main.py
index 47ccdfe09..2fcbd6b76 100644
--- a/kittens/unicode_input/main.py
+++ b/kittens/unicode_input/main.py
@@ -5,25 +5,27 @@
 import os
 import string
 import subprocess
+import sys
+from contextlib import suppress
 from functools import lru_cache
 from gettext import gettext as _
-from contextlib import suppress
 
+from kitty.cli import parse_args
 from kitty.config import cached_values_for
 from kitty.constants import config_dir
-from kitty.utils import get_editor
-from kitty.fast_data_types import wcswidth
+from kitty.fast_data_types import wcswidth, is_emoji_presentation_base
 from kitty.key_encoding import (
     DOWN, ESCAPE, F1, F2, F3, F4, F12, LEFT, RELEASE, RIGHT, SHIFT, TAB, UP,
     enter_key
 )
+from kitty.utils import get_editor
 
-from ..tui.line_edit import LineEdit
 from ..tui.handler import Handler
+from ..tui.line_edit import LineEdit
 from ..tui.loop import Loop
 from ..tui.operations import (
-    clear_screen, colored, cursor, faint, set_line_wrapping,
-    set_window_title, sgr, styled
+    clear_screen, colored, cursor, faint, set_line_wrapping, set_window_title,
+    sgr, styled
 )
 
 HEX, NAME, EMOTICONS, FAVORITES = 'HEX', 'NAME', 'EMOTICONS', 'FAVORITES'
@@ -131,7 +133,8 @@ def decode_hint(x):
 
 class Table:
 
-    def __init__(self):
+    def __init__(self, emoji_variation):
+        self.emoji_variation = emoji_variation
         self.layout_dirty = True
         self.last_rows = self.last_cols = -1
         self.codepoints = []
@@ -161,7 +164,10 @@ class Table:
         self.layout_dirty = False
 
         def safe_chr(codepoint):
-            return chr(codepoint).encode('utf-8', 'replace').decode('utf-8')
+            ans = chr(codepoint).encode('utf-8', 'replace').decode('utf-8')
+            if self.emoji_variation and is_emoji_presentation_base(codepoint):
+                ans += self.emoji_variation
+            return ans
 
         if self.mode is NAME:
             def as_parts(i, codepoint):
@@ -248,8 +254,13 @@ def is_index(w):
 
 class UnicodeInput(Handler):
 
-    def __init__(self, cached_values):
+    def __init__(self, cached_values, emoji_variation='none'):
         self.cached_values = cached_values
+        self.emoji_variation = ''
+        if emoji_variation == 'text':
+            self.emoji_variation = '\ufe0e'
+        elif emoji_variation == 'graphic':
+            self.emoji_variation = '\ufe0f'
         self.line_edit = LineEdit()
         self.recent = list(self.cached_values.get('recent', DEFAULT_SET))
         self.current_char = None
@@ -257,9 +268,17 @@ class UnicodeInput(Handler):
         self.last_updated_code_point_at = None
         self.choice_line = ''
         self.mode = globals().get(cached_values.get('mode', 'HEX'), 'HEX')
-        self.table = Table()
+        self.table = Table(self.emoji_variation)
         self.update_prompt()
 
+    @property
+    def resolved_current_char(self):
+        ans = self.current_char
+        if ans:
+            if self.emoji_variation and is_emoji_presentation_base(ord(ans[0])):
+                ans += self.emoji_variation
+        return ans
+
     def update_codepoints(self):
         codepoints = None
         if self.mode is HEX:
@@ -320,8 +339,10 @@ class UnicodeInput(Handler):
             self.choice_line = ''
         else:
             c, color = self.current_char, 'green'
+            if self.emoji_variation and is_emoji_presentation_base(ord(c[0])):
+                c += self.emoji_variation
             self.choice_line = _('Chosen:') + ' {} U+{} {}'.format(
-                colored(c, 'green'), hex(ord(c))[2:], faint(styled(name(c) or '', italic=True)))
+                colored(c, 'green'), hex(ord(c[0]))[2:], faint(styled(name(c) or '', italic=True)))
         self.prompt = self.prompt_template.format(colored(c, color))
 
     def init_terminal_state(self):
@@ -475,17 +496,43 @@ class UnicodeInput(Handler):
         self.refresh()
 
 
+help_text = 'Input a unicode character'
+usage = ''
+OPTIONS = '''
+--emoji-variation
+type=choices
+default=none
+choices=none,graphic,text
+Whether to use the textual or the graphical form for emoji. By default the
+default form specified in the unicode standard for the symbol is used.
+
+
+'''.format
+
+
+def parse_unicode_input_args(args):
+    return parse_args(args, OPTIONS, usage, help_text, 'kitty +kitten unicode_input')
+
+
 def main(args):
+    try:
+        args, items = parse_unicode_input_args(args[1:])
+    except SystemExit as e:
+        if e.code != 0:
+            print(e.args[0], file=sys.stderr)
+            input(_('Press Enter to quit'))
+        return
+
     loop = Loop()
     with cached_values_for('unicode-input') as cached_values:
-        handler = UnicodeInput(cached_values)
+        handler = UnicodeInput(cached_values, args.emoji_variation)
         loop.loop(handler)
         if handler.current_char and loop.return_code == 0:
             with suppress(Exception):
                 handler.recent.remove(ord(handler.current_char))
             recent = [ord(handler.current_char)] + handler.recent
             cached_values['recent'] = recent[:len(DEFAULT_SET)]
-            return handler.current_char
+            return handler.resolved_current_char
     if loop.return_code != 0:
         raise SystemExit(loop.return_code)
 
@@ -497,10 +544,10 @@ def handle_result(args, current_char, target_window_id, boss):
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    import sys
-    if '-h' in sys.argv or '--help' in sys.argv:
-        print('Choose a unicode character to input into the terminal')
-        raise SystemExit(0)
     ans = main(sys.argv)
     if ans:
         print(ans)
+elif __name__ == '__doc__':
+    sys.cli_docs['usage'] = usage
+    sys.cli_docs['options'] = OPTIONS
+    sys.cli_docs['help_text'] = help_text
diff --git a/kitty/screen.c b/kitty/screen.c
index 3b9a4620c..e38fedc00 100644
--- a/kitty/screen.c
+++ b/kitty/screen.c
@@ -2267,6 +2267,13 @@ wcwidth_wrap(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *chr) {
     return PyLong_FromLong(wcwidth_std(PyLong_AsLong(chr)));
 }
 
+static PyObject*
+screen_is_emoji_presentation_base(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *code_) {
+    unsigned long code = PyLong_AsUnsignedLong(code_);
+    if (is_emoji_presentation_base(code)) Py_RETURN_TRUE;
+    Py_RETURN_FALSE;
+}
+
 
 #define MND(name, args) {#name, (PyCFunction)name, args, #name},
 #define MODEFUNC(name) MND(name, METH_NOARGS) MND(set_##name, METH_O)
@@ -2380,6 +2387,7 @@ PyTypeObject Screen_Type = {
 static PyMethodDef module_methods[] = {
     {"wcwidth", (PyCFunction)wcwidth_wrap, METH_O, ""},
     {"wcswidth", (PyCFunction)screen_wcswidth, METH_O, ""},
+    {"is_emoji_presentation_base", (PyCFunction)screen_is_emoji_presentation_base, METH_O, ""},
     {"truncate_point_for_length", (PyCFunction)screen_truncate_point_for_length, METH_VARARGS, ""},
     {NULL}  /* Sentinel */
 };