diff --git a/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/home/room/detail/ChatEffectManager.kt b/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/home/room/detail/ChatEffectManager.kt
index ee663b9bbd..e7136762d5 100644
--- a/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/home/room/detail/ChatEffectManager.kt
+++ b/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/home/room/detail/ChatEffectManager.kt
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ class ChatEffectManager @Inject constructor() {
         return when (content.msgType) {
             MessageType.MSGTYPE_CONFETTI -> ChatEffect.CONFETTI
             MessageType.MSGTYPE_SNOW     -> ChatEffect.SNOW
+            MessageType.MSGTYPE_EMOTE,
             MessageType.MSGTYPE_TEXT     -> {
                 event.root.getClearContent().toModel<MessageContent>()?.body
                         ?.let { text ->
diff --git a/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/home/room/detail/RoomDetailViewModel.kt b/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/home/room/detail/RoomDetailViewModel.kt
index d34d01080e..e4e7177e4f 100644
--- a/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/home/room/detail/RoomDetailViewModel.kt
+++ b/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/home/room/detail/RoomDetailViewModel.kt
@@ -716,7 +716,7 @@ class RoomDetailViewModel @AssistedInject constructor(
                             popDraft()
                         }
                         is ParsedCommand.SendChatEffect            -> {
-                            room.sendTextMessage(slashCommandResult.message, slashCommandResult.chatEffect.toMessageType())
+                            sendChatEffect(slashCommandResult)
                             _viewEvents.post(RoomDetailViewEvents.SlashCommandHandled())
                             popDraft()
                         }
@@ -808,6 +808,19 @@ class RoomDetailViewModel @AssistedInject constructor(
         }
     }
 
+    private fun sendChatEffect(sendChatEffect: ParsedCommand.SendChatEffect) {
+        // If message is blank, convert to an emote, with default message
+        if (sendChatEffect.message.isBlank()) {
+            val defaultMessage = stringProvider.getString(when (sendChatEffect.chatEffect) {
+                ChatEffect.CONFETTI -> R.string.default_message_emote_confetti
+                ChatEffect.SNOW     -> R.string.default_message_emote_snow
+            })
+            room.sendTextMessage(defaultMessage, MessageType.MSGTYPE_EMOTE)
+        } else {
+            room.sendTextMessage(sendChatEffect.message, sendChatEffect.chatEffect.toMessageType())
+        }
+    }
+
     private fun popDraft() = withState {
         if (it.sendMode is SendMode.REGULAR && it.sendMode.fromSharing) {
             // If we were sharing, we want to get back our last value from draft
diff --git a/vector/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/vector/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index 8376e9e9dd..76541460d2 100644
--- a/vector/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/vector/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -2572,6 +2572,10 @@
 
     <string name="command_confetti">Sends the given message with confetti</string>
     <string name="command_snow">Sends the given message with snow</string>
+    <!-- Note to translator: please use the same emoji 🎉 in your translation -->
+    <string name="default_message_emote_confetti">sends confetti 🎉</string>
+    <!-- Note to translator: please use the same emoji ❄️ in your translation -->
+    <string name="default_message_emote_snow">sends snow ❄️</string>
 
     <string name="unencrypted">Unencrypted</string>
     <string name="encrypted_unverified">Encrypted by an unverified device</string>