diff --git a/app/src/main/java/helium314/keyboard/keyboard/emoji/EmojiSearchActivity.kt b/app/src/main/java/helium314/keyboard/keyboard/emoji/EmojiSearchActivity.kt
index ddb8046e0..ed489dec9 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/helium314/keyboard/keyboard/emoji/EmojiSearchActivity.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/helium314/keyboard/keyboard/emoji/EmojiSearchActivity.kt
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ import helium314.keyboard.settings.CloseIcon
 import helium314.keyboard.settings.SearchIcon
 import kotlin.properties.Delegates
 
-private const val TAG = "emoji-search"
+const val TAG = "emoji-search"
 
 /**
  * This activity is displayed in a gap created for it above the keyboard and below the host app, and disables the host app.
@@ -260,20 +260,22 @@ class EmojiSearchActivity : ComponentActivity() {
     }
 
     override fun onStop() {
+        Log.d(TAG, "search ending. Selected emoji: ${pressedKey?.let { getEmoji(it) }}. imeClosed: $imeClosed")
         val intent = Intent(this, LatinIME::class.java).setAction(EMOJI_SEARCH_DONE_ACTION)
             .putExtra(IME_CLOSED_KEY, imeClosed)
         pressedKey?.let {
-            intent.putExtra(EMOJI_KEY, if (it.code == KeyCode.MULTIPLE_CODE_POINTS)
-                it.getOutputText()
-            else
-                Character.toString(it.code))
-
+            intent.putExtra(EMOJI_KEY, getEmoji(it))
             KeyboardSwitcher.getInstance().emojiPalettesView.addRecentKey(it)
         }
         startService(intent)
         super.onStop()
     }
 
+    private fun getEmoji(key: Key): String? = if (key.code == KeyCode.MULTIPLE_CODE_POINTS)
+        key.getOutputText()
+    else
+        Character.toString(key.code)
+
     private fun init() {
         Log.d(TAG, "init start")
         @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/helium314/keyboard/latin/LatinIME.java b/app/src/main/java/helium314/keyboard/latin/LatinIME.java
index 051371b75..d5e20f272 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/helium314/keyboard/latin/LatinIME.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/helium314/keyboard/latin/LatinIME.java
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 import helium314.keyboard.keyboard.KeyboardActionListenerImpl;
 import helium314.keyboard.keyboard.emoji.EmojiPalettesView;
 import helium314.keyboard.keyboard.emoji.EmojiSearchActivity;
+import helium314.keyboard.keyboard.emoji.EmojiSearchActivityKt;
 import helium314.keyboard.keyboard.internal.KeyboardIconsSet;
 import helium314.keyboard.keyboard.internal.keyboard_parser.floris.KeyCode;
 import helium314.keyboard.latin.common.InsetsOutlineProvider;
@@ -1712,21 +1713,25 @@ void launchSettings() {
     }
 
     public void launchEmojiSearch() {
-        Log.d("emoji-search", "before activity launch");
+        Log.d(EmojiSearchActivityKt.TAG, "before activity launch");
         startActivity(new Intent().setClass(this, EmojiSearchActivity.class)
                           .setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK|Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_MULTIPLE_TASK));
     }
 
     @Override
     public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId) {
+        Log.d(EmojiSearchActivityKt.TAG, "after activity closing. isEmojiSearch: " + isEmojiSearch() + ". Intent: " + intent +
+                        (intent != null ? ". imeClosed: " + isImeClosed(intent) + ". selected emoji: " + getSelectedEmoji(intent) : ""));
         if (intent != null && EmojiSearchActivity.EMOJI_SEARCH_DONE_ACTION.equals(intent.getAction()) && ! isEmojiSearch()) {
-            if (intent.getBooleanExtra(EmojiSearchActivity.IME_CLOSED_KEY, false)) {
+            if (isImeClosed(intent)) {
                 requestHideSelf(0);
             } else {
-                mHandler.postDelayed(() -> KeyboardSwitcher.getInstance().setEmojiKeyboard(), 100);
-                if (intent.hasExtra(EmojiSearchActivity.EMOJI_KEY)) {
-                     onTextInput(intent.getStringExtra(EmojiSearchActivity.EMOJI_KEY));
-                }
+                mHandler.postDelayed(() -> {
+                    if (intent.hasExtra(EmojiSearchActivity.EMOJI_KEY)) {
+                         onTextInput(getSelectedEmoji(intent));
+                    }
+                    KeyboardSwitcher.getInstance().setEmojiKeyboard();
+                }, 100);
             }
 
             stopSelf(startId); // Allow the service to be destroyed when unbound
@@ -1736,6 +1741,14 @@ public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId) {
         return super.onStartCommand(intent, flags, startId);
     }
 
+    private static boolean isImeClosed(Intent intent) {
+        return intent.getBooleanExtra(EmojiSearchActivity.IME_CLOSED_KEY, false);
+    }
+
+    private static String getSelectedEmoji(Intent intent) {
+        return intent.getStringExtra(EmojiSearchActivity.EMOJI_KEY);
+    }
+
     public boolean isEmojiSearch() {
         return getEmojiSearchActivityHeight() > 0;
     }