diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6b632f40ebf1..434658c7bb36 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ Compatibility:
 * `Kernel#lambda` with no block in a method called with a block raises an exception (#2004, @ssnickolay).
 * Implemented `BigDecimal` as C extension to improve compatibility.
 * Comment lines can be placed between fluent dot now (#2004, @ssnickolay).
+* Updated the Unicode Emoji version (#2173, @wildmaples).
 
 Performance:
 
diff --git a/lib/truffle/rbconfig.rb b/lib/truffle/rbconfig.rb
index be907d9f6560..03e068ca081b 100644
--- a/lib/truffle/rbconfig.rb
+++ b/lib/truffle/rbconfig.rb
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ module RbConfig
     'target_cpu'        => host_cpu,
     'target_os'         => host_os,
     'UNICODE_VERSION'   => '12.0.0',
-    'UNICODE_EMOJI_VERSION' => '12.0',
+    'UNICODE_EMOJI_VERSION' => '12.1',
     'warnflags'         => warnflags,
   }