diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/ComposeActivity.java b/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/ComposeActivity.java
index 04c439939..015721b2e 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/ComposeActivity.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/ComposeActivity.java
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ public final class ComposeActivity
                 @Override
                 public void onResponse(@NonNull Call<List<Emoji>> call, @NonNull Response<List<Emoji>> response) {
                     emojiList = response.body();
-                    enableButton(emojiButton, true, emojiList.size() > 0);
+                    setEmojiList(emojiList);
                     cacheInstanceMetadata(activeAccount);
                 }
 
@@ -1447,15 +1447,19 @@ public final class ComposeActivity
             Integer max = instanceEntity.getMaximumTootCharacters();
             maximumTootCharacters = (max == null ? STATUS_CHARACTER_LIMIT : max);
             emojiList = instanceEntity.getEmojiList();
-            if (emojiList != null) {
-                emojiView.setAdapter(new EmojiAdapter(emojiList, ComposeActivity.this));
-                enableButton(emojiButton, true, emojiList.size() > 0);
-            }
+            setEmojiList(emojiList);
+            updateVisibleCharactersLeft();
         }
     }
 
-    private void cacheInstanceMetadata(@NotNull AccountEntity activeAccount)
-    {
+    private void setEmojiList(@Nullable List<Emoji> emojiList) {
+        if (emojiList != null) {
+            emojiView.setAdapter(new EmojiAdapter(emojiList, ComposeActivity.this));
+            enableButton(emojiButton, true, emojiList.size() > 0);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void cacheInstanceMetadata(@NotNull AccountEntity activeAccount) {
         InstanceEntity instanceEntity = new InstanceEntity(activeAccount.getDomain(), emojiList, maximumTootCharacters);
         TuskyApplication.getDB().instanceDao().insertOrReplace(instanceEntity);
     }
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_compose.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_compose.xml
index debf87a4f..c381d98ef 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_compose.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_compose.xml
@@ -275,7 +275,8 @@
             android:layout_width="wrap_content"
             android:layout_height="wrap_content"
             android:textColor="?android:textColorTertiary"
-            android:textSize="?attr/status_text_medium" />
+            android:textSize="?attr/status_text_medium"
+            tools:text="500"/>
 
         <com.keylesspalace.tusky.view.TootButton
             android:id="@+id/composeTootButton"