diff --git a/app/helpers/user_notifications_helper.rb b/app/helpers/user_notifications_helper.rb
index de7826586fb..3e9683359e6 100644
--- a/app/helpers/user_notifications_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/user_notifications_helper.rb
@@ -32,14 +32,16 @@ module UserNotificationsHelper
     "<a href='#{Discourse.base_url}' style='color: ##{color}'>#{@site_name}</a>"
   end
 
-  def first_paragraph_from(html)
+  def first_paragraphs_from(html)
     doc = Nokogiri::HTML(html)
 
     result = ""
+    length = 0
     doc.css('body > p, aside.onebox').each do |node|
       if node.text.present?
         result << node.to_s
-        return result if result.size >= SiteSetting.digest_min_excerpt_length
+        length += node.inner_text.length
+        return result if length >= SiteSetting.digest_min_excerpt_length
       end
     end
     return result unless result.blank?
@@ -49,7 +51,7 @@ module UserNotificationsHelper
   end
 
   def email_excerpt(html_arg)
-    html = (first_paragraph_from(html_arg) || html_arg).to_s
+    html = (first_paragraphs_from(html_arg) || html_arg).to_s
     PrettyText.format_for_email(html).html_safe
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/helpers/user_notifications_helper_spec.rb b/spec/helpers/user_notifications_helper_spec.rb
index 191f4a984a8..dcd5cdcfce0 100644
--- a/spec/helpers/user_notifications_helper_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/helpers/user_notifications_helper_spec.rb
@@ -20,5 +20,19 @@ describe UserNotificationsHelper do
       SiteSetting.digest_min_excerpt_length = 100
       expect(helper.email_excerpt(cooked)).to eq(paragraphs.join)
     end
+
+    it "doesn't count emoji images" do
+      with_emoji = "<p>Hi <img src=\"/images/emoji/twitter/smile.png?v=5\" title=\":smile:\" class=\"emoji\" alt=\":smile:\"></p>"
+      arg = ([with_emoji] + paragraphs).join("\n")
+      SiteSetting.digest_min_excerpt_length = 50
+      expect(helper.email_excerpt(arg)).to eq([with_emoji, paragraphs[0]].join)
+    end
+
+    it "only counts link text" do
+      with_link = "<p>Hi <a href=\"https://really-long.essays.com/essay/number/9000/this-one-is-about-friends-and-got-a-C-minus-in-grade-9\">friends</a>!</p>"
+      arg = ([with_link] + paragraphs).join("\n")
+      SiteSetting.digest_min_excerpt_length = 50
+      expect(helper.email_excerpt(arg)).to eq([with_link, paragraphs[0]].join)
+    end
   end
 end