diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/pretty-text/engines/discourse-markdown/emoji.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/pretty-text/engines/discourse-markdown/emoji.js.es6
index 0ab9cf87098..533dd761394 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/pretty-text/engines/discourse-markdown/emoji.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/pretty-text/engines/discourse-markdown/emoji.js.es6
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ function imageFor(code, opts) {
   }
 }
 
-function getEmojiName(content, pos, state) {
+function getEmojiName(content, pos, state, inlineEmoji) {
   if (content.charCodeAt(pos) !== 58) {
     return;
   }
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ function getEmojiName(content, pos, state) {
   if (pos > 0) {
     let prev = content.charCodeAt(pos - 1);
     if (
+      !inlineEmoji &&
       !state.md.utils.isSpace(prev) &&
       !state.md.utils.isPunctChar(String.fromCharCode(prev))
     ) {
@@ -173,7 +174,13 @@ function getEmojiTokenByTranslation(content, pos, state) {
   }
 }
 
-function applyEmoji(content, state, emojiUnicodeReplacer, enableShortcuts) {
+function applyEmoji(
+  content,
+  state,
+  emojiUnicodeReplacer,
+  enableShortcuts,
+  inlineEmoji
+) {
   let i;
   let result = null;
   let contentToken = null;
@@ -188,7 +195,7 @@ function applyEmoji(content, state, emojiUnicodeReplacer, enableShortcuts) {
 
   for (i = 0; i < content.length - 1; i++) {
     let offset = 0;
-    let emojiName = getEmojiName(content, i, state);
+    let emojiName = getEmojiName(content, i, state, inlineEmoji);
     let token = null;
 
     if (emojiName) {
@@ -235,6 +242,7 @@ export function setup(helper) {
   helper.registerOptions((opts, siteSettings, state) => {
     opts.features.emoji = !!siteSettings.enable_emoji;
     opts.features.emojiShortcuts = !!siteSettings.enable_emoji_shortcuts;
+    opts.features.inlineEmoji = !!siteSettings.enable_inline_emoji_translation;
     opts.emojiSet = siteSettings.emoji_set || "";
     opts.customEmoji = state.customEmoji;
   });
@@ -246,7 +254,8 @@ export function setup(helper) {
           c,
           s,
           md.options.discourse.emojiUnicodeReplacer,
-          md.options.discourse.features.emojiShortcuts
+          md.options.discourse.features.emojiShortcuts,
+          md.options.discourse.features.inlineEmoji
         )
       )
     );
diff --git a/config/locales/server.en.yml b/config/locales/server.en.yml
index 64fd382d566..c8548b7b65d 100644
--- a/config/locales/server.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/server.en.yml
@@ -1780,6 +1780,7 @@ en:
     enable_emoji_shortcuts: "Common smiley text such as :) :p :( will be converted to emojis"
     emoji_set: "How would you like your emoji?"
     emoji_autocomplete_min_chars: "Minimum number of characters required to trigger autocomplete emoji popup"
+    enable_inline_emoji_translation: "Enables translation for inline emojis (without any space or punctuation before)"
 
     approve_post_count: "The amount of posts from a new or basic user that must be approved"
     approve_unless_trust_level: "Posts for users below this trust level must be approved"
diff --git a/config/site_settings.yml b/config/site_settings.yml
index b64d9198b85..ec8b7137c42 100644
--- a/config/site_settings.yml
+++ b/config/site_settings.yml
@@ -746,6 +746,14 @@ posting:
     default: 0
     locale_default:
       fr: 1
+  enable_inline_emoji_translation:
+    client: true
+    default: false
+    locale_default:
+      zh_CN: true
+      zh_TW: true
+      ja: true
+      ko: true
   approve_post_count:
     default: 0
   approve_unless_trust_level:
diff --git a/test/javascripts/lib/pretty-text-test.js.es6 b/test/javascripts/lib/pretty-text-test.js.es6
index 000086955f6..76f54a04850 100644
--- a/test/javascripts/lib/pretty-text-test.js.es6
+++ b/test/javascripts/lib/pretty-text-test.js.es6
@@ -1354,6 +1354,20 @@ QUnit.test("emoji", assert => {
   );
 });
 
+QUnit.test("emoji - enable_inline_emoji_translation", assert => {
+  assert.cookedOptions(
+    "test:smile:test",
+    { siteSettings: { enable_inline_emoji_translation: false } },
+    `<p>test:smile:test</p>`
+  );
+
+  assert.cookedOptions(
+    "test:smile:test",
+    { siteSettings: { enable_inline_emoji_translation: true } },
+    `<p>test<img src="/images/emoji/twitter/smile.png?v=${v}" title=":smile:" class="emoji" alt=":smile:">test</p>`
+  );
+});
+
 QUnit.test("emoji - emojiSet", assert => {
   assert.cookedOptions(
     ":smile:",