diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/emoji-picker.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/emoji-picker.js
index 48dde62dcee..3598b0575ea 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/emoji-picker.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/emoji-picker.js
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ export default Component.extend({
   hoveredEmoji: null,
   isActive: false,
   usePopper: true,
+  placement: "auto", // one of popper.js' placements, see https://popper.js.org/docs/v2/constructors/#options
   initialFilter: "",
 
   init() {
@@ -96,11 +97,9 @@ export default Component.extend({
         return;
       }
 
-      const textareaWrapper = document.querySelector(
-        ".d-editor-textarea-wrapper"
-      );
+      const popperAnchor = this._getPopperAnchor();
 
-      if (!this.site.isMobileDevice && this.usePopper && textareaWrapper) {
+      if (!this.site.isMobileDevice && this.usePopper && popperAnchor) {
         const modifiers = [
           {
             name: "preventOverflow",
@@ -113,7 +112,10 @@ export default Component.extend({
           },
         ];
 
-        if (window.innerWidth < textareaWrapper.clientWidth * 2) {
+        if (
+          this.placement === "auto" &&
+          window.innerWidth < popperAnchor.clientWidth * 2
+        ) {
           modifiers.push({
             name: "computeStyles",
             enabled: true,
@@ -131,9 +133,8 @@ export default Component.extend({
           });
         }
 
-        this._popper = createPopper(textareaWrapper, emojiPicker, {
-          placement: "auto",
-          modifiers,
+        this._popper = createPopper(popperAnchor, emojiPicker, {
+          placement: this.placement,
         });
       }
 
@@ -338,6 +339,15 @@ export default Component.extend({
     );
   },
 
+  _getPopperAnchor() {
+    // .d-editor-textarea-wrapper is only for backward compatibility here
+    // in new code use .emoji-picker-anchor
+    return (
+      document.querySelector(".emoji-picker-anchor") ??
+      document.querySelector(".d-editor-textarea-wrapper")
+    );
+  },
+
   @bind
   handleOutsideClick(event) {
     const emojiPicker = document.querySelector(".emoji-picker");
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/integration/components/emoji-picker-test.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/integration/components/emoji-picker-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6f530a82377
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/integration/components/emoji-picker-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+import componentTest, {
+  setupRenderingTest,
+} from "discourse/tests/helpers/component-test";
+import { discourseModule, query } from "discourse/tests/helpers/qunit-helpers";
+import hbs from "htmlbars-inline-precompile";
+import { click } from "@ember/test-helpers";
+
+discourseModule("Integration | Component | emoji-picker", function (hooks) {
+  setupRenderingTest(hooks);
+
+  componentTest("when placement == bottom, places the picker on the bottom", {
+    template: hbs`
+      {{d-button class="emoji-picker-anchor" action=showEmojiPicker}}
+      {{emoji-picker isActive=pickerIsActive placement="bottom"}}
+    `,
+
+    beforeEach() {
+      this.set("showEmojiPicker", () => {
+        this.set("pickerIsActive", true);
+      });
+    },
+
+    async test(assert) {
+      await click(".emoji-picker-anchor");
+      assert.equal(
+        query(".emoji-picker.opened").getAttribute("data-popper-placement"),
+        "bottom"
+      );
+    },
+  });
+
+  componentTest("when placement == right, places the picker on the right", {
+    template: hbs`
+      {{d-button class="emoji-picker-anchor" action=showEmojiPicker}}
+      {{emoji-picker isActive=pickerIsActive placement="right"}}
+    `,
+
+    beforeEach() {
+      this.set("showEmojiPicker", () => {
+        this.set("pickerIsActive", true);
+      });
+    },
+
+    async test(assert) {
+      await click(".emoji-picker-anchor");
+      assert.equal(
+        query(".emoji-picker.opened").getAttribute("data-popper-placement"),
+        "right"
+      );
+    },
+  });
+});