diff --git a/bin/omarchy-menu-emoji-insert b/bin/omarchy-menu-emoji-insert
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..389cce6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/omarchy-menu-emoji-insert
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# omarchy:summary=Insert an emoji into the focused application
+# omarchy:group=menu
+# omarchy:args=<emoji>
+# omarchy:hidden=true
+
+emoji="${1:-}"
+emoji_ignore_file="${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR:-${TMPDIR:-/tmp}}/omarchy-emoji-insert-ignore"
+copy_pid=""
+
+[[ -n $emoji ]] || exit
+
+mkdir -p "${emoji_ignore_file%/*}"
+printf '%s' "$emoji" >"$emoji_ignore_file"
+printf '%s' "$emoji" | wl-copy --type text/plain --sensitive --foreground &
+copy_pid=$!
+
+sleep 0.15
+wtype -M shift -k Insert -m shift 2>/dev/null || true
+sleep 0.2
+
+kill "$copy_pid" 2>/dev/null || true
diff --git a/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh b/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh
index 57bd465b..f0d87100 100755
--- a/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh
+++ b/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh
@@ -4,8 +4,26 @@ set -o pipefail
 
 STATE_DIR="${XDG_STATE_HOME:-$HOME/.local/state}/omarchy"
 IMAGE_DIR="$STATE_DIR/clipboard-images"
+EMOJI_IGNORE_FILE="${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR:-${TMPDIR:-/tmp}}/omarchy-emoji-insert-ignore"
 mkdir -p "$IMAGE_DIR"
 
+should_ignore_next_copy() {
+  local marker_mtime=0
+
+  [[ -f $EMOJI_IGNORE_FILE ]] || return 1
+
+  marker_mtime=$(stat -c %Y "$EMOJI_IGNORE_FILE" 2>/dev/null || printf '0')
+  if (( $(date +%s) - marker_mtime > 5 )); then
+    rm -f "$EMOJI_IGNORE_FILE"
+    return 1
+  fi
+
+  rm -f "$EMOJI_IGNORE_FILE"
+  return 0
+}
+
+should_ignore_next_copy && exit 0
+
 types=$(wl-paste --list-types 2>/dev/null || true)
 
 emit_image() {
diff --git a/shell/plugins/emojis/Emojis.qml b/shell/plugins/emojis/Emojis.qml
index 1945c8d5..9c44d6df 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/emojis/Emojis.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/emojis/Emojis.qml
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ Item {
     root.opened = true
     root.filterText = ""
     root.selectedIndex = 0
-    root.cursorActive = false
+    root.cursorActive = true
     root.rebuildDisplay()
     Qt.callLater(function() { keyCatcher.forceActiveFocus() })
   }
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ Item {
     if (displayModel.count === 0) selectedIndex = 0
     else if (selectedIndex >= displayModel.count) selectedIndex = displayModel.count - 1
     else if (selectedIndex < 0) selectedIndex = 0
+    cursorActive = displayModel.count > 0
 
     Qt.callLater(function() {
       if (displayModel.count > 0) resultGrid.positionViewAtIndex(root.selectedIndex, GridView.Contain)
@@ -132,7 +133,7 @@ Item {
   function setFilter(nextFilter) {
     root.filterText = nextFilter
     root.selectedIndex = 0
-    root.cursorActive = false
+    root.cursorActive = true
     root.rebuildDisplay()
   }
 
@@ -145,8 +146,9 @@ Item {
   function applySelected(emoji) {
     if (!emoji) return
     root.dismiss()
-    Quickshell.execDetached([root.omarchyPath + "/bin/omarchy-clipboard-paste-text", "--shift-insert", emoji])
+    Quickshell.execDetached([root.omarchyPath + "/bin/omarchy-menu-emoji-insert", emoji])
   }
+
   ListModel { id: displayModel }
 
   FileView {
diff --git a/test/shell.d/clipboard-test.sh b/test/shell.d/clipboard-test.sh
index 7e464f93..1b22cad9 100644
--- a/test/shell.d/clipboard-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/clipboard-test.sh
@@ -135,6 +135,15 @@ cat >"$TMPDIR/bin/wl-copy" <<'SH'
 cat >"$WL_COPY_OUT"
 SH
 
+cat >"$TMPDIR/bin/wl-paste" <<'SH'
+#!/bin/bash
+if [[ $1 == "--list-types" ]]; then
+  printf 'text/plain\n'
+elif [[ $1 == "--type" && $2 == "text" ]]; then
+  printf '%s' "${WL_PASTE_TEXT:-terminal copy}"
+fi
+SH
+
 cat >"$TMPDIR/bin/wtype" <<'SH'
 #!/bin/bash
 printf '%s\n' "$*" >"$WTYPE_OUT"
@@ -156,7 +165,19 @@ cat >"$TMPDIR/bin/satty" <<'SH'
 printf '%s\n' "$*" >"$SATTY_OUT"
 SH
 
-chmod +x "$TMPDIR/bin/wl-copy" "$TMPDIR/bin/wtype" "$TMPDIR/bin/omarchy-launch-browser" "$TMPDIR/bin/omarchy-launch-editor" "$TMPDIR/bin/satty"
+chmod +x "$TMPDIR/bin/wl-copy" "$TMPDIR/bin/wl-paste" "$TMPDIR/bin/wtype" "$TMPDIR/bin/omarchy-launch-browser" "$TMPDIR/bin/omarchy-launch-editor" "$TMPDIR/bin/satty"
+
+capture_output=$(CLIPBOARD_STATE=sensitive XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$TMPDIR" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh")
+[[ $capture_output == '{"type":"text","text":"terminal copy"}' ]] || fail "clipboard capture records sensitive text events"
+pass "clipboard capture records sensitive text events"
+
+printf '😀' >"$TMPDIR/omarchy-emoji-insert-ignore"
+capture_output=$(WL_PASTE_TEXT="😀" XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$TMPDIR" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh")
+[[ -z $capture_output ]] || fail "clipboard capture ignores transient emoji insert"
+pass "clipboard capture ignores transient emoji insert"
+
+[[ ! -e "$TMPDIR/omarchy-emoji-insert-ignore" ]] || fail "clipboard capture consumes transient emoji marker"
+pass "clipboard capture consumes transient emoji marker"
 
 jq -n --arg text "$(printf 'large block line 1\nlarge block line 2\n')" '[{type:"text", text:"ignored"}, {type:"text", text:$text}]' >"$TMPDIR/home/.local/state/omarchy/clipboard-history.json"
 
diff --git a/test/shell.d/emojis-test.sh b/test/shell.d/emojis-test.sh
index 58981cc7..983ebe00 100644
--- a/test/shell.d/emojis-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/emojis-test.sh
@@ -45,3 +45,47 @@ assertEqual(
   'emoji filtering finds face with tears of joy'
 )
 JS
+
+TMPDIR=$(mktemp -d)
+trap 'rm -rf "$TMPDIR"' EXIT
+
+mkdir -p "$TMPDIR/bin" "$TMPDIR/runtime"
+
+cat >"$TMPDIR/bin/wl-copy" <<'SH'
+#!/bin/bash
+args="$*"
+target="$WL_COPY_OUT"
+if [[ $args == "--type text/plain --sensitive --foreground" ]]; then
+  target="$WL_COPY_EMOJI_OUT"
+fi
+
+printf '%s\n' "$args" >"$target.args"
+cat >"$target"
+SH
+
+cat >"$TMPDIR/bin/wtype" <<'SH'
+#!/bin/bash
+printf '%s\n' "$*" >"$WTYPE_OUT"
+SH
+
+cat >"$TMPDIR/bin/sleep" <<'SH'
+#!/bin/bash
+exit 0
+SH
+
+chmod +x "$TMPDIR/bin/wl-copy" "$TMPDIR/bin/wtype" "$TMPDIR/bin/sleep"
+
+WL_COPY_OUT="$TMPDIR/copy" WL_COPY_EMOJI_OUT="$TMPDIR/emoji" WTYPE_OUT="$TMPDIR/wtype" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" \
+  XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$TMPDIR/runtime" "$ROOT/bin/omarchy-menu-emoji-insert" "😀"
+
+[[ $(<"$TMPDIR/emoji") == "😀" ]] || fail "emoji insert helper copies emoji transiently"
+pass "emoji insert helper copies emoji transiently"
+
+[[ $(<"$TMPDIR/runtime/omarchy-emoji-insert-ignore") == "😀" ]] || fail "emoji insert helper marks transient emoji for history ignore"
+pass "emoji insert helper marks transient emoji for history ignore"
+
+[[ $(<"$TMPDIR/emoji.args") == "--type text/plain --sensitive --foreground" ]] || fail "emoji insert helper serves transient clipboard in foreground"
+pass "emoji insert helper serves transient clipboard in foreground"
+
+[[ $(<"$TMPDIR/wtype") == "-M shift -k Insert -m shift" ]] || fail "emoji insert helper pastes with shift insert"
+pass "emoji insert helper pastes with shift insert"