diff --git a/packages/backend/src/queue/processors/db/import-custom-emojis.ts b/packages/backend/src/queue/processors/db/import-custom-emojis.ts
index e2454405fd..9e8b3b174e 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/queue/processors/db/import-custom-emojis.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/queue/processors/db/import-custom-emojis.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { addFile } from "@/services/drive/add-file.js";
 import { genId } from "@/misc/gen-id.js";
 import { db } from "@/db/postgre.js";
 import probeImageSize from "probe-image-size";
+import * as path from "path";
 
 const logger = queueLogger.createSubLogger("import-custom-emojis");
 
@@ -29,11 +30,11 @@ export async function importCustomEmojis(
 		return;
 	}
 
-	const [path, cleanup] = await createTempDir();
+	const [tempPath, cleanup] = await createTempDir();
 
-	logger.info(`Temp dir is ${path}`);
+	logger.info(`Temp dir is ${tempPath}`);
 
-	const destPath = `${path}/emojis.zip`;
+	const destPath = `${tempPath}/emojis.zip`;
 
 	try {
 		fs.writeFileSync(destPath, "", "binary");
@@ -46,44 +47,96 @@ export async function importCustomEmojis(
 		throw e;
 	}
 
-	const outputPath = `${path}/emojis`;
+	const outputPath = `${tempPath}/emojis`;
 	const unzipStream = fs.createReadStream(destPath);
 	const zip = new AdmZip(destPath);
 	zip.extractAllToAsync(outputPath, true, false, async (error) => {
 		if (error) throw error;
-		const metaRaw = fs.readFileSync(`${outputPath}/meta.json`, "utf-8");
-		const meta = JSON.parse(metaRaw);
 
-		for (const record of meta.emojis) {
-			if (!record.downloaded) continue;
-			const emojiInfo = record.emoji;
-			const emojiPath = `${outputPath}/${record.fileName}`;
-			await Emojis.delete({
-				name: emojiInfo.name,
-			});
-			const driveFile = await addFile({
-				user: null,
-				path: emojiPath,
-				name: record.fileName,
-				force: true,
-			});
-			const file = fs.createReadStream(emojiPath);
-			const size = await probeImageSize(file);
-			file.destroy();
-			await Emojis.insert({
-				id: genId(),
-				updatedAt: new Date(),
-				name: emojiInfo.name,
-				category: emojiInfo.category,
-				host: null,
-				aliases: emojiInfo.aliases,
-				originalUrl: driveFile.url,
-				publicUrl: driveFile.webpublicUrl ?? driveFile.url,
-				type: driveFile.webpublicType ?? driveFile.type,
-				license: emojiInfo.license,
-				width: size.width || null,
-				height: size.height || null,
-			}).then((x) => Emojis.findOneByOrFail(x.identifiers[0]));
+		if (fs.existsSync(`${outputPath}/meta.json`)) {
+			logger.info("starting emoji import with metadata");
+			const metaRaw = fs.readFileSync(`${outputPath}/meta.json`, "utf-8");
+			const meta = JSON.parse(metaRaw);
+
+			for (const record of meta.emojis) {
+				if (!record.downloaded) continue;
+				const emojiInfo = record.emoji;
+				const emojiPath = `${outputPath}/${record.fileName}`;
+				await Emojis.delete({
+					name: emojiInfo.name,
+				});
+				const driveFile = await addFile({
+					user: null,
+					path: emojiPath,
+					name: record.fileName,
+					force: true,
+				});
+				const file = fs.createReadStream(emojiPath);
+				const size = await probeImageSize(file);
+				file.destroy();
+				await Emojis.insert({
+					id: genId(),
+					updatedAt: new Date(),
+					name: emojiInfo.name,
+					category: emojiInfo.category,
+					host: null,
+					aliases: emojiInfo.aliases,
+					originalUrl: driveFile.url,
+					publicUrl: driveFile.webpublicUrl ?? driveFile.url,
+					type: driveFile.webpublicType ?? driveFile.type,
+					license: emojiInfo.license,
+					width: size.width || null,
+					height: size.height || null,
+				}).then((x) => Emojis.findOneByOrFail(x.identifiers[0]));
+			}
+		} else {
+			logger.info("starting emoji import without metadata");
+			// Since we lack metadata, we import into a randomized category name instead
+			let categoryName = genId();
+
+			let containedEmojis = fs.readdirSync(outputPath);
+
+			// Filter out accidental JSON files
+			containedEmojis = containedEmojis.filter(
+				(emoji) => !emoji.match(/\.(json)$/i),
+			);
+
+			for (const emojiFilename of containedEmojis) {
+				// strip extension and get filename to use as name
+				const name = path.basename(emojiFilename, path.extname(emojiFilename));
+				const emojiPath = `${outputPath}/${emojiFilename}`;
+
+				logger.info(`importing ${name}`);
+
+				await Emojis.delete({
+					name: name,
+				});
+				const driveFile = await addFile({
+					user: null,
+					path: emojiPath,
+					name: path.basename(emojiFilename),
+					force: true,
+				});
+				const file = fs.createReadStream(emojiPath);
+				const size = await probeImageSize(file);
+				file.destroy();
+				logger.info(`emoji size: ${size.width}x${size.height}`);
+
+				await Emojis.insert({
+					id: genId(),
+					updatedAt: new Date(),
+					name: name,
+					category: categoryName,
+					host: null,
+					aliases: [],
+					originalUrl: driveFile.url,
+					publicUrl: driveFile.webpublicUrl ?? driveFile.url,
+					type: driveFile.webpublicType ?? driveFile.type,
+					license: null,
+					width: size.width || null,
+					height: size.height || null,
+				}).then((x) => Emojis.findOneByOrFail(x.identifiers[0]));
+			}
 		}
 
 		await db.queryResultCache!.remove(["meta_emojis"]);