diff --git a/anonstream/control/parse.py b/anonstream/control/parse.py
index de30db3..7acf77f 100644
--- a/anonstream/control/parse.py
+++ b/anonstream/control/parse.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ from anonstream.control.spec import ParseException, Parsed
 from anonstream.control.spec.common import Str
 from anonstream.control.spec.methods.allowedness import SPEC as SPEC_ALLOWEDNESS
 from anonstream.control.spec.methods.chat import SPEC as SPEC_CHAT
+from anonstream.control.spec.methods.emote import SPEC as SPEC_EMOTE
 from anonstream.control.spec.methods.help import SPEC as SPEC_HELP
 from anonstream.control.spec.methods.quit import SPEC as SPEC_QUIT
 from anonstream.control.spec.methods.title import SPEC as SPEC_TITLE
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ SPEC = Str({
     'chat': SPEC_CHAT,
     'user': SPEC_USER,
     'allowednesss': SPEC_ALLOWEDNESS,
+    'emote': SPEC_EMOTE,
 })
 
 async def parse(request):
diff --git a/anonstream/control/spec/methods/emote.py b/anonstream/control/spec/methods/emote.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8318ad4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/anonstream/control/spec/methods/emote.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022 n9k <https://git.076.ne.jp/ninya9k>
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+
+import json
+
+from quart import current_app
+
+from anonstream.emote import load_emote_schema_async, BadEmote
+from anonstream.helpers.emote import get_emote_markup
+from anonstream.control.spec.common import Str, End
+from anonstream.control.exceptions import CommandFailed
+
+CONFIG = current_app.config
+EMOTES = current_app.emotes
+
+async def cmd_emote_help():
+    normal = ['emote', 'help']
+    response = (
+        'Usage: emote reload\n'
+        'Commands:\n'
+        ' emote reload......try to reload the emote schema (existing messages are not modified)\n'
+    )
+    return normal, response
+
+async def cmd_emote_reload():
+    try:
+        emotes = await load_emote_schema_async(CONFIG['EMOTE_SCHEMA'])
+    except OSError as e:
+        raise CommandFailed(f'could not read emote schema: {e}') from e
+    except json.JSONDecodeError as e:
+        raise CommandFailed('could not decode emote schema as json') from e
+    except BadEmote as e:
+        error, *_ = e.args
+        raise CommandFailed(error) from e
+    else:
+        # Mutate current_app.emotes in place
+        EMOTES.clear()
+        for emote in emotes:
+            EMOTES.append(emote)
+        # Clear emote markup cache -- emotes by the same name may have changed
+        get_emote_markup.cache_clear()
+    normal = ['emote', 'reload']
+    response = ''
+    return normal, response
+
+SPEC = Str({
+    None: End(cmd_emote_help),
+    'help': End(cmd_emote_help),
+    'reload': End(cmd_emote_reload),
+})
+
diff --git a/anonstream/control/spec/methods/help.py b/anonstream/control/spec/methods/help.py
index ab0e5c7..2cd7d2f 100644
--- a/anonstream/control/spec/methods/help.py
+++ b/anonstream/control/spec/methods/help.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ async def cmd_help():
         ' allowedness setdefault BOOLEAN.set the default allowedness\n'
         ' allowedness add SET STRING.....add to the blacklist/whitelist\n'
         ' allowedness remove SET STRING..remove from the blacklist/whitelist\n'
+        ' emote reload...................try reloading the emote schema\n'
     )
     return normal, response
 
diff --git a/anonstream/emote.py b/anonstream/emote.py
index 26bc5dc..ab7bb1d 100644
--- a/anonstream/emote.py
+++ b/anonstream/emote.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import json
 import re
 
+import aiofiles
 from quart import escape
 
 class BadEmote(Exception):
@@ -9,15 +10,23 @@ class BadEmote(Exception):
 class BadEmoteName(BadEmote):
     pass
 
+def _load_emote_schema(emotes):
+    for key in ('name', 'file', 'width', 'height'):
+        for emote in emotes:
+            if key not in emote:
+                raise BadEmote(f'emotes must have a `{key}`: {emote}')
+    precompute_emote_regex(emotes)
+    return emotes
+
 def load_emote_schema(filepath):
     with open(filepath) as fp:
         emotes = json.load(fp)
-        for key in ('name', 'file', 'width', 'height'):
-            for emote in emotes:
-                if key not in emote:
-                    raise BadEmote(f'emotes must have a `{key}`: {emote}')
-        precompute_emote_regex(emotes)
-    return emotes
+    return _load_emote_schema(emotes)
+
+async def load_emote_schema_async(filepath):
+    async with aiofiles.open(filepath) as fp:
+        data = await fp.read(8192)
+    return _load_emote_schema(json.loads(data))
 
 def precompute_emote_regex(schema):
     for emote in schema: