diff --git a/content/about-treehouse.tree b/content/about-treehouse.tree
index 2644613..e060e50 100644
--- a/content/about-treehouse.tree
+++ b/content/about-treehouse.tree
@@ -19,6 +19,13 @@
     % id = "01H89RFHCQDC73N0MD2ZF629MF"
     - wouldn't you make yourself at home?
 
+    % id = "01H8VWEFHZA94G0DNPD79YV535"
+    + …
+
+        % content.link = "about/emoji"
+          id = "01H8VWEFHZ7Z71WJ347WFMC9YT"
+        + by the way did you know this website has custom emojis? and quite a lot of them, too
+
 % id = "01H89RFHCQKAPHSGCDN832QRMD"
 + ### the treehouse is a statement of artistic expression
 
@@ -125,6 +132,7 @@
                 % id = "01H89RFHCQ48R7BCZV8JWPVFCY"
                 + have I invented something new here?
 
+                    % id = "01H8VWEFJ1BGA21FBVHC4TFF3V"
                     - the "Choose Your Own Poem" lol
 
 % id = "01H89RFHCQAXJ0ST31TP1A104V"
diff --git a/content/about/emoji.tree b/content/about/emoji.tree
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9fbcd77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/content/about/emoji.tree
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+% id = "01H8VWE6M29SZXJDDAX50K99V7"
+- ### the emojipedia
+
+    % id = "01H8VWE6M2EN8YBGPT1RTWE638"
+    - (no, not that one.)
+
+    % id = "emoji/hueh"
+    - :hueh: - stolen from the Hat in Time Discord server
diff --git a/content/index.tree b/content/index.tree
index c0e61c7..c406604 100644
--- a/content/index.tree
+++ b/content/index.tree
@@ -4,31 +4,32 @@
     % id = "01H8V556P1PND8DQ73XBTZZJH7"
     - welcome! make yourself at home
 
+    % id = "01H8VWEHX501SNYQTE61WX7YJC"
     - _"owo, what's this?"_
 
         % id = "about"
-        content.link = "about"
+          content.link = "about"
         + ## about me
 
         % id = "about-treehouse"
-        content.link = "about-treehouse"
+          content.link = "about-treehouse"
         + ## about this
 
     % id = "01H8V556P1GRAA3717VH3QJFMV"
     - hobby corners
 
         % id = "programming"
-        content.link = "2023-08-20-under-construction"
+          content.link = "2023-08-20-under-construction"
         + ## programming
 
         % id = "music"
-        content.link = "2023-08-20-under-construction"
+          content.link = "2023-08-20-under-construction"
         + ## music
 
         % id = "games"
-        content.link = "2023-08-20-under-construction"
+          content.link = "2023-08-20-under-construction"
         + ## games
 
         % id = "3d-printing"
-        content.link = "2023-08-20-under-construction"
+          content.link = "2023-08-20-under-construction"
         + ## 3D printing
diff --git a/crates/treehouse/src/config.rs b/crates/treehouse/src/config.rs
index d92a401..01cf00d 100644
--- a/crates/treehouse/src/config.rs
+++ b/crates/treehouse/src/config.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,12 @@ pub struct Config {
 
     /// Links exported to Markdown for use with reference syntax `[text][def:key]`.
     pub defs: HashMap<String, String>,
+
+    /// Overrides for emoji filenames. Useful for setting up aliases.
+    ///
+    /// On top of this, emojis are autodiscovered by walking the `static/emoji` directory.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub emoji: HashMap<String, String>,
 }
 
 impl Config {
diff --git a/crates/treehouse/src/html/markdown.rs b/crates/treehouse/src/html/markdown.rs
index 019566a..29700ae 100644
--- a/crates/treehouse/src/html/markdown.rs
+++ b/crates/treehouse/src/html/markdown.rs
@@ -30,12 +30,18 @@ use pulldown_cmark::escape::{escape_href, escape_html, StrWrite};
 use pulldown_cmark::{Alignment, CodeBlockKind, Event, LinkType, Tag};
 use pulldown_cmark::{CowStr, Event::*};
 
+use crate::config::Config;
+use crate::state::Treehouse;
+
 enum TableState {
     Head,
     Body,
 }
 
 struct HtmlWriter<'a, I, W> {
+    treehouse: &'a Treehouse,
+    config: &'a Config,
+
     /// Iterator supplying events.
     iter: I,
 
@@ -49,6 +55,8 @@ struct HtmlWriter<'a, I, W> {
     table_alignments: Vec<Alignment>,
     table_cell_index: usize,
     numbers: HashMap<CowStr<'a>, usize>,
+
+    in_code_block: bool,
 }
 
 impl<'a, I, W> HtmlWriter<'a, I, W>
@@ -56,8 +64,10 @@ where
     I: Iterator<Item = Event<'a>>,
     W: StrWrite,
 {
-    fn new(iter: I, writer: W) -> Self {
+    fn new(treehouse: &'a Treehouse, config: &'a Config, iter: I, writer: W) -> Self {
         Self {
+            treehouse,
+            config,
             iter,
             writer,
             end_newline: true,
@@ -65,6 +75,7 @@ where
             table_alignments: vec![],
             table_cell_index: 0,
             numbers: HashMap::new(),
+            in_code_block: false,
         }
     }
 
@@ -95,7 +106,7 @@ where
                     self.end_tag(tag)?;
                 }
                 Text(text) => {
-                    escape_html(&mut self.writer, &text)?;
+                    self.run_text(&text)?;
                     self.end_newline = text.ends_with('\n');
                 }
                 Code(text) => {
@@ -211,6 +222,7 @@ where
                 }
             }
             Tag::CodeBlock(info) => {
+                self.in_code_block = true;
                 if !self.end_newline {
                     self.write_newline()?;
                 }
@@ -342,6 +354,7 @@ where
             }
             Tag::CodeBlock(_) => {
                 self.write("</code></pre>\n")?;
+                self.in_code_block = false;
             }
             Tag::List(Some(_)) => {
                 self.write("</ol>\n")?;
@@ -372,6 +385,107 @@ where
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    fn run_text(&mut self, text: &str) -> io::Result<()> {
+        struct EmojiParser<'a> {
+            text: &'a str,
+            position: usize,
+        }
+
+        enum Token<'a> {
+            Text(&'a str),
+            Emoji(&'a str),
+        }
+
+        impl<'a> EmojiParser<'a> {
+            fn current(&self) -> Option<char> {
+                self.text[self.position..].chars().next()
+            }
+
+            fn next_token(&mut self) -> Option<Token<'a>> {
+                match self.current() {
+                    Some(':') => {
+                        let text_start = self.position;
+                        self.position += 1;
+                        if self.current().is_some_and(|c| c.is_alphabetic()) {
+                            let name_start = self.position;
+                            while let Some(c) = self.current() {
+                                if c.is_alphanumeric() || c == '_' {
+                                    self.position += c.len_utf8();
+                                } else {
+                                    break;
+                                }
+                            }
+                            if self.current() == Some(':') {
+                                let name_end = self.position;
+                                self.position += 1;
+                                Some(Token::Emoji(&self.text[name_start..name_end]))
+                            } else {
+                                Some(Token::Text(&self.text[text_start..self.position]))
+                            }
+                        } else {
+                            Some(Token::Text(&self.text[text_start..self.position]))
+                        }
+                    }
+                    Some(_) => {
+                        let start = self.position;
+                        while let Some(c) = self.current() {
+                            if c == ':' {
+                                break;
+                            } else {
+                                self.position += c.len_utf8();
+                            }
+                        }
+                        let end = self.position;
+                        Some(Token::Text(&self.text[start..end]))
+                    }
+                    None => None,
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        if self.in_code_block {
+            escape_html(&mut self.writer, text)?;
+        } else {
+            let mut parser = EmojiParser { text, position: 0 };
+            while let Some(token) = parser.next_token() {
+                match token {
+                    Token::Text(text) => escape_html(&mut self.writer, text)?,
+                    Token::Emoji(name) => {
+                        if let Some(filename) = self.config.emoji.get(name) {
+                            let branch_id = self
+                                .treehouse
+                                .branches_by_named_id
+                                .get(&format!("emoji/{name}"))
+                                .copied();
+                            if let Some(branch) = branch_id.map(|id| self.treehouse.tree.branch(id))
+                            {
+                                self.writer.write_str("<a href=\"#")?;
+                                escape_html(&mut self.writer, &branch.html_id)?;
+                                self.writer.write_str("\">")?;
+                            }
+                            self.writer.write_str("<img class=\"emoji\" title=\":")?;
+                            escape_html(&mut self.writer, name)?;
+                            self.writer.write_str(":\" src=\"")?;
+                            escape_html(&mut self.writer, &self.config.site)?;
+                            self.writer.write_str("/static/emoji/")?;
+                            escape_html(&mut self.writer, filename)?;
+                            self.writer.write_str("\">")?;
+                            if branch_id.is_some() {
+                                self.writer.write_str("</a>")?;
+                            }
+                        } else {
+                            self.writer.write_str(":")?;
+                            escape_html(&mut self.writer, name)?;
+                            self.writer.write_str(":")?;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     // run raw text, consuming end tag
     fn raw_text(&mut self) -> io::Result<()> {
         let mut nest = 0;
@@ -431,9 +545,9 @@ where
 /// </ul>
 /// "#);
 /// ```
-pub fn push_html<'a, I>(s: &mut String, iter: I)
+pub fn push_html<'a, I>(s: &mut String, treehouse: &'a Treehouse, config: &'a Config, iter: I)
 where
     I: Iterator<Item = Event<'a>>,
 {
-    HtmlWriter::new(iter, s).run().unwrap();
+    HtmlWriter::new(treehouse, config, iter, s).run().unwrap();
 }
diff --git a/crates/treehouse/src/html/tree.rs b/crates/treehouse/src/html/tree.rs
index 44caa32..50f7abf 100644
--- a/crates/treehouse/src/html/tree.rs
+++ b/crates/treehouse/src/html/tree.rs
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ pub fn branch_to_html(
             },
             Some(broken_link_callback),
         );
-        markdown::push_html(s, markdown_parser);
+        markdown::push_html(s, treehouse, config, markdown_parser);
 
         if let Content::Link(link) = &branch.attributes.content {
             write!(
diff --git a/static/css/main.css b/static/css/main.css
index 19d4ec7..605dcb0 100644
--- a/static/css/main.css
+++ b/static/css/main.css
@@ -237,3 +237,10 @@ nav .logo {
     opacity: 100%;
     color: var(--text-color);
 }
+
+/* Style emojis to be readable */
+
+img.emoji {
+    max-height: 1.375em;
+    vertical-align: bottom;
+}
diff --git a/static/emoji/hueh.png b/static/emoji/hueh.png
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..55677a8
Binary files /dev/null and b/static/emoji/hueh.png differ
diff --git a/static/js/tree.js b/static/js/tree.js
index f3bcb87..1afad4a 100644
--- a/static/js/tree.js
+++ b/static/js/tree.js
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ async function navigateToBranch(fragment) {
                 let [_root, ...path] = fullPath;
                 if (path !== undefined) {
                     let isNotAtIndexHtml = window.location.pathname != "/index.html";
+                    let lastBranch = null;
                     for (let linked of path) {
                         let branch = LinkedBranch.byLink.get(linked);
 
@@ -144,7 +145,10 @@ async function navigateToBranch(fragment) {
                         }
 
                         await branch.loadTree("navigateToBranch");
-                        branch.details.open = true;
+                        lastBranch = branch;
+                    }
+                    if (lastBranch != null) {
+                        expandDetailsRecursively(lastBranch.details);
                     }
                     window.location.hash = window.location.hash;
                 }
diff --git a/treehouse.toml b/treehouse.toml
index 8d4fb5a..a5d026a 100644
--- a/treehouse.toml
+++ b/treehouse.toml
@@ -7,3 +7,6 @@ author = "liquidex"
 [defs]
 "stitchkit/repo" = "https://github.com/liquidev/stitchkit"
 "dawd3/repo" = "https://github.com/liquidev/dawd3"
+
+[emoji]
+hueh = "hueh.png"